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Irvine City Council considers Great Park development proposal — again
Old jet hangers are seen at the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station in Irvine, Calif. The location is set to be part of the future site of Orange County's Great Park.
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Irvine City Council considers Great Park development proposal — again
The Irvine City Council may vote Tuesday on a development proposal for the Great Park. The last council meeting on the issue lasted until after midnight — and the council voted to delay making a decision.
The issue is expected to draw so many people to the meeting that the city has arranged overflow parking and a shuttle bus.
Developer FivePoint Communities is proposing to build $174 million worth of amenities on nearly 700 acres of the Great Park, including a golf course, sports fields, trails and a woodland. The company would foot most of the cost. In exchange, it wants permission from the Council to build 4,600 additional homes.
FivePoint already has approval to build nearly 5,000 homes around the park.
A majority of the council members have said they support the plan, but at least one, Mayor Pro-Tem Jeff Lalloway, said he wants more details about the proposed features.
The city's grand vision for the Great Park narrowed after California yanked a billion dollars in redevelopment funds Irvine planned to use.
The park was first proposed in 2002, with original plans calling for turning 1,300 acres of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station into an urban oasis of canyons, orchards, a lake and an extensive network of trails and pathways.
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The Irvine City Council now must decide whether to accept the deal offered by FivePoint as one way to fund some of the original vision.
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