Newport Chamber of Commerce to move

The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce is moving out of the space it has called home for decades, interim President and Chief Executive Steve Rosansky said Thursday.

The group has opted not to renew its lease for the space across Santa Barbara Drive from Newport Beach Police headquarters when it expires at the end of June, he said.

While an exact moving date hasn’t been set, and a committee of chamber leaders is still looking for a new place, Rosansky said the “goal is to reduce our rent.”

“The chamber offices we have now — there used to be nine or 10 employees,” he said. “We only have like five now, so from that standpoint we probably have too much space.”

He added that the search committee is looking for offices “in a retail setting,” closer to the coast, as rents in Newport Center and Fashion Island can be pricey.

“We’ve narrowed it down, but everything’s still kind of up in the air,” Rosansky said. “We’re definitely moving. It’s just a matter of when.”

—Jill Cowan

Twitter: @jillcowan