A Great Park aquatics facility will still be completed in the initial phase of the Irvine park’s development — just not in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
And the deadline for the completion of the first slate of projects, which includes a veterans memorial garden, 15 acres of lush green botanical gardens, a 14,000-seat amphitheater and a retrofitted Hangar 244 with places to eat, has already shifted from 2029 to 2032.
The USA Water Polo aquatics facility was not part of the original plan for the first phase priorities. But during a City Council meeting last month, residents overwhelmingly spoke in favor of prioritizing such a hub ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. With water polo one of the “most winning sports for the United States in the Olympics,” Councilmember Mike Carroll said then, it was a “no-brainer” to include the facility in this initial phase of Great Park development.
However, staffers found, in drafting a new plan that would prioritize the facility by 2028, other projects in the Heart of the Park would be delayed, including core park features like the meadow, lake and forestation.
Prioritizing the aquatic center “required that we delay implementation of several other projects because of the way the cash flow model works,” said City Manager Oliver Chi.
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A majority of the funding for the projects comes from the special Mello-Roos tax that Great Park residents pay — which goes toward local improvement or facility projects meant to benefit them. The delay would allow for an additional year to collect the tax, which can increase by 2% annually based on property values.
So councilmembers have pivoted again, deciding it is critical to complete the core park features first. That means the aquatics center, with its multiple pools, will still be included in that first phase but won’t be scheduled to be completed until 2032.
And the estimated cost of the first phase of the development has increased to $800 million, up from $720 million, because of the addition of the aquatics facility.
That expected $80 million cost for the aquatics center, Chi said, is likely to be covered mostly by the Mello-Roos tax collected from residents.
But per an agreement between Irvine and USA Water Polo, the sport’s governing body is expected to contribute $12 million.
According to city documents, USA Water Polo’s contribution will mostly cover the cost to build 7,500 to 10,000 square feet of dedicated facilities, including locker rooms and meeting areas for its headquarters. That contribution will also get USA Water Polo priority scheduling and the allocation of certain times to utilize the center.
Details between USA Water Polo and Irvine are still being hammered out, said Chi, who noted the tax dollars would need to be used for portions of the project that are accessible to the public.
For example, USA Water Polo wants additional facilities, including a sound system and coverings for the pools and bleachers. A price tag for those additions — and just who is on the hook for them — is yet to be determined, according to city documents.
Christopher Ramsey, the chief executive officer of USA Water Polo and an Irvine resident, said he believes the project could have been completed by 2028 while still acknowledging the importance of the Heart of the Park.
Current plans, Ramsey said, are a “work in progress,” and he expects timelines to change as “firmer answers are penciled out.”
As for the next steps, groundbreaking for this initial phase of Great Park’s development will begin in May.
“All the demo work that has to happen across the park will actually launch in May and serve as a groundbreaking for the launch of the largest municipal park project,” Chi said.
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