Karate studio forced to move

Stefanie Frith

EASTBLUFF -- Upset parents and students of a karate studio in the

Eastbluff Village are being forced to move so the Irvine Co. can develop

a new image for the center.

The decision comes several months after the studio’s lease expired.

Since then, the owners have been renting the space on a month-to-month

basis. But that is not making anyone less angry.

In a letter to his clients, Sensei Blaine Carter described the

company’s decision harshly.

“I feel their decision is based purely on ignorance,” Carter wrote to

about 120 families. “We have been here for five years, and never had

anything but positive things come from this school. I also feel that we

have had a very positive influence on this neighborhood.”

The school will relocate after April 30 to a sister school four miles

away on Coast Highway.

An Irvine Co. spokeswoman said the company is more than willing to

help the business find a new location.

“We want to help find a more attractive location for them,” said

Jennifer Smith. “We are open to continuing a dialogue with them. They

have been good tenets and good for the center.”

But the studio simply doesn’t fit in with changes the Irvine Co. has

planned for the center, Smith added.

“We don’t feel that the karate studio is consistent with the image of

the center,” said Smith, who said she was unable to describe exactly what

that image will be. “We are excited about the new direction and we hope

others will be delighted as well. We hope people will keep an open mind.

We have no ill will toward them.”

The eviction follows a yearlong process of redevelopment that the

Irvine Co. has been pursuing at the Eastbluff Village.

The work is set to be completed sometime this year. Smith said the

company has recently been going into older shopping centers and upgrading

with new stores in order to bring in a fresh look and feel.

The idea of a “fresh” look does not appeal to those involved with the

karate studio, however.

Barry Mycorn, whose 7-year-old son attends classes at the studio, said

the eviction is sad and unfair to the children who have learned

discipline and self defense techniques through the karate school.

“So many lives are impacted by this studio,” said Mycorn, a Newport

Beach resident. “My son used to be able to ride his bike to the studio,

and he can’t do that all the way down to PCH. Maybe I am blind, but I

wonder if [the Irvine Co.] has even done a market study to see what

people really want in that area.”

Mycorn said he is concerned the Irvine Co. will bring in a bakery or

coffeehouse to the village, which he said would be completely

unnecessary.

“I think they envision people coming in and sipping coffee and then

going shopping at Ralphs,” Mycorn said. “They are totally out to lunch if

they think that.”

Although the Irvine Co. will not release whether other tenets will be

evicted, officials did say they will continue to look into bringing in

new tenets and a new look.

For now though, Carter is just asking that parents and students

understand his situation and be willing to commute to the sister school

on Coast Highway.

“We just don’t know what to do yet,” Carter said. “Nothing has gone

right. But there has to be a reason for all this. We would love a new

location if they [the Irvine Co.] help. We really do affect the

community.”