The Irvine City Council approved the addition of the Crescent Transit Oriented Development District to the Great Park Framework Plan during their regular meeting on Feb. 25. The city will exchange two parcels of land with Heritage Fields El Toro, LLC (HFET) to acquire the Crescent in efforts to better connect the Irvine Transportation Center to the Irvine Spectrum and Great Park.
The Crescent Transit Oriented Development District refers to a 60-acre land neighboring the Irvine Transportation Center. The city aims to “evolve [the area] into a central gathering location for the City in the future.”
The series of actions include approval of development principles of the Crescent District, also known as the Spectrum/Great Park Opportunity Zone and resolution to declare the city-owned land to be exchanged with HFET as “Exempt Surplus” in accordance with the California State Lands Act, according to a request for city council action.
The district was originally a part of the Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, which closed in July 1999. The district then became a property of HFET, who partnered with FivePoint to develop the Orange County Great Park Sports Park.
According to the proposed actions, in exchange for the Crescent District, HFET will receive two city-owned parcels with a total of 27 acres “that are a better fit for the company’s current business plans.”
During the meeting, Assistant City Manager Pete Carmichael presented the prospects of the project, reflecting Irvine’s growth and gave a vision of the Crescent District.
Carmichael suggested that the city is reaching a “build-out,” with the city reaching its maximum potential in greenfield development.
“[The Crescent Transit Oriented Development District] creates an opportunity to carry on that tradition of great planning from the city’s founding and address some important new priorities as they emerge,” Carmichael said during the meeting. “At the top of that list is housing, affordable and workforce housing allowing people to live close to job centers, and enhancing transit and mobility options.”
Carmichael also highlighted that the development planning principles of this project were drawn from the Irvine Master Plan, a plan created from over 50 years ago detailing the urban development of Irvine, aligning the project with the city foundations.
Furthermore, Carmichael emphasized that the project would reduce residents’ reliance on automobiles and create vast opportunities for “compact, workforce housing” for workers to spend less time commuting between home and work.
“What you’re describing, I hope, is a place in the city where an active person could live, work, enjoy recreational amenities, enjoy a very high-quality of life, without having to own an automobile,” Irvine Mayor Larry Argan said during the meeting.
The public also commented on the Crescent Transit Oriented Development District.
“I want to thank city staff for finding a creative solution to the issue that was at Irvine station … This new opportunity at the Crescent will take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create Irvine’s first walkable transit-oriented development,” a member of the public said on Zoom.
District 4 Councilmember Mike Carroll was not present at the vote.
On Chi Antony He is a News Intern for the winter 2025 quarter. He can be reached onchi@uci.edu.
