The Irvine Co. Taps Black, Sullivan to Help Lead Local Office

SAN DIEGO-The Irvine Co. is making a major push into the local real estate market. The Newport Beach-based firm has aggressively pursued growing its San Diego office portfolio. Now the company is taking the same approach with human capital.Recently, the Irvine Co. tapped Charles Black and Thomas Sullivan to help lead its local real estate operation. Black, the former president of the San Diego Padres, is senior vice president of the San Diego region. Thomas will serve as vice president of development.”Both [Black and Sullivan] have long histories in San Diego and exceptional track records managing some of the city’s most complex real estate projects,” say Clarence Barker, president of the Irvine Co. Investment Properties Group. “They will help shape an impressive team in San Diego, building on our already considerable strengths in the community.”In his former capacity, Black led the development team that created Petco Park. With the Irvine Co. he will be responsible for coordinating the company’s business in San Diego. Sullivan formerly managed the design and construction of the Omni Hotel. In his new role, he will manage reinvestment initiatives at existing properties, as well as any new construction.The Irvine Co. recently struck with the double dip acquisition of One America Plaza and the Koll Center. Both class A properties are in the city’s CBD. Although financial terms were not released, it’s believed the firm paid $450 million in the acquisitions.Those acquisitions position the company for a lead role in determining the local office market. The Irvine Co. also owns Downtown properties such as Symphony Towers, Wells Fargo Plaza, 225 Broadway, 101 West Broadway and 501 West Broadway. Other holdings include office buildings in La Jolla and Sorrento as well as four apartment communities. Officials from the firm say they will continue to pursue additional local properties.