The senior living community Coventry Court in Tustin traded hands July 10, selling for $83 million. The seller was Meta Housing Corp. in Los Angeles, and the buyer was Jonathan Rose Cos. in New York. ()

The senior living community Coventry Court in Tustin traded hands July 10, selling for $83 million. The seller was Meta Housing Corp. in Los Angeles, and the buyer was Jonathan Rose Cos. in New York. ()

The senior living community Coventry Court in Tustin traded hands July 10, selling for $83 million. The seller was Meta Housing Corp. in Los Angeles, and the buyer was Jonathan Rose Cos. in New York. (Photo courtesy of Northmarq)

The senior living community Coventry Court in Tustin traded hands July 10, selling for $83 million, according to Northmarq.

The brokerage represented the seller, Meta Housing Corp. in Los Angeles. The buyer was Jonathan Rose Cos. in New York.

The deal closed July 10, Northmarq reps said.

The 55-and-older community in the Tustin Ranch neighborhood has 240 units, with more than half of them income-restricted. Only 87 units at Coventry Court are rented at market rates, according to Northmarq.

The apartments were completed in 2012 and sit not far from the blimp hangar that burned in 2023.

Bustling Fullerton Metrocenter sells for $118.5M

Space Investment Partners recently paid $118.5 million to Kite Realty for Fullerton Metrocenter, a 395,703-square-foot retail center anchored by Sprouts, Petsmart and Target.

The shopping center at 1375 Harbor Blvd. sits on 30 acres with 40 tenants that also include Urban Air Adventure Park.

“Looking ahead, we plan to revamp the center, bringing in new concepts and ensuring it serves the surrounding community as more housing is added,” said Ryan Gallagher, Space IP managing partner and co-founder.

Built in 1988 and updated in 2002, the shopping center will get some immediate improvements including fresh paint, updated signage, new landscaping, and leasing efforts “focused on attracting new food and fitness tenants,” according to the company.

Eastdil Secured represented the seller in the transaction.

Fullerton apartments fetch $4.1 million

A nine-unit apartment property in Fullerton sold June 13 for $4.1 million or $455,555 per unit, according to Marcus & Millichap.

Greg Bassirpou at Marcus & Millichap pointed out the small complex is minutes from Cal State Fullerton and retail centers, making it an attractive option for investors.

Bassirpou did not identify the buyer or sellers.

The property at 3169-3175 Quartz Lane includes one two-bedroom, two-bathroom townhome and eight two-bedroom, one-bathroom units in 9,831 square feet.

Amenities include a landscaped courtyard, patios, enclosed garages and on-site laundry rooms.

Bassirpou said the sellers made “extensive interior and exterior renovations to the property.”

CapRock goes big in Houston

Newport Beach-based CapRock Partners recently acquired a 524,199-square-foot, Class A industrial facility in Houston for undisclosed terms.

The fully leased Kennedy Greens Distribution Center was CapRock’s first buy in the Houston marketplace as it expands across Texas.

Built in 2020, the distribution center sits on 29 acres less than 3 miles from George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

“Houston’s industrial market continues to demonstrate strength, driven by durable demand, land constraints and a diversified economy,” Jon Pharris, co-founder and president of CapRock Partners, said in a statement.

Gantry moves mortgage team to Atrium in Irvine

Fresh off it’s deal to acquire Irvine-based Westcap, Gantry has relocated its now larger team to the Atrium office campus in Irvine.

The firm, which moved from Suite 285 at 19600 Fairchild Road in Irvine, now works from 19100-19200 Von Karman. The office complex includes an open air, 10-story lobby connecting two, 10-story office towers in 334,828 square feet.

Gantry’s new office space houses the firm’s commercial mortgage loan producers and corporate marketing staff.

Gantry Principal Andy Bratt said the firm’s operations “grew significantly” in 2024 after buying Westcap and its $3.2 billion loan servicing portfolio last December. The shift to a larger space will help integrate Westcap’s loan production staff with Gantry’s team.

Stream Realty Partners represented both sides of the five-year lease for 5,000 square feet.

The real estate roundup is compiled from news releases and written by Business Editor Samantha Gowen. Submit items and high-resolution photos via email to  sgowen@scng.com . Please allow at least a week for publication. All items are subject to editing for clarity and length.

Bob Hendrickson, chief executive officer of Republic National, wrote in a memo to employees that the company would be leaving the California market after spirits giant Brown-Forman downsized its distribution partnership, choosing rival Reyes Beverage Group.

A copy of the memo was provided by Republic National spokeswoman Kanchan Kinkade. The memo does not say if any workers will remain in California after the layoffs.

