The under-development Great Park Cultural Terrace lost a tenant this week, with Orange County Music and Dance leaders deciding to build a new facility elsewhere in Irvine.
OCMD’s board of directors were in agreement at their recent meeting that the nonprofit youth performing arts school should drop plans to build at the Great Park for “a number of practical and financial considerations,” including “unforeseen delays” to being able to complete construction by fall 2027, “and challenges in securing temporary facilities during construction,” OCMD officials said in a statement.
“The new location will allow OCMD to build a state-of-the-art facility without incurring any debt and allow us to launch expanded programs in the fall of 2026 rather than having to wait 18 to 24 months for construction to be completed,” OCMD Executive Vice Chair Doug Freeman said.
“We’re deeply grateful to the city of Irvine, Great Park leadership and our arts partners for their time and collaboration throughout the exploration of the Great Park opportunity,” he added. “Their support has been invaluable, and we look forward to continuing those relationships in the future.”
OCMD, founded in 2016 and currently headquartered at the west end of Irvine where it serves hundreds of students, entered in March 2024 into a lease agreement with the city of Irvine to expand its offerings at with a proposed 85,000 square-foot facility at the Great Park Cultural Terrace that would have been built from the ground up.
The 45-acre Cultural Terrace currently under development features locations for the Pretend City Children’s Museum, an Asian American history museum and the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, which broke ground in October.
OCMD would have shared the Cultural Terrace with these lessees, and had plans to build a music arts education center there with 27 studios, 10 practice rooms, recital and rehearsal halls, a 450-seat theater and a shared sublease space for nonprofit community arts organizations.
In 2024, the relocation to the Great Park was expected to cost $40 million, to be funded privately through donations and the sale of OCMD’s existing building. Construction was initially anticipated for completion by this summer. But blueprints for the Great Park saw many changes in recent years, with new additions and amendments and ballooning costs adding to delays.
OCMD plans to announce its new location elsewhere in the city in the coming weeks, officials said.
“Throughout this process, our priority has remained serving students and families with excellence while honoring the trust our donors and partners place in us,” board Chair Charlie Zhang said. “This new direction allows us to remain fiscally responsible, accelerate our growth, and continue building a vibrant home for young artists, musicians and dancers in Orange County.”