The city of Irvine voted unanimously on Jan. 10 to direct city staff to implement plans for a veterans memorial park and botanical garden at the city’s Great Park, after plans that included a veterans cemetery at the location fell through in 2021.
The location in the park for the proposed project, known as the ARDA site, was formerly home to the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, which was in operation for 60 years before closing in 1999.
For years Irvine residents alongside councilmemwber Larry Agran have advocated for the memorial, as well as a veterans cemetery, at the location.
But in 2021 Irvine council members were unable to agree on the location at the ARDA site, and county officials instead proposed Gypsum Canyon in Anaheim Hills instead, which is still awaiting  approval by state officials….