A combined 878 jobs will be cut at Tustin and Chino facilities, according to company filings with the state’s Employment Development Department. Another 486 positions will be gone in Hayward, Morgan Hill and Pleasanton — all in Northern California.

Other job cuts are coming to Young’s Market Co. LLC, the 137-year-old Tustin-based spirits distributor that Republic National bought in 2022. A combined 392 layoffs are coming to San Diego (80), Commerce (176) and Sacramento (136).

The layoffs, effective Sept. 2, will come in phases — depending on location — through the end of the year, according to the filings.

The biggest cuts are coming to the company’s two Franklin Avenue facilities in Tustin, where 640 workers, or 36% of the company’s affected California workforce, will lose their jobs.

The decision to exit California was “driven by rising operational costs, industry headwinds, and supplier changes that made the market unsustainable,” Hendrickson wrote to staff.

Brown-Forman ended partnerships across all U.S. markets, effective Aug. 1. Hendrickson characterized the contract loss as part of “a broader strategic shift — not performance-related.

“While this brings change, we are actively evaluating the impact and charting a path to emerge stronger. We’ve faced challenges before and grown through them — we’ll do so again,” he wrote. “It’s important to emphasize this is not a reflection of our California team’s performance or dedication.”

The layoffs cover a broad swath of positions in California, according to July 1 letters filed with the EDD by Ayesha Mahapatra, senior vice president and deputy general counsel for Republic National. Positions include drivers with the Teamsters union, sales representatives, accountants, credit and collection managers, clerks, district sales managers, human resource specialists, pricing analysts and a senior vice president in charge of spirits.

The filings were made as part of the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act — commonly referred to as WARN, which are required when an employer lays off more than 50 employees. All affected employees are notified at least 60 days before their terminations are scheduled to occur, according to Mahapatra.

Brown-Forman produces a variety of rum, gin and whiskey brands such as Jack Daniel’s whiskey, Woodford Reserve, Herradura, el Jimador, Korbel and Fords Gin.

Barranco, of Tustin, whose detainment by immigration agents late last month in front of a Santa Ana business garnered national attention because of a video showing him being hit multiple times in the head, was originally scheduled to be released on Friday, July 11.

The official release time remained up in the air for several days, leaving the Barranco family “understandably frustrated,” said Orange Council member Arianna Barrios, who attended his bond hearing at the Adelanto Detention Facility last week in support of his release.

Barrios said Barranco’s upcoming hearings, which are scheduled for August, will be held at the Santa Ana immigration courthouse.

“Narciso is very happy to be reunited with his family,” said Barranco’s immigration attorney Lisa Ramirez. “He clearly will need time to decompress and get reacclimated. He is, with good reason, traumatized by this whole experience and will need time to heal both physically and emotionally.”

It was unclear exactly what led to the holdup in his release, only that there were significant system delays in processing and updating his case, Barrios said. According to Ramirez, it took approximately 24 hours and six phone calls to the court for the judge’s order to be uploaded on the administrative website.

“What folks don’t really understand is the government is at capacity, and its workforce is diminishing,” Ramirez added. “The increase of people who need to be processed has increased by (roughly) 800%.”

Barranco was released to his family around 2 p.m. and was taken to the hospital for a physical check-up, said Barrios, who said she was in direct contact with the family. His son, Marine veteran Alejandro Barranco, told NBC on Tuesday that his father “looked bad” when he stepped out of the detention facility and was wearing the same clothes. Details on his condition were not immediately available.

In the video posted on social media, Barranco is seen being pinned to the ground and repeatedly punched and pepper sprayed by at least one agent. He had been working a landscaping job at an IHOP in Santa Ana when he was approached by masked, armed federal agents.

U.S. Border Patrol officials accused Barranco, in a message posted on X, of wielding a weed whacker at agents and refusing to comply with authorities. An included 11-second, slowed-down video shows Barranco appearing to swing the weed whacker in the direction of approaching agents. No agent is hit.

Alejandro Barranco previously said his father was in the process of applying for parole-in-place, which is granted to undocumented family members of active-duty military members, giving them permission to stay in the U.S. for at least a year. Three of Barranco’s sons are Marines, two on active duty.

Exactly when Barranco will be allowed to leave the detention center isn’t yet clear. His supporters had hoped he would be released on Friday, July 11. But, by the late afternoon, they said it likely won’t happen until Monday or Tuesday.

