Opening of interpretive center delayed

Susan McCormack

UPPER NEWPORT BAY -- Though it may look like a gray slab of cement, the

multimillion-dollar interpretive center being built at the regional park

is slated to open next March, Orange County officials said this week.

Stan Vander Mey, chief of contracts for the county, said several factors

have caused delays in completing the center, which originally was

expected to open last spring.

Construction of the 10,000-square-foot center, which sits in the hillside

at University and Irvine avenues, began in April 1998. This August, the

center was 55% completed and the county projected Nov. 11 as its opening day, said Chip Monaco, assistant to Supervisor Tom Wilson.

But minor “wrinkles” have continued to set back the timeline since the

groundbreaking, Vander Mey said.

One of the problems has been unsuccessful attempts to get a permit to

complete grading on an area adjacent to the center, said Max Andersen, an

engineer with the county. The slope would be made of dirt placed on top

of strips of plastic. The weight of the dirt “locks in” the plastic and

stabilizes the hill, Andersen said, but such a structure must adhere to

strict codes to prevent damage from earthquakes.

The slope would lead to the roof of the center so that visitors can hike

up to the top and view the bay.

Park Ranger Nancy Bruland said construction also was delayed because of a

reconfiguration of one of the center’s key attractions: an audiovisual

display room. While many rooms in the center are triangular-shaped,

planners later decided to build an extra wall to better accommodate

television monitors, Bruland said.

The interpretive center project ran into delays before construction on

the building even started. In August 1997, the county was forced to

postpone the start of the project for about nine months after receiving

no proposals from contractors for the job. El Nino’s rains in late 1997

caused a further lag by soaking the grounds so much that crews couldn’t

drive their trucks and equipment to the site without the fear of sinking

into the mud.

Once built, the center will be the county’s largest nature center, said

Tim Wilson, manager of the county’s Harbors, Beaches and Parks

Department.

Recently, work has focused on installing electricity in the building.

Vander Mey said the floor will be slabbed in mid-November and windows,

doors and other details will come later. Vander Mey said an amphitheater

modeled after a bird’s nest will probably be one of the last features to

be completed.

In addition to the amphitheater, the center will include a sod roof to

blend into the environment and 3,000 square feet reserved for exhibits,

classrooms and a library. County and state employees, who are now housed

in small trailers on Shellmaker Island, also will have offices at the

center.

After the construction is finished, the last phase will cost $700,000 and

take two months when a consultant installs the exhibits, Wilson said.

Longtime Upper Newport Bay activists Frank and Francis Robinson attended

the groundbreaking of the center 1 1/2 years ago, where they were honored

with commemorative gold-plated shovels. Frank said he and his wife have

been keeping an eye on the construction since that day and are pleased

that the project is nearing completion.

“It’s nice to see they are moving along. It’s going to be a wonderful

place,” he said. “We can barely stand [the wait].”