Advantech North America Headquarters

Scope of Work: Environmental Planning / CEQA Compliance, Entitlement Management, Transportation Planning, Construction Management

Started: 2023   |   Completion: 2026

Project Description:
The new North America headquarters campus for Advantech, a global leader in Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, sits on a 10-acre site within the 61.4-acre Advanced Technology and Education Park (ATEP) — the former MCAS Tustin site owned by the South Orange County Community College District (SOCCCD). The campus consists of a six-story, approximately 109,000 SF office building — with the second floor reserved for the unique educational partnering with SOCCCD’s Irvine Valley and Saddleback Colleges at ATEP and floors three through six built out as R&D space — paired with a two-story, approximately 79,000 SF warehouse for storage, light manufacturing, repair, and packaging of non-hazardous technology products.

Our Services:

CEQA Compliance & Entitlements

EPD prepared the project’s CEQA compliance document — an Addendum/Initial Study to the certified Tustin Legacy Specific Plan EIS/EIR, confirming the campus was consistent with, and did not substantively change, the previously analyzed program-level environmental review. This cleared the way for EPD to lead the project through the City of Tustin’s Design Review approval. As the project moved into post-entitlement and construction, EPD continued that CEQA support with an implementing project exemption for a lot line adjustment tied to the campus’s utility easements, keeping the project’s environmental compliance current through every phase of delivery.

Transportation Planning

EPD prepared the project’s Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Plan in compliance with Mitigation Measure AQ-3 of the Tustin Legacy Specific Plan and the City of Tustin’s TDM ordinance. The plan established design strategies — bicycle parking, shower and locker facilities, and on-site amenities — alongside operational programs such as rideshare matching, vanpool subsidies, a transit pass program, and telecommuting policies, targeting a minimum average vehicle ridership of 1.5 persons per vehicle.

Post-Entitlement Management

EPD has led post-entitlement coordination on behalf of SOCCCD and the project team, including:

• Coordinating a lot line adjustment across SOCCCD, the City of Tustin, and the design team, including a CEQA exemption memorandum and SOCCCD Board of Trustees approval package
• Processing utility easements with Southern California Edison (SCE) and Cox to keep site infrastructure work on schedule
• Managing QA/QC peer review of recorded documents and easements to confirm no impact to adjacent leased parcels
• Facilitating field inspections and approvals with the City of Tustin as construction milestones are reached

Owner Representative Construction Management

EPD has supported SOCCCD and the project team through the construction phase, keeping approvals, easements, and utility work moving in lockstep with the building program.

EPD’s integrated entitlement, CEQA, and Owner Representative Construction Management expertise kept the Advantech campus moving efficiently through approvals, keeping a high-profile, multi-agency project on track through construction.