Samuelis pledge $10 million to Center campaign

Young Chang

COSTA MESA -- A $10-million pledge from the Samueli Foundation for the

Orange County Performing Arts Center’s expansion campaign has brought the

total donations to more than $79 million, Center officials announced

Thursday.

Henry Segerstrom, whose family donated land and $6 million for the

existing facility and South Coast Repertory more than 20 years ago, gave

$40 million in August for a 2,000-seat concert hall, a 500-seat

multipurpose hall and a central public plaza.

New facilities in the $200-million project are scheduled to open by

late 2004.

The Samueli donation is the third largest pledge so far, behind

Segerstrom’s $40-million gift and his pledge of land valued at $13.2

million. In response, the outdoor plaza connecting the new and existing

facilities will be named after the Samueli family.

It was a gesture that Susan and Henry Samueli did not request, said

Center president Jerry Mandel.

“Which really spoke to their genuine philanthropy,” added Mark Chapin

Johnson, chairman of the “Building on the Vision” campaign.

Henry Samueli, co-chairman of the board and chief technical officer of

Broadcom Corp., promised the donation about two years ago before the

project got underway, Johnson said.

Center officials said board members have already begun meeting with

architects and design teams regularly. Architect Cesar Pelli and

acoustician Russell Johnson are scheduled to complete the design phase by

the end of the year.

“One of the things that excites us is the momentum to be [at] $80

million,” Johnson said. “We are eclipsing what our forbearers did so

very, very well.”

The campaign, which began more than a year ago, will continue to

garner seven-figure funds from private donors until they reach about $100

million to $150 million, officials said. The campaign will then enter its

final phase, called the “public phase,” in which board members will try

to solicit funds from the public.

An anonymous donor also gave $5 million recently, while about 25 to 30

others have pledged the remaining $24 million.

Businesses that have contributed include the Bank of America

Foundation, the Boeing Co. Charitable Trust and the Wells Fargo

Foundation.

Roger Kirwan, chairman of the Center’s board of directors, said the

project can be completed within their initial budget.

“But never say never,” he cautioned.

Officials are considering building a visual arts museum on leftover

land, but plans for this addition, which is causing concerns over

parking, are tentative.

Kirwan said recent studies show existing parking structures in and

around the Center will be sufficient for the new facilities and programs.

“The intrinsic beauty of the land gift is that it’s across the

street,” he said.