Newport Beach is purchasing a nearly 2-acre parcel on Campus Drive near John Wayne Airport that city officials hope can become the site for a new transit hub, serving an area that will soon be home to many more residents.
Today, Orange County Transportation Authority buses pick up and drop off passengers at the transit center near Fashion Island, but city leaders are eyeing that property as the future home of Fire Station 4, which is currently housed next to the police station on Santa Barbara Drive.
Moving fire apparatuses and personnel there, officials say, would speed up responses to homes in the Port Streets neighborhood and also put emergency responders closer to some of the city’s more fire-prone open spaces. It would also help complete a long-term vision of a Civic Center hub, they said.
OCTA officials, when broached in June with the subject of moving the transit hub, said they were open and said the agency understands cities frequently look at different land uses, but emphasized that the present center near Fashion Island is among the top-performing hubs and is a connection point for four major bus routes: the 1, 55, 57, and 79.
In 2023, there were 140,000 boardings at the hub, with an additional 64,000 boardings at surrounding stops on Newport Center Drive, which, OCTA officials said, reflects sustained demand for transit service in the area.
Recently, the Newport Beach City Council unanimously agreed on purchasing for $11.5 million the property at Campus Drive and Quail Street, with a plan to partner with the OCTA on a feasibility study for moving the transit hub there. Because of the uncertainty over how quickly the study could come together, the property owner has agreed to an escrow of 200 days with up to two extensions.
Under the escrow agreement, the city gets a free look at the property for the first four months, but would owe $50,000 after 120 days and another $130,000 after 200 days — those amounts would be put toward any purchase price. If needed, the city can extend the escrow for up to two 90-day extensions for $86,000 per extension. After the escrow period, the city can approve the property purchase or terminate the sale.
City staffers are now doing the due diligence for a purchase, which includes an investigation of the condition of the property, an environmental report, a survey of the property and improvements, a building condition inspection, a hazardous materials survey of the building, an ADA compliance inspection and relocation planning. If, at the end of the review, city and OCTA officials believe it’s not a good idea, the city will be out the money spent.
Councilmember Erik Weigand said he was initially hesitant to spend taxpayer money, but was won over when the land owner offered an extended escrow timeline.
“That gives us that amount of time to work with OCTA,” he said. “Getting the city and OCTA to talk on a staff level to figure out a study and to give us an answer whether the site we’re looking to purchase is viable. Hopefully, then we’ll know if we’re in a good spot to say, ‘Let’s purchase that property.’”
OCTA officials have reached out to the city and are working on scheduling a meeting, Joel Zlotnik, a spokesperson for the OCTA, said. Any change would have to comply with federal regulations, funding requirements and deed restrictions set by the Irvine Company.
The agency wants to learn more about why the city specifically believes the Campus Drive location makes sense, he said, and what other alternatives the city has considered and how the new location aligns with its transit and housing goals.
OCTA officials also want to ensure the feasibility study is jointly managed, evaluates all sites, and that both entities contribute their share of the cost to “ensure balance and objectivity.”
Any relocation of the site would also require approval from the OCTA Board of Directors and opportunities for public engagement, agency officials said.
Councilmember Noah Blom, with Councilmember Lauren Kleiman, met recently with Darrell Johnson, the transportation agency’s CEO.
“I think the location is excellent for the transit center,” Blom said, adding he thinks the fact the city now has an actual address for OCTA to consider is making a difference in its interest in the idea. “It’s on the corner on Campus and has access from multiple sides. It’s also right next to the airport.”
The proposed new location is also situated in an area where a substantial portion of the city’s affordable housing will be constructed. And, because the Newport Mesa Unified School District does not serve the area, Blom said it is more likely that the people who will live there could be college students or individuals in the workforce who might be more inclined to use buses to get around.
“We’re looking to the future when we build something like this,” he said. “And the city’s investment into that, we’re moving it closer to where it truly can be a hub to get people closer to the other lines they want.”
But, Blom also pointed out that the city is not an expert on transit and therefore is working hand-in-hand with experts from OCTA.
“Lauren Kleiman and I had multiple meetings with Darrell, and I think it was a harder sell in the beginning, but now I think we have a really great relationship with him, and he’s understanding the reason for our vision,” Blom said. “We do like the idea of maintaining the Civic Center complex in its entirety, it’s wonderful, that’s kinda the added bonus here. But, if we look to the future of where we truly need that type of transit, it’s gonna be up there. It makes the most sense.”