News Archive

2009 APA Focused Planning Issue Award

American Planning Association (National)

American Planning Association, APA, is a nonprofit public interest and research organization committed to urban, suburban, regional, and rural planning. APA and its professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners, advance the art and science of planning to meet the needs of people and society. The Orange County Great Park Comprehensive Master Plan stood [...]

Plans for Preview Park Move Forward

MARCH 13, 2008 – IRVINE, California – Today, the Orange County Great Park Board Corporation approved the addition of the Palm Court, a permanent visitors center known as the “Pod” and an outdoor performance garden known as the “Preview Park.” The Preview Park is a 27-acre mini park that will showcase elements of the future Great Park [...]

Great Park to Re-Plant its Roots

Great Park Conservancy Donates 5,000 Citrus Trees Part of Orange County Agricultural Heritage

February 26, 2009 – IRVINE, California – The Irvine City Council and Great Park Board of Directors unanimously voted to accept a generous donation of 5,000 Valencia Olinda Citrus Trees from the Great Park Conservancy. The Conservancy received the generous gift from Halvajian Desert Nursery in Thermal, California. The trees will ultimately be planted in the Orange County Great [...]

First Harvest at the Farm & Food Lab

The Great Park’s Farm & Food Lab received its first harvest this week! Second Harvest Food Bank received 1,000 pounds of our fresh, organic sugar snap peas. An additional 1,500 pounds are expected to be harvested over the next two weeks. An assortment of onions are anticipated for the Spring harvest and a diversity of [...]

Board Approves Comprehensive Park Design

February 19, 2009 – IRVINE, California – The Great Park Board today approved the Comprehensive Park Design presented by Master Designer Ken Smith and the Great Park Design Studio. Today’s approval of the Comprehensive Park Design moves the Great Park from the planning and design phase to the production phase. CEO Mike Ellzey also provided [...]

Great Park Launches Winter Programs with “Great Skate”

Anaheim Ducks to Participate in Opening Day Activities

February 13, 2009 – IRVINE, California – Get out your skates, mittens and jackets. The Great Park is gliding into its first ever 2009 Winter Program schedule beginning with the Great Skate at the temporary Great Park Ice Rink on Saturday, February 14th. In addition to ice skating, families can enjoy Valentine craft-making, and a figure [...]

Media Alert: Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez to Tour Great Park Design Studio and Ride in the Great Park Balloon

Who: U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez, 47(th) Congressional District and Great Park Master Designer Ken Smith What: U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez to meet with Great Park Chair Larry Agran and Master Designer Ken Smith and discuss Orange County’s largest public works project. She will tour the Great Park design studio, review comprehensive plans for the Park [...]

El Toro Groundwater Cleanup

For information about the groundwater cleanup at El Toro and the quality of drinking water in Irvine, please visit the Irvine Ranch Water District’s website for answers to Frequently Asked Questions (the water in Irvine is tested by a State-certified water quality laboratory that performs more than a quarter million tests on the City’s water [...]

APA National Award of Excellence

December 18, 2009 – IRVINE, California – The Great Park has been selected for the American Planning Association’s National Award of Excellence, for the Orange County Great Park Comprehensive Master Plan. The award recognizes innovative plans, programs, tools, or related efforts that promote and strengthen support for regional planning. Carol Rhea, AICP (American Institute of [...]

Donate to Toys for Tots this Holiday Season

The Orange County Great Park has teamed up with the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation this year and will be accepting new unwrapped toy donations between now through December 31st. (Toy donations began on November 28th.) Orange County residents are encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy to the Visitors Center when they visit the [...]