On Thursday, Orange Councilmembers Arianna Barrios and Ana Gutierrez and Bishop Kevin Vann of the Diocese of Orange joined his family for his bond hearing at the center in San Bernardino County’s High Desert.

“Today was a good day in this new battle for civil rights, due process and humanitarian principles,” Barrios said in a post on Facebook. “I was so impressed that Bishop Vann made the long drive out to the desert to bear witness and bless this special family.

“Mr Barranco will be released on bond sometime tomorrow (Friday) afternoon, God willing! He can remain free until mid-August, where he will have another hearing to try and adjust his status to parole-in-place based on the fact that his wife is a U.S. citizen and his three American-born sons are active-duty U.S. military,” she said.

Video posted on social media shows Barranco getting pinned to the ground and repeatedly punched, then pepper sprayed, by at least one masked, armed federal immigration agent in Santa Ana in late June. The footage gained nationwide media attention and highlighted community concerns over immigration enforcement.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Barranco attacked agents with a weed whacker, went into traffic and refused to comply with them. “Show the full story,” the agency posted on X with an 11-second clip that shows Barranco swinging the weed whacker in the direction of approaching agents but not hitting them.

His son, Alejandro Barranco, has said his father moved to Orange County in the ’90s and has been working as a landscaper.

His father had been applying for parole-in-place, which can be granted to family members of active-duty military members who are without legal status; it gives them permission to stay in the U.S. for a while, usually a year, and can be extended, Alejandro Barranco said.

Diocese of Orange officials described their support for the Barranco family as part of their overall efforts to help and address the fear and uncertainty many in the immigrant community are currently facing.

“The Barranco family is part of our Orange County Catholic community, and we continue to pray for them,” Jarryd Gonzales, a Diocese of Orange spokesman, said in a statement. “Bishop Vann’s presence at the bond hearing exemplifies the pastoral care at the core of our ministry and highlights the Diocese of Orange’s commitment to stand with the Barranco family in faith, offering our spiritual support during this difficult time.”

The delay in Barranco’s release appeared to be related to the detention center getting confirmation about the judge’s order that he be released on bond, supporters said.

Park’s show, “Of Our Own,” now on view at the Various Small Fires gallery in Tustin, explores the textures of Korean American immigrant life through colorful but quiet still-life paintings pulling images from her own childhood. But Park says the works are more than nostalgic. They’re pointed meditations on survival at a time when immigrant communities once again find themselves under siege.

“I was finishing the show while the raids were happening,” Park, 39, said in an interview. “It just kind of doubled down on the reason I chose to share these stories.”

Her parents, immigrants from South Korea, raised Park in Cerritos after first arriving in Koreatown. Like many Korean American children of the 1980s and ’90s, Park spent weekends at swap meets, served as an interpreter before she could even spell the word and carried the burden of bicultural navigation early on. For many immigrants, swap meets offered low-cost entry points into entrepreneurship, particularly for newcomers facing language barriers, limited capital or racial discrimination that kept them out of more traditional, high-cost business opportunities.

“A swap meet is an open place where anyone can come and start a living, they can sell or provide whatever they have. It’s also a place where people who don’t have that much money can come and get things at a bargain,” Park said.

Her memories — of swap meet stalls, junk drawers and family hustle — form the scaffolding of the exhibit and current events its backdrop. The recent raids, which have targeted immigrant-heavy workplaces including swap meets, small garment shops and restaurants, have sent fear rippling through communities.

For many Koreans, Park said, seeing Latino workers who are now essential to their businesses being detained feels retraumatizing. The chaos and turmoil bring back memories familiar to a community still haunted by the 1992 riots in Los Angeles, which significantly impacted Koreatown.

“This fear is familiar,” she said. “It’s not just economic. It’s deeply emotional. I think about what it felt like for our parents, to have left everything behind, to get here and build something, and then to watch it collapse in an instant.”

In “Korean Daily,” one of the show’s standout works, Park renders a Koreatown sidewalk where a cobalt-blue laundry cart sits beside a newsstand displaying The Korea Daily in Hangul, the Korean alphabet, next to one labeled Daily News. The objects may seem mundane, but for Park, they’re layered with meaning, meant to evoke the analog era of Korean-language journalism and gesture toward the 1969 arrival of The Korea Times in Los Angeles, which helped connect Korean Americans to news from home and each other.

“They’re monuments,” she said. “Little monuments to how we survived here.”

That survival, she said, depended, and still depends, on community. Swap meets weren’t just businesses; they were ecosystems. Spaces where Korean vendors built livelihoods serving diverse immigrant families, and where language barriers didn’t stand in the way of connection or commerce.

