O.C. museum to move to new digs

The Orange County Museum of Art on Friday announced its first firm commitment to move from Newport Beach to the Costa Mesa arts district, taking title to a 1.6-acre parcel next to the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

Museum officials said they must break ground no later than 2013 and open the new museum by 2016 under terms of the land transfer agreement with the Orange County Performing Artscenter.

Costa Mesa officials last year approved the concept of having a 300-foot condo tower built atop a 140,000-square-foot museum -- a strategy teaming nonprofit and commercial interests that has been used to fund expansions of the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Seattle Art Museum. Museum Director Dennis Zakacs said the high-rise option is being considered, but that decision has not been made. He said the museum expects to announced its architect soon.

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-- Mike Boehm