Buena Park Arts Center Announcement Called ‘Erroneous’ : Architect’s News Release Raises a Fuss

A Newport Beach architecture firm’s announcement that it has been chosen to design a proposed multimillion-dollar cultural arts center in Buena Park has angered the city manager, who calls the company’s press release “erroneous and inappropriate.”

Despite the fact that the City Council has not approved an architect for the project, the office of John von Szeliski, AIA, issued a press release dated Aug. 11 stating that the firm will be working on the center project in association with Wolff, Lang & Christopher of Rancho Cucamonga.

City Manager Kevin O’Rourke called the press release “erroneous and inappropriate” but would offer no further comment on the selection process.

Von Szeliski confirmed Thursday that the announcement was premature and said that selection of the project team “has to be regarded as unofficial,” pending a City Council vote. Von Szeliski said his company has already had work sessions with City Manager Kevin O’Rourke and project manager Susan Chow.

“Sometimes . . . it takes a few weeks to get the formal project signatures,” von Szeliski said. “The City Council is upset about having (an announcement) out this early.”

Sue Williams, Buena Park’s administrative officer and staff liaison to the Cultural Arts Foundation (the project’s nonprofit fund-raising arm), would say only that “a final decision has not been made” on the architect. Neither O’Rourke nor Williams would identify which architecture firms are under consideration for the project.

Von Szeliski, formerly associated with the Blurock Partnership of Newport Beach, was the principal theater consultant and one of the principal designers of the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Preliminary plans for the Buena Park project, which will probably be situated at the Civic Center on Beach Boulevard, call for a 450-seat theater for community groups as well as rehearsal and meeting rooms, an art gallery, a hospitality area and equipment storage. The entire project is expected to cost between $3 million and $5 million.

In July, the Cultural Arts Foundation, which was formed in February, received a $36,000 grant from the City Council to hire Community Counseling Service Co. Inc. to conduct a $2.5-million campaign for the center.

The remainder of the building fund is expected to be raised through a joint partnership between the foundation and the city that might include a bond issue.