The project will span more than 1,300 acres when completed!

A groundbreaking ceremony held on May 23 marked the start of work on a major expansion of the Great Park in Irvine.

The Great Park Framework Plan, as the next phase of the project is called, commenced with the demolition of a former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro building, which will set the stage for 300 acres of new green space and amenities.

Per a project website, the new facilities in the framework plan will include:

• Veterans Memorial Park and Gardens, which will preserve an existing tarmac as a Walk of Honor commemorating the pilots, support personnel, and others who worked at the former base;
• Botanical gardens anchored by a series of trails and dry creeks with multiple themed spaces;
• a Library adjacent to the Botanical Gardens and Veteran’s Memorial Park;
• an Arboretum with a collection of plant species from around the world;
• a Grand Promenade serving as a two-mile pedestrian connection through the park between Cadence and the Irvine Train Station;
• the Great Meadow, which would provide a large open space within the park;
• North Lake, a 13.7-acre visual centerpiece for Great Park;
• South Lake, an additional 4.1 acres of water surrounded by amenities;

…