On Tuesday, Jan. 10, the Irvine City Council received a status update on the Great Park’s new Framework and design concepts. The Council was also tasked with making decisions on the Framework’s most recent conceptual designs, which included the ARDA site, aspects of the Cultural Terrace West, and concepts for future food and beverage options.   

Other core features within the park will include a 14,000 seat, $130 million amphitheater, a USA Water Polo aquatics facility, and a 70-acre Farm Hub, to be used for farm-to-table dining options. 

Within the next few months, the city will begin working toward ARDA site demolition, which will become home to a sprawling botanical garden, with a veterans park and memorial.

Pete Carmichael, Great Park Director, said he expects to deliver a ball-park cost estimate relating to the first phase of the Framework sometime in February.

“We aim to come back on February 24 with preliminary financial and lease terms,” he said. 

Since the Council approved the Great Park’s new Framework plan with a 4-1 vote in July, Irvine has spent about $1.2 million on conceptualizing aspects of landscape architecture, engineering, and infrastructure planning, according to a staff report. 

Carmichael added that city staff has been working with several agencies, including the Navy, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Southern California Edison to ensure utilities and land use is properly coordinated for the incoming development at the Great Park.

“Some of the hardest work is the work that’s less visible, the staff is working with an alphabet soup of regulatory agencies and interested parties – most notable is utilities Irvine Ranch Water District and Edison to make sure there’s wet and dry utilities for the future of the park,” Carmichael said. 

While no official price tag is set, Carmichael said Irvine has an estimated surplus of $625 million on hand and he expects the project to be completed in five to seven years. Carmichael also hoped the Council could provide staff with direction as the project moves forward. 

“We think we have about $625 million over the next five years, and we’ll be back before the board in 60 days with a plan that we think matches our available sources and available uses of funds with city resources to get that done, in the next five to seven years,” he said. 

In its first phase of development, Irvine will focus on the botanical gardens and veterans memorial which will be placed on the ARDA site.             

While the project is still in its conceptual design phase, Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan said she has heard from the community that there is fear that money will be spent on larger projects. Khan said she wanted to assure the community that the city was prioritizing the aesthetic features of the park, such as the water features, lakes, great meadow and forests.  

“When it comes to the timeline and financing of the Cultural Terrace west – I keep hearing from our Great Park folks that they want the park features – and they are concerned that money and time are spent somewhere else and not on the park features,” she said. 

Carmichael said he does not view the proposed Cultural Terrace projects, like the Flying Leatherneck Museum as “supplanting.” He added the city plans to deliver a financial phasing plan that will dictate the timeline at which projects get greenlit, however, he said the city is focused on delivering a plan based on feedback from the community. 

“One of the things we’re most focused on is a phasing plan that really delivers on those core park features that the residents mentioned – the Heart of The Park area, some of the passive areas that are open for enjoyment, and not programmable, like the sport park,” he said. “We think we can bring a plan in late February that delivers a lot of those — but there’s enough resources to do what we want as well.” 

The Great Park Framework Phase 1 plan is expected to encompass approximately 300 acres, beginning with the 125-acre ARDA site.

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