Orange County Music & Dance awarded landmark gift to expand its music education offeringsThe City of Irvine and Orange County Music & Dance (OCMD) came to a landmark agreement providing 35 acres of land for the school to develop a new 70,000 square foot campus, allowing OCMD to double its student body.  

The approval came during today’s Irvine City Council meeting. Irvine will provide OCMD with a $1 per year ground lease for its site for 50 years, with optional extensions totaling 75 years. The lease along with $91 million the City has invested in preparing the land and bringing in utilities signifies one of the largest gifts from a municipality in the U.S. 

OCMD offers the highest quality education, training and performance opportunities for K-12 students and veterans, with an endowed scholarship program that ensures that children who want to attend can do so, regardless of their financial circumstances. 

Construction is expected to begin in January 2025 and is slated to be completed by Fall 2026.  

Sharing the full announcement below and I’d be happy to connect you with OCMD’s Executive Chair and CEO Douglas Freeman, who is the founder of National Philanthropy Day, for more information on what this expansion means for students wanting to learn more about music in the region.  

Renderings of the building can be downloaded HERE!