An official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Cal OES Southern Campus was held at the former Fairview Developmental Center property in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
State and local officials and first responders gathered to mark a new beginning for a portion of the former Fairview Developmental Center property. Fifteen acres will be repurposed by the State as a new Emergency Services Campus for Cal OES.
In his remarks, Director Pete Cervinka provided historical context to the site that served 5,918 individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities from 1959 through 2022.
“The last residents moved out of Fairview Developmental Center in October of 2022. You can see their former residences, dining halls, recreation areas, and administrative buildings across this site. Today, these individuals are living successfully in their own communities across California,” Pete shared.
The new Cal OES campus will maximize emergency response coverage statewide and will strengthen the State’s capability to keep Californians safe from disasters and monitor potential threats.
The State is preparing to transition most of the remaining property to the City of Costa Mesa for much-needed housing development. Several small homes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with complex needs also will be built on the Fairview property. Another 15 acres of the property will be used to construct homes and apartments, a portion of which will be dedicated only as housing for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Officials in attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony included Cal OES Director Nancy Ward, GovOps Agency Undersecretary Christine Harada, Department of General Services Director Ana Lasso, Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris, and Vice Chair Katrina Foley, Orange County Board of Supervisors.