SOUTH COUNTY : Civic Center Would Cost $186.6 Million

A new civic center in South County with a courthouse and other government offices would cost about $186.6 million, not including land, equipment or furniture, the Board of Supervisors was told Friday.

In November, supervisors asked county staff to study the need for a second civic center to more effectively serve South County residents and reduce the number of trips county employees based in Santa Ana must make to South County.

The $186.6-million figure, based on preliminary findings, was presented during the third day of public hearings on the county’s proposed 1990-91 fiscal-year budget.

“The question mark, of course, is where the money comes from,” Supervisor Don R. Roth said. “We’re sitting here with a deficit of $25 (million) to $40 million.”

A full assessment of the need for more South County offices will be ready for the board on Aug. 29, said Jonathon A. Wolin, a senior administrative manager who presented the preliminary findings.

“The answer is ‘Yes, we have a need down there,’ ” Wolin said.

But the board will have to decide whether to build a large civic center or lease more space in decentralized locations, he said.

If a centralized facility was built in South County, Wolin said, about 80 acres would be needed for 31 courtrooms, human services offices, the district attorney’s office and other government facilities.

In contrast, the central core of county offices in the Santa Ana Civic Center consumes about 50 acres, although the county has several other offices scattered throughout the area.

The county now runs a South County courthouse in Laguna Niguel that includes a sheriff’s substation, a fire station, a library and court-related offices. But the court and other county offices have run out of room and are leasing space in other locations.

Until money is found to build a new civic center, Roth said, he doesn’t want the county conducting any expensive studies on the matter.

“I think we’ve got some lean years ahead,” he said. “Every time we do something, let’s make sure we have the revenue source.”