The former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro is being transformed into the first great metropolitan park of the 21st Century—the Orange County Great Park. Located in the geographic center of Orange County, California, halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego, the Great Park is easily accessible to more than 10,000,000 Southern California residents via freeway or railway.
Spanning approximately 1,300 acres (nearly twice the size of New York’s Central Park) the Great Park’s award-winning master plan embraces environmental sustainability, preserves Orange County’s agricultural heritage, and honors the military history of the former air base, setting a new standard for sustainable park design and urban planning. Upon completion, the Orange County Great Park will join America’s inventory of national treasures and set a new standard for great metropolitan parks around the world.
The Irvine City Council approved a proposal from FivePoint Communities to build the 688 acres of the Orange County Great Park. The 688-acre development will dramatically expand the footprint of the built out portion of the Great Park and expands the public-private partnership between the City of Irvine and FivePoint Communities, the private developer that owns land adjacent to the Great Park.
The 176 acre Sports Park will complement the Great Park’s existing North Lawn and South Lawn Sports + Fitness Complex. The sports park will become a premier sports park and will feature:
- 18-21 additional soccer and multi-use fields,
- 24 tennis courts,
- 2 sports courts,
- 12 baseball/softball fields,
- 11 sand volleyball courts.
- 185-acre golf course and golf practice facility and clubhouse
- 41-acre Bosque area near the Trabuco entrance
- 36-acre Upper Bee Canyon area that will connect the Great Park to Irvine Boulevard
- 178-acre wildlife corridor
- Cultural Terrace, which remains part of the Great Park Master Plan and will be developed once a funding partner or partners are identified.