The Irvine train station is expected to get a facelift after Irvine officials voted to fund what they refer to as a mobility hub at the transit center.
The mobility hub, expected to be constructed at a vacant site at the train station, could include resources for commuters like bicycle storage and repair services.
Plans for the hub, which are still in the early stages, could also include a retail center, a new restaurant and a space for bike safety and maintenance classes.
Luis Estevez, director of public works and sustainability, said the city would issue a request for proposals for an operator to develop the project and lease the space.
During the council’s meeting on Feb. 10, he said the goal is to make the area more attractive to residents and commuters who might benefit from riding the train or using public amenities.
“UCI has their classroom space [at the train station] as well, the bike mobility component, food and beverage sales,” he said, “to kind of create some synergy there with the hope of attracting more people to the station, getting them to come and stay longer and use all the amenities there.”
The Irvine station includes Amtrak and Metrolink train stops; Irvine CONNECT and Orange County Transportation Authority buses also stop there.
The item was proposed by Councilmember William Go, who emphasized it’s time to upgrade the area, especially ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 LA Olympics.
“The Olympics are coming around in 2028 — a lot of people will be staying in our hotels, and they will be most likely using our train station to get to Union Station, which then outlets to all the different venues,” Go said at the meeting. “We are going to see a lot of activity pretty soon, which is greatly welcomed.”
“I think it would be great if we could have a community-serving benefit for a train station that’s otherwise dilapidated,” he said.
During the council’s Tuesday night meeting, officials voted 5-2 to approve a budget allocation to fund the mobility hub’s planning, design and construction, along with other train station upgrades — a total of $1.5 million.
Those funds are coming from a loan repayment — originally lent to the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) to get the agency off the ground in the first place.
Irvine loaned the green power agency $7.5 million when it launched at the end of 2020 to cover start-up costs and allow some cities to join the agency without committing to any spending up front.
While Orange County’s green power agency is in the middle of repaying millions of dollars from the loan to the City of Irvine, local leaders already voted to use those funds for future sustainability projects at a meeting in November.
[Read: Irvine Officials Look to Use Loan Repayment Funds for Sustainability Projects]
Tuesday night’s vote specifically allocated some of the funds to be used for the mobility hub project.
The city received its first loan repayment from OCPA — nearly $1 million — in November. The city is expected to receive the full loan repayment, including interest, in quarterly payments by January 2027.
Mayor Larry Agran and Councilmember Mike Carroll voted against the mobility hub proposal.
Agran said officials shouldn’t be spending funds they haven’t fully received back yet.
“The mobility hub idea is a good one; I’m very supportive,” he said at the meeting. “Let’s get our money back first. OCPA, in my judgement — this isn’t news to anyone at this dais — OCPA has been a disaster. It’s a continuing disaster. It’s a worsening disaster. Let’s get our money back first before we spend it.”
[Read: What is the Future of the Orange County Power Authority?]
Carroll said he supported the project but argued it should go through commission review before getting OK’d by council members.
He also called out OCPA electricity rates and argued the loan repayment funds could be used for other projects.
“I commend the idea, I just don’t think I can get there, particularly because where the source of the money is coming from, and also because I know we have a lot of other competing needs around housing, around libraries,” he said, “and those are just two things that came up tonight.”
[Read: Irvine Residents to Get a Say on Future Library System]
It also comes after Irvine leaders decided to stay with the green energy provider at the 11th hour — officials voted in September to back out of a previous decision to leave the agency at the end of 2025.
[Read: Is Orange County’s Struggling Green Power Agency Bouncing Back?]
During Tuesday’s meeting, Councilmember Kathleen Treseder said creating a mobility hub would encourage people to ride bikes and use public transportation more often, which would help the city reach sustainability goals.
“I think that this is a perfect use of the OCPA funds,” she said. “I appreciate that previously the city council voted to earmark the OCPA funds for green-type projects, and this certainly falls within that scope.”
“The reason why this is such an important green project is because half of Irvine’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the transportation sector,” she continued, “and one of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector is to provide extra choice by facilitating biking and other types of transit.”
Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.