CalVet says Veterans Cemetery costs will exceed $77 million
Demolition and removal of existing structures and site prep for new construction estimated to cost $30 million
By Irvine City News Staff
In a just-released city of Irvine memo obtained by Irvine City News, CalVet has informed the Irvine City Council that the proposed Veterans Cemetery at the Great Park will exceed $77 million in total costs. The estimate for the project includes over $30 million in expenses to demolish and remove the existing 77 buildings and surrounding concrete and asphalt and underground utilities on the currently approved 125-acre site known as the “ARDA Transfer Site."
CalVet, in its analysis, suggested this is considered a large grant request for Phase 1, compared to the annual national Federal funding appropriation of about $46 million.
The report noted that construction costs, without the engineering, demolition or remediation are estimated at $31.8 million.
According to the CalVet analysis only about 50 percent of the total cost is eligible for Federal funding; about $39 million. The balance, about $38 million, would have to come from State funds and/or city of Irvine or private fundraising.
Last month, in a contentious city council meeting, a proposal by Councilwoman Christina Shea to consider an alternative site for the cemetery was dismissed by lack of a second by any of the four councilmembers; Krom, Lalloway, Schott and Mayor Choi. The proposal was to consider the relocation of the future Southern California Veterans Cemetery from the northeast corner of the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, on the City land studied by CalVet, to an area near Interstate 5, owned by FivePoint. The potential “swap” site is currently being farmed and did not have any of the demolition or remediation costs of the City site.
Irvine City News spoke to several members of the veterans groups who testified in support of the consideration of an alternative site. When asked about the study, they said they were not surprised as they had long anticipated these significant costs and the challenges they present to fulfilling their vision for the veterans cemetery at the Great Park.
Check back here for more updates as this story unfolds.
CalVet, in its analysis, suggested this is considered a large grant request for Phase 1, compared to the annual national Federal funding appropriation of about $46 million.
The report noted that construction costs, without the engineering, demolition or remediation are estimated at $31.8 million.
According to the CalVet analysis only about 50 percent of the total cost is eligible for Federal funding; about $39 million. The balance, about $38 million, would have to come from State funds and/or city of Irvine or private fundraising.
Last month, in a contentious city council meeting, a proposal by Councilwoman Christina Shea to consider an alternative site for the cemetery was dismissed by lack of a second by any of the four councilmembers; Krom, Lalloway, Schott and Mayor Choi. The proposal was to consider the relocation of the future Southern California Veterans Cemetery from the northeast corner of the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, on the City land studied by CalVet, to an area near Interstate 5, owned by FivePoint. The potential “swap” site is currently being farmed and did not have any of the demolition or remediation costs of the City site.
Irvine City News spoke to several members of the veterans groups who testified in support of the consideration of an alternative site. When asked about the study, they said they were not surprised as they had long anticipated these significant costs and the challenges they present to fulfilling their vision for the veterans cemetery at the Great Park.
Check back here for more updates as this story unfolds.