“It’s community where you see each other every single day and you know each other’s families and they’re all there to support each other. It just brings a space for anyone,” Park said.

Park’s own father ran the Compton Fashion Center swap meet, a once-bustling Korean-owned market housed in a former Sears building. In “Go Swan,” Park draws from memories of her father’s plant stall at the swap meet, where swan-shaped planters doubled as hiding spots for a curious child. The painting places those same planters alongside a beer can, a lit cigarette, and a Korean board game, a nod to long workdays and the quick breaks in between.

Her mother, Park said, still wonders why her daughter would bother painting these “ugly” things.

Because they’re simply “a part of our story,” Park said.

As ICE raids show no sign of stopping, immigrant communities in neighborhoods such as Koreatown — a densely packed district of Los Angeles where immigrants live, work and rely on each other — are experiencing what some locals have called a “second Sa-i-gu,” a Korean American reference to the 1992 unrest. That year, Korean-owned stores were looted and burned and some Koreans famously took to their rooftops with firearms to defend their shops, birthing the “Rooftop Koreans” meme now revived by some right-wing figures online. Park’s father was among those armed shopkeepers during the unrest.

Park bristles at the memeification of that trauma.

“The protests now are completely different. Comparing them to the LA riots is just laughable,” she said. “And disrespectful.”

Through her art, Park said she wants people to understand that many of the same anxieties, about being unprotected, unheard and unseen, persist today.

“The biggest thing is empathy,” Park added. “I hope people see a little bit of themselves through my family’s story.”

Miguel Ocampo was arrested and booked on Monday, June 30, at the Santa Ana jail on suspicion of felony hit-and-run.

David Westman, 46, of Santa Ana was crossing Harbor Boulevard, police say they believe, stopped in the first lane and was struck on Sunday morning, June 29, said Officer Natalie Garcia, a spokeswoman for Santa Ana police.

Officers, at 5:26 a.m., found the unresponsive Westman, who died at the scene.

Police identified the suspect with help from surveillance video.

After hitting the man, Garcia said, the driver continued south on Harbor and pulled into a parking lot, where his vehicle was captured on surveillance video.

Detectives found the suspect and vehicle in Orange on Monday and took him into custody.

January

Ivan Spiers’ Bodega Laguna and Skyloft, which opened in 2015, packed up their belongings and vacated the historic Heisler building on Jan. 2. Both prime Coast Highway venues have since remained vacant.

Also at the start of January, Slapfish, the fast-casual seafood franchise noted for its sustainable practices, closed its remaining Orange County location, located in San Clemente. The brand has one remaining California location left at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), as well as venues in Indiana, New Mexico, South Carolina and Utah.

ALSO READ: The Orange County restaurant closures of 2024

After 32 years on MacArthur Boulevard in Irvine, IHOP closed on Jan. 29. “This decision was ultimately made for us when we unfortunately lost the lease for this location,” said co-owner Angela EL Haj (who, along with her sister, Mariam, also co-owns Calaca Mamas in Anaheim), in a written statement. “The property owner, which we have had a wonderfully long relationship with, has chosen to move forward with a different tenant who will be able to pay significantly higher rent. While we have no hard feelings and respect their decision, it is a bittersweet moment for our family and team, as this closure marks the end of a cherished chapter in our lives.” According to Eric Martin, associate planner with the city of Irvine, a Chick-Fil-A will take its place. No word yet as to when exactly the chicken sandwich chain will open.

Mexican restaurant and bar Hectors on the Circle in Old Towne Orange closed in early January. Opening in August 2022, Hector’s moved into the former site of Watson’s Soda Fountain & Cafe, the soda fountain that first opened as a drug store in 1899. Cajun seafood chain the Kickin’ Crab, founded by restauranteur Jan Nguyen, moved into the space.

February

After only 14 months in operation, Hoot Wings, Hooters’ fast-casual, family-friendly chicken wing spot, closed its Orange location in early February. Known for its modesty compared to its “breastaurant” forefather, Hoot Wings hired both female and male servers, who wear t-shirts and khaki pants, with no emphasis on leering. Created in 2017, the business model was an attempt to offset revenue slowdown at Hooter restaurants. Only two locations in Illinois remain open, according to the company’s website. A new eatery has yet to take the place of the former Orange location.

March

On March 1, the Black Marlin, a noted seafood spot in Tustin’s Old Town, temporarily closed for a major renovation. “This transformation will include essential plumbing upgrades, a modernized kitchen, a reimagined restaurant and bar layout, and an exciting new menu carefully crafted to become an award-winning favorite,” the Black Marlin team posted to Instagram in February. No word when on when, or if, it plans on reopening this year.

