Road closed for Arts Center

Michael Miller

The city of Costa Mesa permanently closed a section of Town Center

Drive on Thursday morning to make room for an outdoor plaza that is

part of the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s ongoing expansion.

City crews and Performing Arts Center officials put barricades

around the tiny stretch of road Thursday, forcing vehicles to

approach the center’s box office and entrance from Bristol Street or

Park Center Drive. The closure extends from the Avenue of the Arts to

the traffic circle that leads to the center’s street-level entrance.

Under the center’s renovation plan, the area will eventually turn

into a plaza connecting the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall,

the Samueli Theater, and the center’s other facilities to neighboring

South Coast Repertory. Peter Walker, the architect who co-designed

the World Trade Center memorial in New York, is among the plaza’s

designers.

Peter Naghavi, transportation manager for the city of Costa Mesa,

said he did not expect the street closure to cause any problems for

commuters.

“A study was conducted some time ago,” Naghavi said. “That street

doesn’t carry much traffic anyway.”

The center is more than halfway finished with its expansion

project, which is expected to end in September 2006 with the opening

of the Segerstrom Concert Hall and the Samueli Theater.

“It’s going to be a really important part of the campus, helping

to unify all the various venues and also provide a place where we can

have performances and festivals,” said Todd Bentjen, vice president

of marketing and communications for the center. “It’s just a place

for people to gather.”

The plaza is expected to be finished in time for the September

2006 opening.