OCPAC donation is doubled

Established donors’ willingness to double-dip into their bank accounts and investment portfolios is helping the Orange County Performing Arts Center chip away at the considerable debt on its new concert hall.

The Costa Mesa center announced Monday that William J. Gillespie, a Farmers Insurance heir who has long been a leading benefactor of Orange County arts organizations, has doubled his previous $2.5-million contribution, bringing the total raised to $166.5 million -- $73.5 million short of the $240-million goal. Last month, donors Jim and Jane Driscoll upped the ante on a previous $1-million gift to $5 million.

Gillespie’s donation comes as workers are busy installing the concert organ that’s been named in his honor. Although the job is expected to be finished within a month, an exacting tuning process will follow, center officials said, meaning that the organ probably won’t pipe up in public performance before next April.