PERSPECTIVE : Orange County’s Past Full of Unfulfilled Plans : Unrealized Projects

If the dreams of some city planners, highway administrators and developers in the past 40 years had come true, Orange County would be quite a different place today. Here are some of the projects that never went past the drawing board:

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1. Anaheim Shores: In the 1970s, developers proposed a 10- acre lake in downtown Anaheim surrounded by retail centers, cafes, condominiums, parks and a cultural center.

2. Irvine Monorail: The city has studied the idea of creating a short line between John Wayne Airport and a commerical development in the Irvine Business Complex.

3. Westdome: In the mid- 1980s, entrepreneurs proposed a sports arena near Santa Ana’s Civic Center that would house an NBA team. Neighborhood opposition killed the plan.

4. Dana Point Inn: Construction of the beach resort began in the 1930s but was halted by the Great Depression. Remains of the hotel foundation still exist t Hyde Park.

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Other plans that never made it

* Anaheim People Mover: In the 1970s, the city studied the possibility of an automated tram system that would link Disneyland with downtown; 3.5- mile line would have cost at least $35 million.

* San Clemente Marina: In the early 1980s, developers envisioned construction of a 2,000- boat marina and resort complex. The proposal was strongley opposed by surfers as well as residents concerned about $50- million price.

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Brigham Young University: A 136- acre site off Euclid Street near the Riverside Freeway was once considered for a West Coast branch of the university.

Sources: Times reports, city of Irvine, “Home Port for Romance” by Doris Walker, Anaheim Public Library, “Dreams to Reality: A Profile of Modern Day Anaheim.” Researched by SHELBY GRAD / For The Times