The monetary cost of the El Toro airport fight has been estimated at “over $100 million”. With the demise of the airport project, we set out to update the estimate.

The county reports it spent $55 million for airport planning, promotion, Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) staff and legal expenses. 

On top of the $55 million, the county expended over $19 million from the General Fund for El Toro base operations. $12 million of this was recovered in rent leaving a net cost of $7 million.

County government also paid a huge price in years of divisiveness and distraction from other important business.

The El Toro Reuse Planning Authority, ETRPA raised $24 million of South County city contributions during 1995-2005 and spent it leading the attack on the airport.

Irvine estimates it invested $23 million counting the city's $5 million contribution to ETRPA included in the figure immediately above. It is difficult to draw a line between the city’s inter-related anti-airport efforts, annexation studies, and initial Great Park planning and promotion. Click for an Airport Working Group summary of 2000-2002 Irvine contracts related to El Toro.

The list was prepared by the Airport Working Group based on a public records act request served on Irvine.

Anti-airport grass roots organizations raised about $6 million of private citizens’ contributions to Taxpayers for Responsible Planning, Project 99, and to finance the Measures A, S, F and W initiative campaigns. The value of tens of thousands of volunteer hours has not been included.

We have no data from Newport Beach but guess the city spent roughly $15 million over the years on efforts promoting the aviation use of El Toro – including a $3.7 million grant to the Airport Working Group.

Other supporter of the airport - George Argyros’ Citizens for Jobs and the Economy, the North County cities in the Orange County Regional Airport Authority OCRAA, and Airport Working Group private contributors gave about $5 million for the four initiatives and various lawsuits.

On top of local public and private expenditures by the combatants, the federal government spent heavily on El Toro airport related activities. These included program management, environmental and airspace studies, base management, and litigation. Some of the Navy’s expenses were required under the Base Realignment and Closure Act regardless of how El Toro was reused. However, the protracted fight over El Toro extended the Navy ownership and involvement for five years after the air base was closed and added considerable expense. The FAA was drawn heavily into the reuse debate.

It is a hard number to pin down but we guess a federal cost of over $25 million.

It all adds up to between $150-200 million - plus an enormous price in time and energy - spent on an airport project that county residents probably never really wanted.