Newport drops lawsuit over an Irvine high-rise

The Newport Beach City Council on Tuesday decided to withdraw a lawsuit against the city of Irvine over a now-defunct high-rise project in the Irvine Business Complex, but a similar suit over another Irvine development is still pending.

The council sued Irvine in October over two projects, 2323 Main St. and Avalon Jamboree Village on Alton Parkway, because Newport Beach officials said they didn’t think the projects had been studied adequately and could cause traffic and other problems in their city.

But the developer of 2323 Main St., Standard Pacific Homes, abandoned plans to build 445 condos and last week resold the property to another developer who is planning a commercial development.

Newport will drop the suit over the Main Street development once Irvine rescinds its approvals of the condo project, Newport Beach City Attorney Robin Clauson said.

The other suit was intended to force further study of Avalon Jamboree Village, a 280-unit apartment complex. Clauson said that lawsuit is still pending.