Orange County's Unrealized 'Great Park'

Tony Barboza discusses how the disappearance of expected funding has dimmed the City of Irvine's vision for turning the decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro into "the first great metropolitan park of the 21st century."

2 minute read

October 31, 2012, 10:00 AM PDT

By Jessica Hsu


"The Great Park that exists today doesn't look anything like the colorful city brochures that landed in mailboxes years ago, promising to go 'From Groundbreaking to Great Park in only 5 years'," writes Barboza. Plans for the park included cultural centers, botanical gardens, sports fields, and museums to rival New York's Central Park, but after 10 years only 200 acres of the proposed 1,347-acre park in Orange County have been built.

The first calamity to befall project struck when the developer FivePoint Communities Inc. "halted its plans for building the thousands of homes that were supposed to surround the park and generate tax money to fuel its growth," and then "the state - in an effort to trim California's ballooning deficit - grabbed the projects main funding source: $1.4 billion in property tax funds." Most of the available funding had already been directed towards planning and designing the park, rather than actual construction.

"We had to invest a lot to let people know there's a park coming," Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang said to explain the spending. However, many "have called the spending on plans and no-bid contracts reckless and suggested the money could have been put to better use." Councilman Jeffrey Lalloway commented that he was "saddened by a potentially wonderful project that has been financially mismanaged."

"Critics, who have long questioned the project's fiscal discipline, doubt Orange County will ever get the park that was promised," but city records show that the fraction of the promised park that's been completed is already a popular destination. Last year, "visitors poured in to attend hundreds of events, including sports clinics, concerts, farmers markets, festivals and circus acts.

Barboza states that Irvine leaders will need "to contemplate radical measures: Selling off public land to raise funds or asking private business to step in and build the park for them," if the project is to continue.

Editor's Note: This post has been revised to include a response to the original Los Angeles Times article by Beth Krom, chair of the Orange County Great Park Corp. board of directors and mayor pro tem of Irvine. Says Krom, "In its Oct. 27 article, 'Orange County's planned Great Park a victim of hard times,' The Times paints a misleading picture by neglecting to provide adequate history and context. The truth is the Great Park in Irvine is not just moving forward. We are heading into our best year yet."

Saturday, October 27, 2012 in Los Angeles Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Person in yellow safety suit and white helmet kneels to examine water samples outdoors on a lake shore.

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure

If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

47 seconds ago - Inside Climate News

Close-up of white panel at top of school bus with "100% electric" black text.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation

California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

April 30 - California Air Resources Board

Aerial view of Freeway Park cap park over I-5 interstate freeway in Seattle, Washington at night.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

April 30 - Streetsblog USA