Orange County as a whole has something special to look forward to with the coming of a future “urban core” at Tustin Legacy, which will be developed by OliverMcMillan. I cannot think of a better neighbor and product offering for the entire market—not just our site.

GlobeSt.com; What does it take to succeed as a developer in the Airport submarket? Is it a matter of standing out or providing more of what the market already offers?

Hayes: I suppose it's entirely possible to succeed providing more of the same. We have obviously taken a different approach, by creating a workspace that meets the changing ways in which our clients use space. The physical inventory in OC today was largely developed in the late 1980s, when the pager still had a few years of relevance left prior to cell phones taking over.

GlobeSt.com: Which office amenities are emerging as the strongest for this market?

Hayes: To me, food is life. FLIGHT will offer a multitude of quality options, at reasonable price points, just outside your office door. In addition to providing options, it benefits employees who would rather not spend their lunch break in their car and employers who like to keep people on campus. Fitness and conferencing are nothing new, but the manner in which they are developed determines if they are a marketing ploy or a sought after amenity. FLIGHT will benefit from our experience developing these amenities in this market.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about this project?

Hayes: Pay close attention to the master plan of Tustin Legacy. It is a mistake to underestimate the transformation that is coming to this site as a whole and its impact on Orange County real estate.

NEWPORT BEACH, CA—FLIGHT at Tustin Legacy brings the outdoors in, offers a multitude of quality food options and an authentic take on fitness and conferencing, Lincoln Property Co.'s EVP Kevin Hayes tells GlobeSt.com. The firm is planning to develop the 870,000-square-foot, mixed-use campus, formerly known as Cornerstone I at Tustin Legacy, woven through 38.74 acres in the Airport office market at the intersection of Barranca Pkwy. and Armstrong Ave.

The project will offer tenants will direct access to a park, artwork, dining and retail and areas for indoor or outdoor meetings. Construction is expected to begin in Q3 and be completed in winter of 2017. GlobeSt.com spoke exclusively with Hayes about the project and how to stand out in the Airport office market.

GlobeSt.com: What makes FLIGHT such a unique project?

Hayes: There are certainly individual components that are unique: the architecture, its location on a park, its proximity to 1 million square feet of quality retail, the historic nature of the site and the future development that will neighbor the property on Tustin Legacy. The architecture is physically unique with a split periphery core—we took the core out of the building to create an unencumbered floor plate, giving tenants the maximum flexibility. The architecture is also geographically unique, with the ability to use operable windows and walls allowing the Southern California weather in when desired. Since the project sits alongside Legacy Park, a linear park with running trails and people spaces, bringing the outdoors in is very appealing. The existing retail that neighbors the project is a terrific amenity, but this will be bolstered even further by the development of the onsite food hall—Mess Hall Market.

Orange County as a whole has something special to look forward to with the coming of a future “urban core” at Tustin Legacy, which will be developed by OliverMcMillan. I cannot think of a better neighbor and product offering for the entire market—not just our site.