Lugano Diamonds is bringing its bling to the mall.
The purveyor of precious gemstones is working with Irvine Company to relocate its Grand Salon to Fashion Island in Newport Beach. The jeweler currently operates from an office tower across the street at 620 Newport Center Drive.
Lugano is taking the place of Canaletto and Atomic Creamery near the retail center’s eastern entrance.
Canaletto, which was owned by Il Fornaio, closed in June after 14 years at Fashion Island. Atomic Creamery relocated within the mall, shifting upstairs and next door to Blaza Pizza.
Construction has begun on Lugano’s new store, which will measure a sprawling 11,000 square feet and include a private club called Prive with an outdoor garden.
The club will have an in-store restaurant concept from Lugano Diamonds for hosting private parties. Chef Michelle Bernstein will serve as the in-house culinary adviser.
LA liquor store debuts at the CAMP
The Culver City-based Hi-Lo Liquor Store has opened at the hipster CAMP, the third location for the company founded in 2016 by Chris Harris and Talmadge Lowe.
The duo’s vision was to open a liquor store that curates a mix of beer, wine and spirits in a bright setting that also offers a selection of market staples and snacks. The name itself represents the company’s desire to offer a “spectrum of products and price-points.”
The 1,900-square-foot store will stock cocktail accessories, bartender tools, glassware and mixers. For those who prefer to skip the booze, Hi-Lo offers non-alcoholic spirits, aperitifs and elixirs.
“We have wanted to bring Hi-Lo to Orange County for a long time, and The CAMP couldn’t be a better fit,” the founders said in a statement. “We are truly excited to be here and are looking forward to getting to know the Costa Mesa neighborhood.”
Hi-Lo will host its grand opening from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 5 with tastings, food and the chance to win free beer for a year.
Address: 2981 Bristol Street. Hours: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Wednesday; and 9-9 on Thursdays through Sunday.
Anaheim Transportation Network has been awarded a $22.8 million grant from California State Transportation Agency to buy electric vehicles for current and future routes. (Courtesy of ATN)
ATN will use $23M state grant to expand transport services
The privately-held Anaheim Transportation Network has been awarded a $22.8 million grant from California State Transportation Agency to buy electric vehicles for current and future routes.
ATN is planning to launch service to John Wayne Airport while adding more connections from neighborhoods to transportation hubs served by Amtrak, Metrolink and OCTA services.
According to ATN, the grant money will go toward buying 10 electric vehicles and related infrastructure for “micro-transit services” into new neighborhoods in ATN’s existing service area; 10 electric buses for a new east/west connector service; 15 electric buses to replace existing buses and expand existing routes, including installation of on-site solar power generating station; and seven zero-emission battery electric vans to launch a new service connecting John Wayne Airport to Anaheim.
Funding for ATN, owned by Transdev in France, has met resistance from Orange County Transportation Authority, which has expressed concerns the state grants will chip away at OCTA’s $231 million state allocation. In April, the Register’s Alicia Robinson wrote that a report to an OCTA board subcommittee said “the loss of state money could result in immediate service cuts and might force OCTA to stop operating in areas that overlap with ATN’s services.”
On the move
Erin Burke, a partner at Jones Day’s Business & Tort Litigation Practice, has been named partner-in-charge of the law firm’s Irvine office. She representsclients in large-scale product liability and toxic tort litigation matters and has been at Jones Day for more than 25 years, starting as a summer associate in the Los Angeles Office in 1995. Burke has been an administrative partner for the Irvine Office since 2019. She succeeds Richard Grabowski, who served as partner-in-charge in Irvine since 2005. He will continue to serve clients as a partner in the firm’s Business & Tort Litigation Practice.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire has appointed Laura Corona Marcum as chief operating officer and Jennifer O’Farrell as chief external affairs officer. As chief operating officer, Corona Marcum will develop organizational processes and infrastructure in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties in order to scale and grow the nonprofit. O’Farrell’s new tri-county leadership role will help support and develop relationships with key players in the three-county region.
On board
Jean Millar, regional executive director at Women and Children’s Clinical Institute, Providence, and Nichole Ramirez, senior vice president of communications and donor relations at Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties, have been appointed to the board of directors at MOMS Orange County. The nonprofit is dedicated to newborn and pregnancy health.
The Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim-Cypress, Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley and Orange County Childrens Therapeutic Arts Center recently received 1,000 donated backpacks for students for the upcoming school year. The backpacks were packaged by Union Bank employees as part of a team building activity. Seen here Robbin Narike Preciado (third from left) is pictured with Union Bank employees packaging backpacks for OC youth. (Courtesy of Union Bank)
1,000 backpacks heading to local students
The Boys & Girls Club of Anaheim-Cypress, Boys & Girls Club of Huntington Valley and Orange County Children’s Therapeutic Arts Center recently received 1,000 donated backpacks for students for the upcoming school year.
The backpacks, stuffed with school essentials such as notebooks, folders, rulers, pencils, pens and erasers, were packaged by Union Bank employees as part of a team-building activity. The nonprofit recipients are all long-time MUFG Union Bank Foundation grantees.
As of 2022, the Foundation has donated close to $150,000 to the three organizations that provide academic support, mentorship, arts programming and more to OC youth.
Status Update is compiled from press releases by contributing writer Karen Levin and edited by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos to sgowen@scng.com. Allow at least one week for publication. Items are edited for length and clarity.