Another closure that hit hard was the Spaghetti Bender, which closed after 55 years on March 2, along Coast Highway in Newport Beach. When asked why he decided to shutter his restaurant, owner Michael Hoskinson explained, “The ultimate reason is that we hit 55 years and we decided to go out on a high note. What else do we have to prove?” The red-sauce joint, noted for Italian-American staples like spaghetti and meatballs, gnocchi and saltimbocca, as well as its interior decor that hadn’t changed since the 1970s, went out on a high note, with tables booked until the very end.

ALSO READ: In-N-Out Burger has a warning for social media pranksters

The longstanding Peking Dragon in Dana Point temporarily closed on March 16 to make way for an extensive renovation. A sign taped to the front entrance of the 40-year-old Chinese spot read, “Dear customers, our restaurant will be closed for remodeling starting March 16. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your support.” No word yet as to when the owners plan on reopening.

Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill in Anaheim Hills temporarily closed in March to make way for a complete renovation. Originally opening in 1977, the eatery’s in-progress remodel will “serve as the blueprint for future renovations across the brand’s nine additional locations throughout Orange County and beyond,” according to FSR Magazine. The Anaheim Hills location is slated to reopen this hall; Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill’s other locations are still open.

April

Rock and Brews, the rock-music restaurant chain co-created by Kiss members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, shuttered on April 6 after five years in Tustin. “After much consideration, we have decided to close our Rock and Brews Tustin location,” said a Rock and Brews spokesperson, in a written response. “We were recently approached by a buyer interested in the space and, after careful evaluation, decided to accept their offer.” The rock-themed 8,950-square foot venue featured 52 beers on tap, 17 flat-screen TVs and a menu of wings, burgers, ribs, beer galore and craft cocktails.

June

Coffee Importers, one of Dana Point Harbor’s oldest businesses, recently relocated near the Ocean Institute, closing its former location on June 15. The move allowed the time-honored establishment to remain operable during the Dana Point Harbor’s ongoing renovation, while adding a bakery and expanding their food options. However, the expansion came at the cost of its ice cream business: Scoop Deck, Coffee Importers’ frozen-treat other half for more than four decades, ceased operations before the move. “That’s really hard, we’ve had ice cream (at the Scoop Deck) for 43 years,” owner Jim Miller told the Orange County Register. “People loved it and they’re bummed. But we’re shifting gears to make it more of a cafe. It’s another level up.”

Seafood-steakhouse chain Eddie V’s closed its Newport Beach location for good on June 15. “Closing this restaurant is a difficult business decision, and one that we made carefully and thoughtfully, particularly because it impacts our team members and guests,” a spokesperson for the restaurant told the Orange County Register in April before its closing.

July

In Downtown Disney, Earl of Sandwich will close its temporary location on July 26 to make way for a new Porto’s Bakery. Meanwhile, the sandwich shop awaits the construction of its new eatery, a two-story location near the Downtown Disney performance lawn. Earl of Sandwich’s upcoming larger venue will include a quick service walk-up counter, sit-down Earl of Sandwich Tavern restaurant and an upstairs cocktail bar. The company laid off 167 employees in the process. Its pop-up location, however, is still open, according to the restaurant’s website.

August

Harpoon Henry’s, which opened in 2025, will serve its final meal this summer. The longstanding restaurant made the announcement in November. While the official closing date has changed since the original announcement, a projected finale is slated to happen in early to mid August. The seafood restaurant’s closure is part of an ongoing $550 million overhaul to the Dana Point Harbor, a project slated to add new hotels, parking structures, restaurants, architecture and landscaping to the 52-year-old harbor.

ALSO READ: Where do Orange County’s top chefs eat? We asked them

2029

In-N-Out, still Southern California’s most synonymous burger joint, plans to shutter its Orange County headquarters at 4199 Campus Drive. This fast food chain is consolidating its West Coast operations into a single location in Baldwin Park, where it was founded in 1948. This move, expected by 2029, will coincide with  the upcoming opening of a new East Coast headquarters in Tennessee. “Some of our associates will be relocating to Tennessee, which makes it even more important to centralize our western headquarters in one location, and our company’s deepest roots are in Baldwin Park,” owner and president Lynsi Snyder said in the news release. “Our West Coast family will be together in one place, where In-N-Out Burger began.”

