Connecting the Vision

Mission Viejo has launched EnvisionMV.com to keep the community informed and up to date on plans to improve connectivity for the residents to the many facilities owned by the City of Mission Viejo.

Mission Viejo is a master-planned community with many recreational and community-based facilities located throughout the City. The City of Mission Viejo incorporated in 1988 and has carefully updated each of these facilities with programs and infrastructure enhancements in order to support a more connected community. In 1997, the City embarked on the initial phase of developing the Oso Creek Trail system. This trail system serves as the backbone of the community and creates the framework to build upon and support a more connected community.

As a master-planned community, Mission Viejo has deep roots in embracing the idea of connecting families and visitors to our many assets residing along the Oso Creek. The initial master plan included Lake Mission Viejo, located in the northern part of Mission Viejo. Over time and during incorporation, additional amenities have been added along the Oso Creek Trail including the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center, Potocki Center for the Arts, Oso Creek Golf Course, Marguerite Aquatics Complex, Marguerite Tennis Pavilion, YMCA, Mission Viejo Library, Mission Viejo Civic Center and the Paseo in the Civic Core Area of Mission Viejo.

In 2014, the City launched a year-long Civic Core Area visioning process that included numerous public input meetings. In March 2017, the community selected the final development of three concepts – “Embracing the Creek” – for the visioning of The Village Center located at Marguerite Parkway and La Paz Road as the preferred concept to implement. Shortly thereafter, the City Council approved the Core Area Vision Plan prepared by SWA.

This “Embracing the Oso Creek” concept was the most conservative of the redevelopment proposals and highlighted the Oso Creek while rotating the focal point of the shopping center to allow patrons to enjoy views of the creek and to gain access to the Oso Creek Trail system.

In 2019, the City adopted a Comprehensive Bikeway and Transportation Connectivity Master Plan that links community facilities to our City trail system and, ultimately, the larger regional trail system outside our City limits. The adopted bike trail highlights the Oso Creek Trail system as the central spine of Mission Viejo. The trail runs through the Oso Creek Golf Course linking to the Oso Creek Lake Loop north through Marty Russo Park and continuing north to the Aliso Creek Trail at El Toro Road. The Master Plan also identified the potential for a trail connection from the Northern Open Space along the Oso Creek to the Oso Creek Golf Course south, and on to the Core Area Vision Plan area in the Civic Core of the City. Another potential link the plan identifies is south along Olympiad Road through Cordova Park, crossing under Crown Valley Parkway and into the Arroyo Trabuco, ultimately connecting to Avery Parkway and south to San Juan Capistrano.

In 2019, the City purchased the Oso Creek Golf Course and open space. This important landscape, nestled in the central part of Mission Viejo, links Lake Mission Viejo and the northern part of Mission Viejo with the Oso Creek Trail and establishes a North Recreational Core along the Oso Creek. This recreational core includes Lake Mission Viejo, Oso Creek Golf Course, YMCA, Marguerite Aquatics Complex and Tennis Pavilion and links these to the Central Recreational Core which includes the Village Green, World Cup Soccer Facility, Potocki Center for the Arts, Noman P. Murray Community and Senior Center and the City Hall and Mission Viejo Library.

The golf course and Northern Open Space were purchased for $13 million in cash. The total purchase included 110 acres (68 acres of golf course and 42 acres of open space running from Casta Del Sol Road to Jeronimo Road).

In October of 2019, Steinmart Corporation shut its doors in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the City was approached by the Kinsler Family Trust with an offer to purchase the former Steinmart building. This facility is located within the Civic Core area and is in the heart of the North Paseo in the Village Center.

In September 2021, the City Council approved the purchase of the Steinmart building and begin working on the details of the Core Area Vision Plan.

The purchase and sales agreement were processed and finalized in November 2021. The City paid $11.9 million to the Kinsler Family Trust. The purchase included the entire Steinmart parcel, including the building, parking lot and landscape areas behind the building. The current owner retained the building that houses the four inline stores to the north of the former Steinmart building

In October of 2021, the Santa Margarita Water District began the demolition of the original Oso Water Treatment and Reclamation Plant. This reconstructed facility is an integral part and will create additional space for the Core Vision.