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Irvine council unanimously backs economic blueprint, green-lights center for innovation
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Summary
The Irvine City Council voted 7-0 to adopt a two-year economic development blueprint and authorize staff to pursue creation of an Irvine Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, including MOUs, an RFP for an accelerator operator and fundraising, with staff to return with business plans and site recommendations.
The Irvine City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 13 to adopt an economic development blueprint and authorize staff to begin work toward an Irvine Center of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Assistant City Manager Pete Carmichael said the plan responds to findings that local resources for entrepreneurs are "disjointed" and that "the city is uniquely positioned to take a leadership role" in aligning partners and services. "We want to position Irvine as a globally recognized innovation hub," Dave Caffaro of the Irvine Chamber told the council.
The council authorized staff to negotiate memoranda of understanding with partners such as the Orange County/Inland Empire SBDC, issue an RFP for an accelerator operator, pursue sponsorship and fundraising, and evaluate potential real‑estate sites. Karen Cook, the city's director of economic development, said the center would act as a single front door to coordinate existing business services, fill gaps in early-stage capital and support both tech and non-tech firms.
Cook described pilot programs already under way, including an "Irvine Navigator" concierge service for businesses and a $105,000 grant to expand the pilot. Preliminary estimates presented to the council put tenant-improvement and early build-out costs for a physical center in the $2 million to $3 million range; staff said they expect to defray much of that through sponsorships and partner contributions.
Small-business and industry leaders who spoke during public comment praised the proposal. "Resources are fragmented," Scott Fox of the Orange County Startup Council said. "This is the sort of focal point that we need to support and cohere those groups and build that community." The Orange County/Inland Empire SBDC said it already operates multiple Irvine locations and will partner on training and one-on-one consulting.
The council asked staff to return with a business plan, recommended operator and specific site recommendation for council consideration within the coming months. The motion passed on a 7-0 roll-call vote.
