A plan to build 900 townhomes and establish a vast nature preserve in Irvine begins to take shape

Irvine is closing in on a key milestone in a project that will dramatically transform the community with an estimated 900 new townhomes and a sprawling 700-acre open space preserve.

The old All American Asphalt plant site is expected to be cleared of old machinery and other materials over the next few months.

 ”We're currently in a process of getting bids,” said Oliver Chi, Irvine’s city manager. “It's a strange procurement in that some of the materials on the site have value, so we expect that by late summer we'll be working on removal and clearance of the site.”

Chi told LAist the approvals for the housing development could come in front of the City Council later in the year.

Tell me about the plan

The project, referred to as the Gateway Preserve, followed years of complaints from residents about the smells and smog surrounding the old asphalt plant.

The city agreed to purchase the controversial plant for $285 million — and convert it into a 700-acre open space preserve. As part of the transaction, the city also acquired additional acreage for a housing development. The sale of the homes will cover the cost of the preserve. Home sales could start as early as 2027.

What is the backstory?

The asphalt plant opened in the foothills in Northeast Irvine in the early 1990s. As the area around the plant developed with residential neighborhoods, the number of complaints flooding City Hall began to increase.

Residents complained of air quality and smells from the plant. Many area residents said that when they bought their homes they weren’t told about the asphalt plant nearby.

In 2020, after years of resident complaints, the city filed a public nuisance lawsuit against the plant. But, despite the complaints, tests approved by the South Coast Air Quality Management District found the emissions did not meet the threshold for health concerns.

The city tried to get the plant to relocate before finally announcing plans to buy the plant in 2023.

Details about the preserve

The plant site will be converted into a 700-acre preserve that will be open to the public and connect to the larger 20,000-acre Northern Open Space Preserve. The open spaces will also connect to Limestone Canyon, Black Star Canyon and the Cleveland National Forest.