After announcing plans to build a $1 billion Cancer Care Center at the FivePoint Gateway in Irvine last year, City of Hope has received a $50 million gift from the Lennar Foundation that will become a catalyst in helping the organization strengthen its Orange County roots in world-class health care. 

In fact, the Lennar Foundation’s generous multi-million dollar gift is the largest philanthropic contribution to City of Hope Orange County to date. The funds will go toward construction of the new Irvine-based Lennar Foundation Cancer Center at City of Hope Orange County.

Stuart Miller, executive chairman, Lennar Corporation said this is only the beginning of a long-standing relationship with City of Hope, and said he was honored to be supporting the arrival of experience and expertise in health care and cancer research into Orange County.  

“At Lennar, we are committed to building communities, and we are pleased to support City of Hope to help build the future of cancer care,” Miller said. “Together, we are building a state-of-the-art center for advanced cancer care and research that will make a difference in the lives of so many by turning science into practice and hope into reality.”

Located at the FivePoint Gateway, the commercial district of the Great Park Neighborhoods in Irvine, the City of Hope’s new state-of-the-art cancer center will feature world-renown treatment programs that include chemotherapy to immunotherapy, while providing much-needed access to cancer care to people living in Orange County. 

In 2020, City of Hope was able to acquire a 190,000-square-foot, four-story building for $108 million from Five Point Venture that will become City of Hope’s first cancer care facility in Orange County. 

Slated to open in 2022, construction for the Lennar Foundation’s Cancer Center has already started. The historic partnership marked the beginning of what FivePoint and City of Hope envisioned as a regional hub for an Irvine-based, innovative “wellness campus” that will feature blue-chip physician groups, wellness specialists and related research.   

“There has never been a moment in history more important than now to act boldly to make wellness and health care the foundation of every sustainable community of the future. This partnership with our trusted partner, City of Hope, is truly a game changer,” said Emile Haddad, FivePoint chairman and CEO. “One day, we will look back at this moment and remember those who took a leap of faith to help ensure the future health and well-being of others through innovation. I believe FivePoint and City of Hope are taking a vital step to be part of this story.”

The FivePoint Gateway is part of the company’s lineup of regional corporate campuses that include sprawling square footage for retail, commercial office space and entertainment venues, with access to transportation around major metropolitan areas, specifically San Francisco and New Hall Ranch, in Valencia, California.

Robert Stone, president and CEO, City of Hope said this gift is a “monumental start” to showcasing the future achievements of health care in Orange County and beyond.   

“This is the start – and it is a monumental start – to show the nation that our work in Orange County will catalyze incredible achievements in health care. Visionary donors and volunteers have been foundational to City of Hope’s 108-year history and we are deeply grateful to the Lennar Foundation for their extraordinary contributions and longstanding support,” Stone said. “With this gift, we will achieve the nexus of unsurpassed medical expertise, future-focused communities, groundbreaking technology and innovation, all for the single purpose of saving lives. This partnership supports a system of care delivery that provides state-of-the-art treatments, the latest scientific and medical discoveries, and unprecedented access that will serve as a model across the country.”

The FivePoint Gateway features 1 million square feet of office space and is located next to the Irvine Transportation Center with access to the Great Park and Great Park Neighborhoods. 

Located on Alton Parkway, the City of Hope began construction on the cancer care center, which includes the acute cancer care hospital. This health care model will serve as a legacy moving forward for City of Hope and FivePoint as plans to introduce this model into other California communities is already underway.

Annette M. Walker, president, City of Hope Orange County spoke about the importance of this partnership and what it means to provide access to such an important portion of Orange County, who had no choice but to travel out of the county for cancer treatment.  

“This generous gift of hope is a historic moment for City of Hope. Thank you to Lennar Foundation, which is united in our vision and understands the urgency of our work, helping us ensure that our promise to Orange County will be fulfilled,” Walker said. “We are building a place of hope and healing that will serve residents of Orange County and beyond for generations to come.”

Once complete, the cancer center will function as a research facility for Phase 1-3 clinical trials, which are known as the first control groups to receive new drug treatments, and help set the foundation for the research and successful treatment of certain diseases. 

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