IRVINE, CA-The Irvine Co. has completed construction of its 31.5-acre Village at Irvine Spectrum Center, a project that combines 1,550 apartments and 8,000 sf of retail space in four distinct four-story mixed-use districts designed by the locally based architectural firm of MVE & Partners Inc. The project is at Irvine Center Drive and the 405 Freeway on a site that formerly was vacant land.

According to MVE president Rick Emsiek, who has overseen the phased completion of the project since 2005, the development was conceived to offer a variety of residential options for nearly 3,000 young professionals who frequent the shops, restaurants and entertainment venues at the neighboring Irvine Spectrum Center. The apartments include studios, one-bedrooms, two-bedrooms and townhomes ranging from 563 sf to 1,500 sf. The apartments are within walking distance of the adjacent 1.2-million-sf Irvine Spectrum Center, which features Nordstrom, Target and Macy's, along with morethan 120 stores, restaurants and entertainment venues, including a 6,400-seat, 21-screen movie theater with Orange County's only IMAX theater.

The four districts within the Village are gathered around a central main street that MVE created by assigning four separate project teams within its office to develop distinct characteristics for each neighborhood. Each neighborhood has its own pool and recreation facilities, along with access to a community recreation area and park; the retail includes a Juice-It-Up, a Starbucks, a cleaner, a florist and a market.

The Irvine Co. has selected MVE & Partners to master-plan and design the Park, a mixed-use sister project to the Village that will feature 1,450 units ranging from 600 sf to 1,200 sf on a 28.5-acre site. The Park is under construction and is slated for completion in 2011.