Kaison Perkins, 6, plays near a new mural at the renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Tustin Mayor Pro Tem John Nielsen, center, is joined by Council Members Lee Fink, center left, and Ryan Gallagher, center, right, and others for the cutting of the ribbon to formerly open the newly-renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Centennial Park visitors walk by a new sculpture in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

One of two tot lot playgrounds at the newly-renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Neighborhood residents walk along a path lined with new landscaping at the renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. The renovation included 111 trees and over 2000 plants with new irrigation and concrete throughout. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

A girl checks out one of the playgrounds at the newly-renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. All of the new playgrounds feature elevated and ground-level play elements that encourage exploration and physical activity. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Julianna, left, and Jiselle Delatorre play at the sand volleyball court that has been completely renovated at Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Balloons welcome kids as they walk their dog at the newly-renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Grace Hebel, 4, left, turns the Whirl as Ai Vy Nguyen, 4, rides at one of the Centennial Park new playgrounds in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. The inclusive Whirl is a kind of wheelchair accessible merry-go-round. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Kids try out the new shaded swings at one of the playgrounds at the newly-renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Neighborhood residents take a stroll with their pets around the newly-renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Kids play at one of two tot lot playgrounds that were completely replaced during the renovation of Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. The wood chip surfaces of the playgrounds were upgraded to a padded rubberized surface. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

A gathered audience of community members and officials listen as Tustin Mayor Pro Tem John Fink talks about the features of the newly-renovated Centennial Park during a grand reopening ceremony in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Tustin Council Member Ryan Gallagher talks about the newly-renovated Centennial Park at the grand re-opening ceremony in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Rushil Niraula, 14, shoots some hoops on the resurfaced basketball court at the newly-renovated Centennial Park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Via Widera, 9, tries out the variable monkey bars of the new outdoor fitness area at the newly-renovated Centennial Park. The City of Tustin held a grand re-opening for the park in Tustin on Monday, June 30, 2025. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)

Tustin’s first park is its latest renovation.

After a year of being closed for improvements, city leaders welcomed the community back to Centennial Park on Monday to check out the more than $5 million in work done that added new lighting, landscaping, benches for sitting and enjoying the scenery and more.

The two tot lot playgrounds were replaced, and a new fitness area added. Rubberized landing surfaces now line the playgrounds instead of woodchips.

“The inclusive whirl, which is wheelchair accessible, along with shaded swings, climbing domes and new elevated and ground-level play elements that encourage exploration and physical activity” are all new features.

The basketball and sand volleyball courts got upgrades, as did the picnic area.

And two new public art pieces have been installed, a mural celebrating the community and Tustin’s first public sculpture.

“I want to equip people to — if they’re interested — take a first step in working a trade somewhere, so that at least when they show up at a job site, they’ll know enough to be able to start a beginning task,” Crain said of a budding jobs-training program he launched last year. “But we also want to equip people to just be handy and comfortable around tools and be able to look at a set of plans, and kind of understand what’s going on.”

The Orange County Rescue Mission may be on to something to help fill jobs in the construction industry, which is short on labor and rattled by the Trump administration’s deportation of undocumented workers.

Dave Coyle, chief executive officer of Santa Ana-based Coyle Construction Inc., pitches in on helping train people living at the Double R Ranch in rustic Trabuco Canyon. He’s doing it in response to a nationwide shortage of skilled labor, and has even hired a few of the people who’ve gone through the program — all of whom are rebuilding their lives hurt by alcoholism, drug abuse or some other personal crisis.

“Yeah, there’s a major shortage,” said Coyle of labor in the building trades.

According to a report from the Associated Builders and Contractors, the U.S. construction industry needs an additional 439,000 workers in 2025 to meet anticipated demand. A U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report in March said that employment for electricians and plumbers will grow over 6% through 2033, over 4% for roofing contractors, and 3.9% for residential building construction.

Also see: OC Rescue Mission opens its rehabilitation ranch to women and children

The Christian-based nonprofit, which provides housing and services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Orange County, is giving an updated look to its residential spaces at its Double R Ranch — where the Norbertine Fathers of Orange previously built the monastery and educational campus over six decades ago before selling the property in 2020 for $11.7 million.

The homeless at Double R in Silverado have a place to live and eat, help with their recovery, and a slot in the training program for construction jobs — called Firm Foundations — if they want.

The residents already work with horses, chickens, goats and other farm animals to build a work ethic — but now there’s training offered on how to use a circular saw, lathe, leveler, drill and other tools.

The in-house technical training is for people 18-65 years of age. The skills taught in the program cover the basics of carpentry, plumbing, electrical work and drywall installation. A total of 25 people have gone through two, 12-week training courses since first introduced last year, with more on the drawing board, according to Crain.

