Despite opposition from Irvine residents, and leadership in Orange County, the discussion on the potential name change of the Orange County Great Park in Irvine will continue during the Great Park Board meeting on Tuesday, July 27.

In order to have a more well-rounded picture of the costs associated, the Irvine City Council ordered an evaluation during the meeting on July 13. The Great Park Renaming Evaluation was attached to the Great Park Board meeting agenda for July 27.  The costs range between an estimated $270,000 to $360,000 — with the highest costs associated with park signage modifications.  

In terms of names, there are three options: “Irvine Great Park,” “The Great Park of Irvine” and “The Great Park,” according to the evaluation. 

The proposal was first presented during the July 13 Irvine City Council meeting with the support of Irvine City Councilmember Mike Carroll and Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan.

While all members of the Irvine City Council ultimately supported evaluating a potential name change, the concept of dropping the Orange County prefix in the Great Park’s title did not sit well with some members of the public.

In a phone interview with Irvine Weekly, Khan admitted the amount of opposition against the name change for the OC Great Park, which is located in Irvine, took her by surprise during the City Council meeting. 

As for the new name, Khan said in addition to dropping the Orange County prefix, there are various options, all of which, in her opinion, help showcase the identity of Irvine, and would even consider simply calling it, “The Great Park.”

During the July 13 meeting, Khan mentioned the concept of the Irvine brand. For her, the Great Park is a reflection of that concept – something that places Irvine on the map – which has been the driving force behind her decision-making since November.  

“We seem to be a hidden gem, and we don’t need to be a hidden gem anymore,” Khan said by phone on July 23. “I wanted it to resemble other parks – Balboa Park, Golden Gate Park – they’re all related to areas within the city, but they’re not named after a county, or anything like that.”

In conversations through phone interviews and text messages with Irvine Weekly, Irvine Vice Mayor Tammy Kim said she reviewed the name change evaluation, adding that the cost was “expected.” However, Kim emphasized that while she was not responsible for presenting this proposal, she said her intention was not to place more costs onto Irvine taxpayers. 

“I’m not looking at passing heavy burdens onto taxpayers, but we do have a general fund, which we can draw from,” she said. “There was a lot of talk that the cost would be in the millions, and I think the opposition might be disappointed that the cost might actually range from $200,000 to $350,000.” 

Kim added that a potential name change would help represent more of Irvine’s identity within the park’s existence.

“There’s lots and lots of parks within Orange County, and a lot these parks or regional parks are run by the county of Orange – and the Great Park is not one of them,” Kim explained. “I think it’s clear for residents and for visitors to know who’s ultimately responsible for which park. You’ve got Mason Park in Irvine, which is a regional park, you’ve got Irvine Regional Park, which is in the city of Orange. This is not a new thing. I think it’s consistent with how the county and the cities and municipalities go about naming their parks.”

Looking into the future, however, Kim explained that as the Great Park continues to expand, so would the cost of a potential name change. 

“I think as we progress further with Great Park build-out, these costs will go up even higher. From a cost perspective, pursuing a name change now, as opposed to waiting later, may make the most sense,” Kim sent through text on Monday, July 26. “I’m really looking at it from that perspective. If we’re looking at making these changes, I would much rather do them now.” 

Khan and her council members will decide to take action on this item at the Great Park Board meeting on Tuesday, July 27, taking into consideration opposition in Irvine, and in greater Orange County. 

“I am kind of surprised about the opposition. What I’m hearing mostly is that the park should be open to everyone in the county – which it is – changing the name to just The Great Park doesn’t restrict others. We want more people to come and enjoy the amenities, whether from the county or outside the county,” Khan said. “We want it to be a location destination, and that’s what we are striving for – hopefully with the Flying Leatherneck Museum at the Great Park, the Fire Museum, the botanical garden – really building it out to make it that destination spot.”  

It is undetermined, at this time, who will pay for the Great Park’s name change if it is finalized. However, Khan said she hopes she can give taxpayers an answer to those questions on July 27. 

“We will see what those costs are going to look like,” Khan said. “If they are too high, maybe this is not worth doing at this point, but if they are reasonable, then we can have that discussion.” 

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