Venture OC Weekly Brief: Oct 19–25, 2026

Every week we sweep agendas, Legistar filings, and official notices across South Orange County. The Brief is what survives the cut: what's opening, what's closing, and what the Council is deciding Tuesday.

Opening This Weekend

Ambitious Ales grand opening, Costa Mesa

Long Beach craft brewery Ambitious Ales opens its first Orange County taproom at The LAB Anti-Mall this weekend. Grand opening runs Saturday Oct 24 and Sunday Oct 25, from 11 a.m., with a full tap list, DJs, Smoked & Salted Barbeque on Saturday, and Hamburgers Nice on Sunday. Some LAB parking is closed Saturday; the brewery is pointing people to the overflow lot off Randolph Avenue.

Address: 696 Randolph Ave, Suite B, Costa Mesa 92626. Sources: Ambitious Ales, The LAB.

Just Opened

Creekside Restaurant & Bar, Rancho Mission Viejo

Russ Bendel's RJB Restaurant Group opened Creekside at Sendero Marketplace on Monday Oct 12. Dinner-only American menu, roughly 3,000 square feet, 120 seats across the dining room, bar, and patio. Hours: 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 4 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The covered patio holds up to 60 for private events.

Address: 30865 Gateway Place, Suite E6, Rancho Mission Viejo. Sources: Daily Pilot, Greer's OC.

Pacific Pearl Café at Newport Gateway, Irvine

Chef Michael Campbell's third Pacific Pearl Café opened the week of Oct 12 at the Newport Gateway office complex, following locations in San Juan Capistrano and Costa Mesa. The space converts between casual seating, buffet, full bar, and private event lounge inside two 14-story office towers.

Address: 19800 MacArthur Blvd, Irvine. Sources: Orange County Business Journal, ConnectCRE.

At City Hall This Week

San Juan Capistrano: BMW dealership plus 95 homes on La Novia

The City Council takes a public hearing Tuesday Oct 20 at 5 p.m. on Distrito La Novia, an 18.7-acre project east of Valle Road between San Juan Creek Road and La Novia Avenue. The proposal pairs a 61,219-square-foot BMW dealership on the north portion with 95 for-sale Shea homes on the south, replacing a 2010 approval for 130 units and 91,100 square feet of commercial. City staff say the dealership is expected to become one of the top sales tax generators in the city. The Planning Commission recommended approval on Sept 23.

Status: Hearing scheduled, Council vote pending. Source: SJC City Council Agenda (Item D1).

Aliso Viejo: 137 townhomes replacing three office buildings

Council hears Shea Homes' proposal to demolish three two-story office buildings totaling about 125,166 square feet at 27081 Aliso Creek Road and replace them with 137 for-sale townhomes at 16.2 units per acre. Seven units are reserved for very-low-income households, and the plan includes guest parking. Hearing is Wednesday Oct 21 at 7 p.m., Item 5.1.

Status: Hearing scheduled, Council vote pending. Sources: Oct 21 staff report, city project page.

Newport Beach: Dove Point condos and Corporate Plaza medical expansion

Toll Brothers' Dove Point comes before the Planning Commission Thursday Oct 22, Item 2. The plan builds 75 condos across eight four-story buildings on 3.23 acres at 901 and 1001 Dove Street, demolishing two multi-tenant office buildings in the process. A separate Thursday item (Corporate Plaza PA2026-0043) considers raising the medical and dental office allowance at 17 Corporate Plaza by 11,534 square feet.

Status: Planning Commission hearings scheduled; any Council action would follow. Sources: Dove Point staff report, Corporate Plaza staff report.

Closing Soon

Dana Point Harbor: Wharf Buildings 2 through 5 close Oct 31

All remaining Wharf retailers and restaurants in Buildings 2 through 5 wrap up operations at the Wharf on Saturday Oct 31 as the Harbor revitalization enters Phase 4. Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching and Catalina Express continue operations from temporary trailers. Wind & Sea in Building 1 closed Sept 15. Some tenants may relocate or return after construction; the Oct 31 date is the end of operations at the current Wharf locations, not necessarily the end of each business.

Source: Dana Point Harbor construction schedule.

What Else To Watch

Newport Beach King Tides emergency: Oct 25 to 29 window

The City Council approved an emergency proclamation Monday Oct 19 covering the King Tides window of Oct 25 through Oct 29, affecting Balboa Peninsula, Balboa Island, Finley Tract, and Newport Island. The resolution authorizes temporary measures, which may include street and parking restrictions and flood barriers; peninsula and island businesses should check city alerts for specifics during the window.

Source: Newport Beach Legistar File 26-3056 (Resolution 2026-94, Approved).

Norte Fire update: 80 percent contained, orders lifted with exceptions

The Norte Fire near San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano reached 570 acres and 80 percent containment as of Cal Fire's Oct 19 update. Evacuation orders were lifted Saturday Oct 17 at 6 p.m., with closures remaining in place for Via La Mirada north of Esperanza and the burn scar until further notice. Cause is under investigation. Cal Fire's Oct 17 update reported six homes damaged or destroyed. No business closures have been named in official sources.

Sources: Cal Fire incident page, OC Sheriff.

The Realtor's Read

From Ethan Hauptli, Realtor, Craft & Bauer | Real Broker. DRE #02191280 (Real Broker DRE #02022092).

Two hearings this week point at the same pattern worth watching: South Orange County is seeing redevelopment interest in older suburban office, with residential uses on the table. The Aliso Viejo proposal would trade about 125,166 square feet of office for 137 townhomes. The Newport Beach Dove Point proposal would trade two multi-tenant office buildings for 75 condos. Both are entitlement-stage, not shovel-ready. If these move forward and ultimately get built, the knock-on effects for buyers and sellers I work with could show up in two places. First, more attached-housing supply in markets where offices currently occupy the parcel, which over time can give condo and townhome owners nearby new comps to point at. Second, possible pricing pressure on remaining Class B office in the same submarkets, though actual pricing impact depends on absorption, lease roll, and broader market data. If you own in Aliso Viejo or the Newport Business District, these are the hearings to track; call me if you want to talk through what either outcome could mean for your specific property.

Methodology

The Venture OC Weekly Brief is sourced directly from public records: city council agendas, Legistar filings, Planning Commission packets, Cal Fire incident pages, and official construction notices. Items are included only when confirmed by an official document or two independent reports. Pending-hearing items are flagged as pending, and outcomes are not reported until official minutes are posted. Have a tip or a correction? Email editorial@ventureoc.com.