“What they are doing with job training is of high value,” said Tom De Vries, president and CEO of the Citygate Network, a Colorado Springs, Colorado-based organization of 320 faith-based crisis shelters. “At some of our nationwide training events, CEOs of other Rescue Missions have taken a closer look at it. Being in a network, we are able to look at innovative ideas and best practices for programs like this, and push for them to be picked up elsewhere.”

We asked Crain about how his in-house training program came about. His answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Q: Tell me a little bit about the OC Rescue Mission?

A: The rescue mission operates 12 programs across nine campuses in Orange County. Our flagship campus is the Village of Hope in Tustin, located in the shadow of the old blimp  hangar that caught fire and burned down two years ago.

At the Village of Hope, we can accommodate up to 260 formerly homeless men, women and kids at any given time. The program that we run is very similar to what we’re doing now at the Double R Ranch. Until now, it’s been for single men who are coming out of a crisis situation. Sometimes it’s homelessness, sometimes it’s drug and alcohol addiction, or a mental health challenge. There’s even a percentage of people there that we just call ‘failure to launch,’ or younger guys who are just sputtering and having trouble finding their way.

Q: How did Firm Foundations come about?

A: The rescue mission’s program is designed to be for 18-24 months, and during that time, there will be a volunteer job assignment. That could mean working on the maintenance team, the kitchen, or at some point they’re going to be working with the animals at the Double R Ranch.

The guys that go into this program have never been around livestock, and it’s a great opportunity for them to develop a work ethic, and learn a new skill. If they don’t have a high school diploma, they will get their high school diploma while they’re in the program. And as they get towards the end of their program, we’ll get them slotted toward some sort of vocational training, or get them ready for whatever job they’re going to pursue.

We’ve had guys go through a bus driver course with the Orange County Transportation Authority, or learn how to become a certified barber or nursing assistant. There are different tracks that we kind of push people toward. In doing all of this, we realized that there is an opportunity here for guys to develop general skills in the construction trades.

Q:  What did you see as a need for Firm Foundations?

A: We’ve been noticing the last few years that there’s so many people out there with college degrees that are having trouble finding work. We consider ourselves to be a back-to-work program. We don’t have four years for you to get a degree. We want to get you back working as quickly as possible, but in a position that’s going to help you work towards a career.

So we thought, wouldn’t it be interesting if we could do a basic overview of construction trades program for the guys that are in the Double R Ranch program, not necessarily because they’re going to go immediately work for a general contractor — although we’ve had a couple of people do that — but also, in part, because people have just lost the ability to be handy. We wanted them to learn the basics of just being comfortable around construction equipment.

Q: Do you see the OC Rescue Mission filling a void left with the loss of the Job Corps programs nationally? 

A: Setting the politics aside, let’s talk about the people who are saying, ‘Hey, I was halfway through this program. Now I have nowhere to go.’ People were banking on this being their launching point to something else.

I wish they knew about the Rescue Mission, because we have room for single guys right now. If you were in the Job Corps program, and now you’re kind of aimless and don’t know where to go, yes, this is different. It’s not exactly what you were doing, but if you came into our program, you now have a place to live and food to eat. You’d be progressing toward a launching pad to be able to start a career somewhere.

So yes, it is different, but certainly it is an option. We’re probably not at the scale where we could take in 1,000 former Job Corps students, but at the same time, we are an option.

Q: Given the challenges of labor in the construction business, coupled with efforts to rebuild L.A. following the January wildfires, and the Trump administration’s push to deport undocumented workers, where does the OC Rescue Mission fit in?

A: If it really turns out that way (with the workforce shrinking), that means that these positions are going to pay even more, right? We’re then going to need to fast track people to learn these skills. There’s good and bad in all of that, but would I rather fast track someone to learn how to plumb a building than fly a (Boeing) 747?  Yes.

Q:  How unique is your training program and are there possibilities of expanding its reach?

A: Within Orange County, is there something like this? No, I would say we are extremely unique within Orange County or the Southern California area. Even within the rescue mission community, we offer so many avenues for helping people.

There are programs that are probably far more intensive, where people attend class every day. Some of that is drying up now because of funding issues.

We’re nowhere near being a replacement for where someone comes out and is ready to be an electrician apprentice. We’re just giving them a taste of everything. This came about because we saw the need, we pulled together some people within the trades, and we said, ‘Let’s give this a go.’

