New Site Sought for W. Hollywood Civic Center

In a move that surprised his West Hollywood City Council colleagues, Councilman Paul Koretz has proposed an alternative site for the city’s planned civic center in West Hollywood Park.

During a study session two weeks ago, Koretz said he does not believe planners’ claims that the project will increase the park’s recreational space by 30%, and suggested that the city investigate placing the new center in a gray, 3-story office building near the intersection of San Vicente and Santa Monica boulevards.

“I just can’t tell whether it will still feel like a park, where people will picnic and walk their dogs, (if the civic center is built there) or if it will feel like one big lawn,” he said. The 6-acre park is on San Vicente Boulevard between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.

Central Location

“The building would provide us with a central location, near many other government offices like the Sheriff’s Department, the post office and the RTD, and it might not cost as much to move into an existing building rather than starting from scratch,” Koretz said.

Councilman Steve Schulte, who has until now been the only opponent to the West Hollywood Park plan on the council, was elated with the proposal.

“I think it was a real hopeful sign that Paul came forth with this proposal, and I think that if he insists, he can get the rest of the council to go along with him,” Schulte said. “It would be more difficult for the council to proceed if the vote goes from 4-1 to 3-2, and it would behoove (proponents) to take this opposition more seriously.”

Last January, the City Council voted 4 to 1 in favor of building the center in West Hollywood Park.

Koretz was elected to the council last April and did not vote on the civic center. He shocked his colleagues with the proposal because he had never opposed the project.

‘New Site Is Viable’

“I was not willing to oppose the plan without any viable alternatives,” Koretz said. “I think this new site is viable, and all I am asking is that we do some nondramatic studies to find out the square acreage, whether or not the design is right for a city hall and how much the owners would be asking for it.”

Councilman John Heilman, a chief proponent of building the civic center in the park, said such information should have been gathered before Koretz made the proposal.

“It did not appear that a lot of thought had been put into this proposal,” Heilman said. “Had Paul talked to anyone on the staff, they could have quickly demonstrated why that site is not feasible. It’s too small, it borders on a residential area, it’s only accessible on one side, and many other things.”

Koretz discussed the alternative site with attorney Arlen Andelson, whose law firm owns the building and occupies the third floor.

Andelson said Tuesday that he never explicitly offered the building to the city, but added, “If someone came to us and wanted to buy it, and he had enough money, we’d be willing to listen to him.”

However, Heilman said the price tag for placing the civic center in an existing building would exceed the $23 million the council has allotted for the first phase of construction in the park, and would not provide space for cultural activities.

‘An Extensive Study’

“We did an extensive study of residents in the community and they indicated to us that they wanted more than a center for government services,” said Heilman. “They want a place where they can come together for social and cultural events.”

Meanwhile, opponents of building the center in the park called the current design “too grandiose and expensive” for a city the size of West Hollywood, which is 2 square miles.

The design envisions a collection of low buildings, highlighted by two observation towers and a portico along San Vicente Boulevard.

It is scheduled to be built in phases, the first of which will include a 66,000-square-foot civic center, a 15,000-square-foot library, parking for 350 cars and recreational facilities, such as tennis courts and a baseball diamond.

The addition of an auditorium, a new fire station and child-care facilities are contingent upon other sources of funding, planners said.

“The entire project could cost this city about $50 million,” Schulte said. “That’s simply outrageous. Why do we need a 66,000-square-foot city hall when we only use one-third of that much space in our current office?”

The council is scheduled to approve contracts for the architects, project manager and construction manager at a Nov. 21 meeting.