Costa Mesa, CA

Costa Mesa is a city located in Orange County, California. The population was 185,098 at the 2010 census. Costa Mesa is known for its mild weather and suburban lifestyle. Costa Mesa was originally part of the Rancho Santa Margarita land grant and became an incorporated city on October 8, 1927.

The city's economy is primarily based on services, with major sectors including health care, finance, law, and engineering. Retail trade also plays a significant role in the local economy. Several large companies have their headquarters in Costa Mesa including Jamba Juice, In-N-Out Burger, and Starbucks. The city has been ranked as one of the most livable cities in America by Forbes magazine several times.

The Costa Mesa area has a long history of real estate development dating back to 1872 when Henry Huntington built his first home on Newport Boulevard near what is now Newport Beach State Park. By 1900 there were more than 1,000 homes in the area and development continued through World War II with many homes being built for servicemen returning from war. In 1947 Charles Waddell founded Waddell & Reed Real Estate which became one of the largest real estate firms in Southern California and played a significant role in developing much of Costa Mesa over the next several decades.

In 1977 developers Howard Hughes Jr., Kirk Kerkorian and Donald Bren bought Waddell & Reed and began developing what would become known as "The Hub", a commercial district that includes shopping centers such as The Shops at Mission Viejo (opened 1977), Westfield UTC (opened 1981), South Coast Plaza (opened 1984) and Horton Plaza (opened 1985). Other major developments during this time include Irvine Company's acquisition of Fairway Mall (1978) which led to construction of South Coast Plaza II (1980), Irvine Company's acquisition of Bristol Square Mall (1981) which led to construction of Bristol Marketplace (1983), Irvine Company's acquisition of Westminster Mall (1984) which led to construction of Westminster Promenade (1986), Irvine Company's acquisition of Alton Square Mall (1987) which led to construction of Alton Parkway Center(1988), Irvine Company's purchaseof Capistrano Valley Mall(1989)which led tot he developmentof Capistrano Commons(1990).

In 1990 Los Angeles-based developer Robert Dugan purchased Waddell & Reed from its three original founders for $360 million; Dugan immediately began redeveloping much of The Hub into high-rise office buildings such as One Newport Center(1991), Two Newport Center(1992), Three Newport Center(1993). Other notable projects during this time include Pacific Park Tower I&II(1994/1995), Gateway Village I&II(1996/1997).

In 1997 Howard Hughes Jr.'s RJR Nabisco announced plans to build a $1 billion corporate campus near The Hub; this project was eventually cancelled due to financial difficulties .

In 2001 Boston Properties acquired Robert Dugan's company for $2 billion; under Boston Properties' ownership much redevelopment activity took place throughout The Hub including One Newport Centre becoming Two Pacific Place(2002/2003); Two Pacific Place was later renamed Westfield San Francisco Centre after Boston Properties merged with Westfield Corporation .

Boston Properties sold its interest in Westfield San Francisco Centre to Starwood Capital Group in 2013; following Starwood Capital Group's purchase additional high-rise buildings were constructed including Four Pacific Place(2013/2014)and Five Pacific Place(2015/2016).

Other notable projects during this time include Gateway Village III&IV(2007/2008); TownePlace Suites by Marriott - Costa Mesa - Gateway Village IV&V opened Fall 2016 ; Residence Inn by Marriott - Costa Mesa - Gateway Village IV opened Spring 2017 ; Hilton Garden Inn - Costa Mesa - Gateway Village IV opened Fall 2017 .