Excerpt:

Mayor Beverly Johnson and other city leaders will visit Southern California today, when they plan to meet with officials from Irvine to learn how they are handling the redevelopment of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station.

Earlier this month the Irvine City Council voted to spend $65.5 million over the next three to five years to transform a portion of the former military base into parkland, including a botanical garden and a wildlife corridor.

The council's move is considered a first step toward the creation of Orange County's Great Park, a $1.4 billion project that will eventually cover about 1,300 acres.