Editor’s Note: Mike Carroll is a corporate/M&A attorney, an Irvine City Councilmember and Chairman of the Great Park, the largest municipal park under development in America. He’s also the author of a 2005 New York Times bestseller, “Lab 257,” about New York’s Plum Island, a federal government germ laboratory that went awry. Follow his podcast at becomingirvine.com.
Our community is charting a bold course as a national model for strategic growth and development. With renowned public safety, award-winning schools and a $1.2 billion transformation of the Great Park underway, the city is driving innovation across tech, biotech, finance and defense. In short, we are becoming Irvine.
Why Irvine Works
What drives our progress? The answer lies in master planning and a steady commitment to protecting quality of life.
As home to over 20,000 businesses and 300,000 jobs, Irvine thrives on an educated and diverse workforce, with more than 70% of residents aged 25 and above holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. This workforce attracts global brands, institutional capital and venture-backed startups. Far more public companies call Irvine their home than all others in Orange County, combined.
We’re proud to be recognized as the safest city in America for 20 consecutive years, supported by a nationally respected police department of over 200 men and women in blue. Irvine ranks as the third-best place to raise a family in the nation, according to WalletHub. The Irvine Unified School District is among the state’s top performing districts. Our city is anchored by academic institutions like UC Irvine, itself an engine of leading-edge talent.
The next chapter requires the thoughtful vision of its leaders, the right partners and a long-term commitment to excellence. Our goal is not growth for its own sake, but purposeful progress that stands the test of time.
Collaborative Leadership
No one person has all the answers. In Irvine, we lead by a combination of collaboration and compassion. We lift each other, and that collective spirit keeps Irvine a model for what is possible. Whether it is a teacher giving a student guidance, a neighbor who steps in during a moment of need or city leaders who prioritize safety, parks, libraries and small businesses, we choose to help one another.
Growing up in a working-class suburb of New York City, I never imagined my path would lead me to Irvine to raise a family and launch a corporate law practice, let alone serving two terms on the Irvine City Council. Being a husband and father is the greatest blessing of my life. For me, it begins at home, by showing up, staying grounded and placing family and faith at the center.
Looking back, I recognize the key role public schools and the public library across the street played in shaping my trajectory. Both institutions instilled in me a deep appreciation of the transformative power of government to lift people up and provide opportunity. Each was a testament to community in action.
Tourism, Mobility, & Great Park Vision
As chairman of the Hotel Improvement District, I’ve led a focused campaign to elevate Irvine’s visibility as a destination. Through targeted marketing and strategic partnerships, we’re increasing hotel occupancy and drawing both business, leisure and club sports travelers. This fuels our economy and enhances Irvine’s finances and visibility as a dynamic, world-class city.
We are also advancing major transportation goals. The Irvine Transit Center holds our vision for regional mobility, connecting Amtrak, Metrolink and Orange County bus routes to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. With bike lanes, easy freeway access and proximity to business hubs, we are creating efficient multimodal travel options for residents and visitors alike.
Nowhere is Irvine’s vision more focused than at the Great Park. Two decades ago, Orange County rejected plans to turn the El Toro Marine base into a massive international airport.
Instead, the people demanded a municipal park. And with over six million visits each year, that vision is finally coming to life.
The size of the Great Park is 1,347 acres, which is bigger than San Diego’s Balboa Park, 1,200 acres, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, 1,107 acres, and New York’s Central Park, 843 acres. When we’re finished, it really will be one of our nation’s municipal park treasures.
The Framework
Now, we’re delivering on the $1.2 billion Great Park Framework Plan.
The $1.2 billion consists of cash on hand from operating fund surplus and Department of Finance settlement funds dating to when Jerry Brown, as governor, eliminated redevelopment agencies, and revenue through 2030 from a bond called the Community Facilities District (CFD), which is like a Mello-Roos fund.
The first phase is being spent on framework design, utilities/connection fees, demolition and grading, backbone infrastructure, landscaping, the Cultural Terrace, the Lakes, and the Bosque. The second phase will be funded by CFD bond revenue from 2031 through 2036.
Of the $1.2 billion in project cost, approximately $150 million has been spent to date. Formal online bidding for projects exceeding $60,000 is posted on the City’s Planetbids.com portal where interested parties can register.
As Great Park chairman, I was honored to deliver the first-ever State of the Great Park address to over 3,000 residents, where we showcased its progress:
Cultural venues, performance spaces and museums
A central library and botanical gardens
The return of a live music amphitheater
Year-round attractions with projected visits to grow to more than 10 million annually with the openings of new features over the next three years
The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is slated to break ground this fall with completion scheduled for end of 2026. The Historic El Toro Marine Base Building #369 is being transformed into a state-of-the-art municipal events center, with construction to begin this fall and completion in spring of 2027.
We are also in final discussions for Pretend City Children’s Museum and Orange County Music & Dance/Pacific Symphony to relocate to the Great Park and expect to break ground soon.
A City Designed for the Future
Irvine’s proximity to Los Angeles, San Diego and key airports places it at the nexus of innovation, especially in sectors like tech, life sciences, defense and financial services. The Irvine Spectrum area and surrounding business districts are fast becoming growth corridors, supported by high-end amenities and residential development.
What we are building in Irvine can serve as a model beyond our borders. We demonstrate that by investing in people, prioritizing safety and pursuing excellence with purpose, we can create a better future for our residents and our region.
President Ronald Reagan spoke of America as a “Shining City on a Hill,” a beacon of hope, aspiration and possibility. In Irvine, we strive to be that city every single day. We may never reach perfection, but we aim for real community, measured by the mosaic of our people.
That is the Irvine I believe in. It is the future we are building together, one day at a time.
It is the Irvine we are becoming.
