What Does OC Do for an Encore?
It’s been quite a run for Orange County these past 25 years. But what about the next 25 years? Rick Reiff asked some local people to look ahead.
Orange County will be an even bigger tourist destination as the Disney Resort expands and the city of Garden Grove is added to the mix. Our beautiful coast and the great weather will become a larger draw, as well. High-speed trains will make the commute to the “new” Inland Empire airports and businesses much easier. But we will still be without proper media coverage.
Ed Arnold, KOCE news anchor
OC will have over 5 million people. The computer, medical device and pharma industries will have more than doubled in size, but there will be almost no manufacturing here. A key asset will be technology and product innovation. UC Irvine will be over 30,000 students and will have spawned at least 15 significant product companies of $100-$500 million revenue, and OC will be recognized as one of the premier centers of the arts in the United States.
Ted Smith, founder, FileNet Corp.
Wish I could say I see a return to horse pastures in the hills, cute little beach towns and endless orange groves, as it was when I moved here in 1960. But the truth is we will probably see more growth and more traffic. Business will probably do well, but paradise may be a bit harder to find.
Walter Cruttenden, investor
I believe there will be a North/South County split that will produce an economic and political earthquake in Orange County.
Judy Rosener, UCI business professor
The location, weather and entrepreneurial spirit inherent in our county will assure an eventual return to growth and economic prosperity. We will probably be overwhelmed by highway gridlock due to increased population and business density and the slow wheels of progress at the federal and state levels.
Gary E. Liebl, retired QLogic Corp. chairman
Where is the airport? How can we do business? Those are the questions that will asked in 2029.
Doy Henley, philanthropist and retired businessman
The Board of Supervisors will be a diverse body, with women and other minority representation, including a Vietnamese-American. A bullet train network will connect Orange County with San Diego, Las Vegas and points beyond. Smart streets will be filled with alternative-fueled cars that will be controlled by computers. The chairman of the Republican Party of Orange County will still be a Latino, but it sure won’t be Tom Fuentes!
Art Pedroza, Coalition for Fair Employment in Construction
Based on present trends, I see the county of my youth with median priced homes at $3 million, all with telescopes providing an ocean view; widened freeways still heavily congested since they are limited to H2 Hummers; a sophisticated rapid transit system that allows Orange County residents to visit members of the disappearing middle class who have been relocated in the Inland Empire and high desert; and a workforce brought in by the underground railroad and housed at the Great Park.
Wylie Aitken, trial lawyer
I see OC evolving into the cultural center of the West Coast and one of the premier locations in America to raise a family, grow a business and enjoy life!
Paul Folino, Emulex Corp. chief executive
UCI will be one of the top research universities in the U.S. There will be more than 35 cities in Orange County, which is at least 20 more than necessary. The Great Park will have cost someone more than they expected. Nothing will beat the view of the sun setting behind Catalina Island from an OC beach.
Tim Cooley, corporate strategist
Some may think that in 25 years, Orange County will be a gated oasis in the midst of a Third World state, but I prefer to think that Orange County will mirror all that is positive and negative of a society that will encompass a state population almost twice the size of Canada.
William Steiner, government consultant, former OC supervisor
Orange County will be a better place to live and work in 25 years, with rejuvenated cities in the north, durable master planned communities in the south, a sophisticated Riviera along the coast and more spectacular parks and open space than any comparable county. The entrepreneurial spirit, which so distinguishes us, will continue to thrive, powered by the ethnic minorities that have put down their roots here and are more hopeful and optimistic than the average resident.
Larry Thomas, chief spokesman, The Irvine Company
Orange County will be known as the medical products capital of the world. We’ll even have a Silicon Valley-type imprimatur: Health’s Belt.
Of course, Orange County will also be known for having one of the leading private universities in the nation.
Jim Doti, Chapman University president
New development will start moving upward, just like any other major metropolitan area with limited real estate.
That’s why serious long-term transportation and infrastructure planning must be pursued, not just the half-baked CenterLine light rail proposal.
John Moorlach, OC treasurer
Orange County will emerge as a global colossus with first-tier educational institutions, a “Singaporesque” financial center with the luxury of the Italian Riviera.
Tom Tierney, Body Wise International chairman
High Mortgage Heights along the coast will go even higher, but the jobs, of all stripes, will be in the Inland Empire. Ontario Airport will become the international colossus that LAX is today.
Buck Johns, developer
We will be a diverse and wealthy metropolis of citizens economically driving the engine for California. And a place where the generosity of our neighbors will be keeping pace with the rest of country in creating a healthy and caring community.
Maria Wilcox, Orange County’s
United Way
We will continue to be a richly diverse and thriving county, forced to deal with difficult social and political complexities as we all learn to share and get along.
Todd Spitzer, assemblyman
I expect that Orange County will remain one of the most attractive regions for businesses and residents in the nation. Hopefully, the county will make strides in its efforts to improve the educational outcomes of the immigrant population, and the north and south county distinctions will fade in 25 years.
Mark Baldassare, Public Policy Institute of California researcher
OC will be just as conservative but less Republican, more diverse and less suburban and there will be a fantastic park right smack dab in the middle of it all.
Meg Waters, public relations consultant
To have the county we want in 25 years, to maintain the quality of life we deserve, we need to manage the very difficult tasks that face us today. It’s imperative that we solve problems in the state budget, the environment, the burden on businesses, the nuts-and-bolts issues.
Tom Wilson, OC supervisor
The well-known demographic forces that have pulled so many Hispanic workers into the county over the last 10 years will continue to change the face of Orange County. The surprise for many will be that the new residents will exhibit the same values as the current population. You can already see it in places like Santa Ana, where pride of ownership is being reflected in home improvements in many neighborhoods, better economic conditions are leading to continuous upgrading of the downtown area and the appreciation for a good education is reflected in the activism of Santa Ana parents in school issues.
J. Fernando Niebla, president, International Technology Partners
“The OC” will still be on the air, surpassing “Gunsmoke” for longest-running hit series. CenterLine will celebrate its first rider and the county CEO job will still be open. The Angels will celebrate their second World Series crown!
Wallace Walrod, Tech Coast
Consulting Group