My dream would be that, if you come and talk to me in a couple of years, this has grown to the point where, after people do the 12-week training class, and if they show a certain interest in say, plumbing, or being an electrician, that we then offer the next step. We could bring in a specific instructor for electrical work, welding or whatever, and adequately equip our guys to be able to go out — soon to be our ladies, too — and work in a specialized field. So that would be my dream. We’re not there yet, but we also kind of spun this up with a modest budget.

About OC Rescue Mission

Headquarters: 1 Hope Drive, Tustin

President and CEO: Bryan Crain, 49, who joined as chief operating officer in 2015, promoted to president and CEO in 2023.

Employees: 107

Estimated budget: $29 million

How many people are at Double R: The Double R Ranch has the potential to house up to 98 people. For women and children, there are 16 rooms that can accommodate up to four people per room, for a total of 64 women and children. There also are 17 rooms for men, enough housing for up to 34 men with rooms each accommodating two people. As of June 23, the current occupancy of Double R Ranch for men is 21. Women will move into the Double R Ranch in July – some of whom also will participate in the Firm Foundations program.

Orange Lutheran High School’s flag football coach since the program began in the fall of 2023, Sherman headed a squad that last year won the CIF Southern Section’s Division I championship, with a record of 23-2. By season’s end, the squad was named the No. 2 team in the entire country by high school sports-information source MaxPreps. For her success, Sherman was named CIF Southern Section For her success, Sherman was named CIF Southern Section Division I’s Coach of the Year and the OC Register’s All-County Coach of the Year.

Boasting some 7.8 million participants in 2024, according to global data platform Statista, flag football has undergone a surge in popularity since the early 2000s. The sport will make its Olympic debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, and it has been featured in the NFL’s annual Pro Bowl.

Here’s what bodes well for SCC’s future squad: The team representing the AFC in the inaugural NFL Flag High School Girls Showcase during the 2025 Pro Bowl was coached by none other than Sherman. This speaks volumes about her wide-ranging reputation as a proven winner and leader of student-athletes.

“The great thing about flag football is that it’s so accessible, especially at the lower levels,” Sherman said. “You don’t need a background in the sport to start, and it doesn’t require a lot of gear: just a mouthguard and cleats. … For so many girls and women, football has been something that they’ve watched men do for so long, and they’ve frankly been denied opportunities to do it themselves. It’s been great to watch girls learn the game. Seeing their confidence grow as they figure it out is pretty cool.”

SCC’s squad will compete in the Orange Empire Conference. OEC schools that are either competing in, or are interested in supporting flag football include, among others, Irvine Valley, Saddleback, Cypress, Golden West, Orange Coast and Santa Ana colleges, said Nicho DellaValle, SCC assistant director of Athletics and Sports Information. “We found that flag football is a great opportunity to increase female-athlete engagement, while increasing community involvement,” he said. “It’s a growing sport, and we want to be on the forefront of this growth.”

Top leaders at SCC are excited about Sherman heading the new squad. “For lack of a better term, Kristen Sherman is a stud,” DellaValle said. “She really understands what it takes to lead a very competitive and successful program. Her knowledge of flag football is impressive, and she really gets the best out of every student she works with.”

However, every first-year endeavor can have its challenges, DellaValle admits. “Starting a program from the ground up involves learning about the flag football environment and fine-tuning our recruiting tactics and the way we support the team,” he said. “Every sport has certain needs, so we need to identify those and figure out ways to support that unique cohort of student-athletes.”

Starting out, Sherman expects her experience at SCC to be similar to her first year at the high school level. “I’m thankful that I was able to start the program at Orange Lutheran since it gave me some insight into what it’s like to begin from the ground up. I’m excited for the challenge of working with older girls. Starting out at SCC will involve playing fundamentally sound football, then building on that in terms of complexity.”

While a flag football team may be new to SCC, the sport has already been part of the SCC environment, thanks to the Vince Ferragamo Flag Football League, a coed youth organization starting its second season this fall. Headed by former NFL quarterback Ferragamo, the league is run by retired NFL players in conjunction with SCC’s Community Education Program. Practices and games take place on SCC fields.

“Vince is on our board of trustees, and this is where our flag football conversation began,” DellaValle said. “His league has been a successful community engagement effort, and it’s one of the reasons why we added women’s flag football to our arsenal of sports.”

Sherman and DellaValle agree that the success of SCC flag football extends beyond wins and losses. “It’s important to create a sense of community and family, giving the girls a place to belong and making sure they’re productive students at the college,” Sherman said.

“Wins are great, but it’s not all about that,” DellaValle said. “It’s about providing a great atmosphere for the student-athletes, then trying to make their experience better and better as we continue down this path.”