A NEW HALL: THE OPTIONS
When deciding where to put Newport Beach's City Hall, there's a lot more to consider than just the cost. Here's a rundown of the statistics and major considerations for each suggested site.
Existing City HallDetails: At 3300 Newport Blvd.; 3.9 acres; five main buildings include 42,951 square feet; three trailers and a planned fourth one provide additional space; about 170 parking spaces on-site, with more parking at nearby city lot.
Costs: A 2005 estimate was $48 million, with about $6 million of that for a new fire station; public works director Steve Badum estimates about $5.7 million inflation in the costs since 2005.
Issues: City workers would have to be relocated off-site during construction; Balboa Peninsula is more vulnerable to the admittedly rare possibility of a tsunami; location no longer central to the city but has claims of tradition; fire station on the site needs to be rebuilt regardless, but would have to be done as part of a new city hall; no public vote required.
Newport Center Park parcelDetails: Adjacent to central library on Avocado Avenue; 12.8 acres; preliminary suggestion includes 72,000-square-foot city hall and 310 parking spots, some of which would serve the library.
Costs: $54.5 million for city hall/parking; cost for additional parkland unknown.
Issues: The city might need to buy land to replace some of promised parkland, depending on how much space a city hall requires; Irvine Co. approval required to change land use from 1992 park agreement; Greenlight vote required to change general plan.
OCTA park-and-ride siteDetails: On Avocado Avenue near the intersection at San Miguel Drive; 4.7 acres for city hall/parking; 72,000-square-foot city hall and 300 parking spaces.
