Irvine approves over $1 billion in new debt for Great Park projects

California Construction News staff writer

Irvine city council approved over a billion dollars in new debt at its meeting last week, aimed at funding the Great Park’s development.

The money will go to a variety of projects the city currently has in development at the park, including a proposed 14,000-seat amphitheater, botanical gardens and an aquatics center that could be home to an Olympic team.

“We are going full steam ahead on the building of what is going to be the greatest metropolitan park in the United States of America,” said Councilman Mike Carroll at the council’s discussion of the park’s future on March 16.

The City of Irvine hosted a town hall Mar. 20, to update progress on the Great Park and plan for construction on the site in coming months, including soil testing, remediation and monitoring and other precautions to limit disruption in the neighborhood.

Great Park spans approximately 1,300 acres, with more than 500 acres developed and over 300 acres in the first phase planning and design stage. Upon completion, it will join America’s inventory of national treasures and set a new standard for great metropolitan parks around the world.