Museum wants Lower Castaways

June Casagrande

While a struggle goes on about how to develop Castaways Park, a piece

of land just below the park is the center of a more peaceful, but

possibly more important discussion.

On the waterfront parcel known as Lower Castaways, where Irvine

Co. construction equipment now sits, Newport Harbor Nautical Museum

leaders envision a museum site that would help designate the area as

a historic nautical district while expanding educational programs and

other museum services.

The “Historic Seaport Village Plan” hinges on whether the museum

will be able to acquire the Irvine Co. land at the low-lying area at

the corner of Dover Drive and Coast Highway.

Museum President Glenn Zagoren said that the museum has presented

its preliminary ideas to the Irvine Co., but that it’s too early to

know what the transaction price might be or whether the company would

sell.

“We’re hoping that they will see how well something like this

could fit into Donald Bren’s vision for this area,” Zagoren said.

The museum has not yet created a detailed plan, opting to wait

until the Irvine Co., the city of Newport Beach and residents have

weighed in. One idea is to build museum facilities on the Lower

Castaways site complete with a city Harbor Patrol station, a

Conference and Visitors Bureau information kiosk and other public

amenities.

The riverboat off Coast Highway that houses the museum now might

stay where it is, with ferry service connecting the old site to the

new facilities across the bay. Or, the museum could opt to move all

its collections and operations to the new site. The lease on the

riverboat site expires in 2006.

“It’s too premature to say exactly what would be there,” Zagoren

said. “Right now, we’re in the phase of trying to build community

consensus as to what the project could be.”

Most or all of the money would be raised by the museum.

City Council members have expressed their fondness for the plan.

“It’s really a neat project,” Mayor Steve Bromberg said. “The

education for kids, as well as for adults, would be terrific.”

Bromberg said he visualizes the plan as a small, noncommercial

version of New York’s South Street Seaport that emphasizes education

and public access while creating a distinct nautical district.

At an April 9 council study session, the three council members who

spoke on the proposal said they liked the idea, but cautioned that

the fund-raising and other obstacles to creating such a project could

be daunting.

“I’ll certainly do whatever I can to help you,” Councilman Tod

Ridgeway said.

Lower Castaways is not part of Castaways Park and would not affect

the city’s plans for developing the park.

* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She

may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at

[email protected].