Great Park Board Meeting Update — November 22, 2022

At its November 22, 2022 meeting, the Great Park Board of Directors received a brief report on Great Park Development from City staff. As staff pushes ahead on several prioritized projects, Councilmember Agran raised questions about the following:

Amended and Restated Development Agreement (ARDA) Demolition and Site Clearance: In February 2022, the Board of Directors unanimously agreed that no matter what ends up being developed on the ARDA Site as a public amenity, it is necessary to clean up the existing eyesore and blight. Councilmember Agran, once again, asked staff about the expected timeline for the demolition and site clearance and reiterated his firm commitment to seeing the work commence as soon as possible. 

Marine Way Realignment — Sand Canyon Ave: As a major bottleneck, one of the existing transportation concerns for the Great Park is the traffic and congestion at Marine Way and Sand Canyon Ave. caused, in part, by coordination by multiple parties including the City of Irvine, the Orange County Transportation Authority, and CalTrans. Councilmember Agran requested an update on the January 2023 Great Park Board agenda to inform the public. 

Great Park Framework Project Expense Tracking: Councilmember Agran requested enhanced transparency of soft costs including taxpayer dollars spent on planning and design, consultant teams, feasibility studies, administrative expenses, and staff time. Transparency of soft costs will reassure taxpayer dollars are being spent in a measurable, accountable, and responsible manner.