Newport Beach Civic Center and Park facts for kids

The Newport Beach Civic Center and Park is a special place in Newport Beach, California. It's like a town hall and a big park all in one! This important spot is built on a large 16-acre area. It sits between Avocado Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard, making it easy to find. Here, people can visit their city government and also enjoy nature and fun activities.

How It Started

The idea for the Newport Beach Civic Center and Park began a while ago. In 2008, the city officially decided to build it. To get the best ideas, the Newport Beach City Council held a special design competition. Many talented architects and landscape designers wanted to help create this new center.

A group of local architects helped oversee the competition. Out of 50 different design teams, only 5 were chosen as finalists. Each of these teams had three months to create their best plan. They even received money to help them prepare their ideas! In the end, the city council picked a company called Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) to design the buildings. Another company, Peter Walker Partners (PWP), was chosen to design the beautiful park areas.

Building Costs

Building a big project like the Civic Center and Park takes a lot of money. Construction started in 2010 and finished in 2013. During this time, the cost changed from about $105 million to around $140.2 million.

Sometimes, when building large projects, the costs can change. An audit, which is like a careful check of financial records, was done to review the spending. This audit helped the city understand all the costs involved.

Cool Buildings and Spaces

Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) designed the main buildings for the Civic Center. The most important building is the new City Hall. It's a large building, about 100,000 square feet, and it sits next to a big grassy area.

The buildings look like they belong in a beach city. Their design has subtle hints of the ocean and boats. The architects made sure to include many outdoor spaces. This lets people enjoy the sunny California weather all year long. The buildings are long and narrow, which helps them feel open and welcoming.

At one end of the grassy area is a 17,000-square-foot addition to the public library. This part of the library is also a great spot for public events. On the other side of the park, there's a parking structure for 450 cars. Many paths cross the grassy area, making it easy to walk between the buildings and the parking.

Exploring the Park

The park part of the Civic Center was designed by PWP Landscape Architecture. It wasn't easy to create the perfect conditions for all the plants! The park has different types of gardens and natural areas. These are all connected by winding paths that invite you to explore.

Near the City Hall, you'll find civic gardens. As you walk further, these gardens turn into park land with many meadows. These meadows are home to native plants and animals. There are also trails and bridges that go over an existing wetland. All these natural additions give people in Newport Beach more places to hike and enjoy nature. The park also uses smart, sustainable practices. For example, it collects and cleans rainwater using special areas called swales and basins.

The site also includes other fun features. There's a lookout tower where you can see ocean views. A pedestrian bridge helps people safely cross a busy nine-lane road that cuts through the area. Plus, Newport Beach has its very first dog park here, which is great for pet owners!

Fun Things to Do

The Newport Beach Civic Center and Park is a lively place with many activities. You can even rent out the community room and the big lawn for events. The community room has a large space for meetings and banquets. It also has an outdoor patio, a kitchen, and equipment for presentations. There's plenty of parking too.

The community room can hold 150 people for a banquet or 180 people for a theater-style event. The large Civic Lawn can hold up to 1500 people! The city also hosts free concert series on the Civic Lawn. People can bring chairs and enjoy live music while relaxing in the beautiful scenery.

The center also hosts the Newport Beach Art Exhibition. This event shows over 250 pieces of art, including paintings, sculptures, and photographs. It's open to everyone and is a great chance to see and even buy art. There's often food and entertainment too!