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Pretend City leaders and local donors ask Irvine for loan guarantee to build Great Park museum
Summary
Pretend City Children's Museum leaders and major supporters asked the Irvine City Council during public comment for a city guarantee on a private construction loan to allow construction of a permanent Great Park museum; no council action was taken at the meeting.
Leaders and supporters of Pretend City Children's Museum appeared at Irvine's September 9 meetings to ask the city to guarantee a portion of private construction financing so the museum can begin building its planned Great Park campus.
Why it matters: Pretend City says it already has substantial private funding and operating reserves but needs a partial municipal guarantee to satisfy its lender and start construction. Council did not act during the meeting; the topic was presented during the public-comment period and will require separate staff work and any formal council consideration.
What speakers said: Ellen Pace, executive director of Pretend City, told the council the museum has “plans ready to construct” and has negotiated financing with Farmers & Merchants Bank; she described the city loan and guarantee as a way to compensate Pretend City for prior unusable plans and to offset delays. Pace said the organization expects to open in 2027 and listed partners and sponsors including the Sam Welly Foundation, PBS SoCal, Rady Children’s Health, Discount Tire, and the UCI School of Nursing. Board members and campaign leaders described balance-sheet items: a campaign co-chair said the capital campaign includes $10 million in letters of credit from private donors, and Pretend City representatives said they have about $1,000,000 in operating reserves and pre-purchased materials.
Douglas Freeman, chief executive of OC Music & Dance and a speaker on behalf of related campus supporters, told the council his group has “$38,000,000 of cash, building pledges, and bonds to build our new campus within the budget and on time” but that lenders require guarantees to avoid foreclosure risk. Bill Lyon said he and other local philanthropists will provide letters of credit and that donors can be called upon only after the city’s guarantee helps unlock construction financing.
Numbers and clarifications from speakers: Presenters cited several financial figures during public comment: a $15,000,000 city guarantee was mentioned as the request factored into fundraising; campaign leaders referred to $38,000,000 in cash/pledges/bonds for the campus, $10,000,000 in private letters of credit pledged by donors, $1,000,000 in operating reserves, and a longer-term $4,000,000 maintenance fund connected to a First 5 grant payback. Speakers said Pretend City expects to repay the loan and release the guarantee within 7–10 years after opening.
Council response and next steps: Council did not take action on the guarantee during the meeting; the museum’s request was made during public comment. City staff would need to analyze the request, including credit terms, risk exposure to the city, and legal requirements for guarantees, before any future council action. The presenters asked for a city guarantee to allow lenders to issue construction financing and to begin site work.
Speakers and attribution: Quotes and numbers are attributed to Ellen Pace (executive director, Pretend City), Douglas Freeman (OC Music & Dance), Adena Stowell (Pretend City board secretary), Erin Boyle (Pretend City acting chair), and Bill Lyon (capital campaign co-chair), all recorded in the meeting transcript.
Ending: Pretend City leaders said they are financially committed and are seeking a municipal guarantee as a lever to begin construction; any city involvement will require staff analysis and a future council decision.
