IRVINE, CA—Looking at collaborative projects from a master-planning perspective helps prevent issues down the road like traffic that do not work to benefit the community, FivePoint's chairman and CEO Emile Haddad tells GlobeSt.com. One example is the first 53-acre phase of the highly anticipated Orange County Great Park Sports Park, which recently opened; the project is on track to become one of the largest public multisport facilities in California and one of the largest in the United States..

Built on the site of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, the Sports Park is ultimately planned to be nearly twice the size of Disneyland and is the result of an innovative public-private partnership between the City of Irvine and FivePoint's partnership, Heritage Fields El Toro LLC, which is spending approximately $250 million to improve, operate and maintain 688 acres of the Orange County Great Park and infrastructure serving the Great Park. The first phase is a world-class youth sports facility that complements the area's award-winning schools, vibrant economy and well-planned neighborhoods that help Irvine rank consistently as one of the best places to live.

We spoke with Haddad and Irvine Mayor Donald Wagner about what resonates with them about the project, what it means for the City of Irvine and what's vital in public/private partnerships of this kind.

GlobeSt.com: What stands out for you about this sports-park project?

Haddad: We're probably one of the very few developers doing concrete in the green. To be able to take a navy base, recycle it and start building a community—we're part of writing a new chapter of the land, and it's a very privileged position in which to be. And this is not land in the middle of nowhere; it's in the middle of what I believe is the best development in the world: Irvine Ranch. You have a sense of responsibility when you take on something like this. First, you have the history of it being a military base. Second, that base was executed flawlessly, and you don't want to disrupt that. Third, you find yourself in the middle of fulfilling a lot of promises made to the community of what this community will look like. It's very exciting, but the responsibility is always on our minds and on our shoulders.

This is going to be one of the largest amenities in the whole region, if not the whole country. It's not just another bunch of fields for people to just use—this is a game-changer. It will be a venue for large tournaments and competitions, it will benefit hotel business and other businesses around us, and it will put Irvine on the map internationally, especially with the Ducks facility and water polo. Personally, I look at this sports complex, as I do with everything we do as a company, from the social aspect more than the aesthetics of concrete in the ground. These are stadiums, place where champions will be one day. One day, a kid will kick his or her first goal and become a champion. I see people sitting next to each other and saying hello, lifetime friendships that might change people's lives. We've spent a lot of time thinking about the space as a place where human relationships get born and opportunities arise for people to explore their potential—something to connect people together and help enhance their lives.

Wagner: The project is a great example of a successful public/private partnership. We are able to deliver to the people of Irvine, and to all of Orange County, first-class amenities at a responsible price. The public told us what they wanted through our outreach efforts, and just through how they and their children were using our other parks, and we responded with the help of our private partners.

GlobeSt.com: What is the significance of this development for the City of Irvine?

Haddad: We have the Olympics coming up in 2028, and some of these fields and water polo pools we're building could be used for this. Irvine is on the map already as a great city, but this will put it on the map internationally for people who don't know much about Irvine; they will see things happening on this fields. It's also good for businesses: hundreds of thousands of people will go through these fields, between training and competitions. We're hoping the city will realize the potential of this sports complex. It will be 2.5 times the size of Disneyland. You can do a lot of business with international tournaments; there are people who will stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and some people will look at the sports park as an amenity they want to live near. Businesses could be formed around the sports complex. Any time you build something of this size, you don't know what will eventually be created around it. For example, Central Park—and this will be twice the size of Central Park—when that was built, nobody realized all the opportunities and businesses that could be developed around it. I see Great Park the same. If done right and marketed right, it will help create businesses that you and I haven't even thought about yet.

Wagner: This project has been a long time coming, with many false starts and misspent dollars due to prior council leadership and prior consultants. It is significant because it shows that those days of delay and expense are behind us. The public now has something spectacular that it can enjoy, with much more to come soon. The council and its private sector partners are moving forward with many additional, exciting ideas for the rest of the property.
GlobeSt.com: How important is it for developers to collaborate in projects like this for the cities in which they are located?

Haddad: I would place the developers in three different categories: 1. Irvine Co., the other developer here, and it's extremely important for the two of us to collaborate. We're fortunate to have one developer in city of Irvine who is I believe head and shoulders above other developers. It's great to be able to collaborate with someone who is entrenched in this marketplace and smart about it. I've seen situations where developers get into disputes, and it doesn't help the area. More importantly, when developers are collaborating and open their books to what is happening going forward, it encourages cities to plan the infrastructure in a master-planning way. There are a lot of cities that don't have that luxury of developers collaborating, and they get into issues like traffic, which is a byproduct of plans that don't make sense in a forward-thinking way. We are fortunate to have the two of us look at this project through the lens of master-planning, rather than piecemealing. 2. The City of Irvine views itself as a developer. It's important in public/private partnerships to have partners look at the project through the same lens and be aligned. It's to the credit of the city, the mayor of Irvine and the City Council that they have spent time aligning their interests to be in a place where the larger community gets served. 3. We see the builders here as more like customers of ours, as well as the people executing on the master plan of building homes. We have a lot of control over whom we choose to be our builders, and we have some of the best in this marketplace.

Wagner: I believe it is critically important for there to be collaboration. Developers and cities are not in competition; they need each other. Cities need responsible projects to improve the quality of life for their citizens, and the development community needs to take an active part in collaborating with cities to provide those projects.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about this project?

Wagner: It is located in Irvine, but has something for everyone in Southern California. And best of all, there is a lot more to come with our amphitheater for live music, Ducks ice-skating facility, the museums and attractions of the planned Cultural Terrace, arts, dining, education—this is just the beginning.

The City will oversee operation and maintenance of the 688 acres as each phase is completed and turned over to us; all the acreage is City property. That, for example, is occurring right now with the 53-acre first phase of the sports complex. We began operating and maintaining that acreage the day after the grand opening, as we do with all of our parks.

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