COSTA MESA : Building Renovation Delays SOS Opening

Share Our Selves, the charity forced out of a westside neighborhood in June, faces another setback that will delay its reopening until Nov. 1.

SOS has continually pushed back the projected opening date of its new quarters at 1550 Superior Ave. because of renovation work. The charity bought the 12,000-square-foot building, as well as a restaurant on the property, for $1.4 million after the City Council refused to renew its lease at the Rea Community Center.

Volunteer structural engineers have had to redesign the layout to accommodate state occupancy codes--its maximum will be 500. SOS Founder and Executive Director Jean Forbath said she does not expect more than 100 people to be in the building at any one time.

Nevertheless, the state requires engineers to install fire-safety features. The redesign includes a floor-to-ceiling fire wall, which will separate the storage area from the public areas, Forbath said. Fire doors, which have “panic bars” for easy use, must be installed at all exits, she said.

“We didn’t realize that if we did any renovations, we would have to bring everything up to code,” Forbath said. “It’s a really old building.”

Although the November date is tentative, Forbath said she is certain SOS will reopen before the start of the holiday season.

To appease its future neighbors, SOS designed the building to include a large waiting room, eliminating the need for clients to wait in the parking lot, Forbath said.

Nearby business owners, fearing an increase in vandalism and loitering as a direct result of SOS’s presence in the neighborhood, have fortified their properties with fences, extra lighting and other security measures.

They have also formed an association to record complaints about the charity. The city has issued a one-year, conditional-use permit allowing SOS to operate at the new site.

People living near the Rea Center, 661 Hamilton St., complained that those seeking help from SOS, which distributed emergency food, clothing and financial help, disrupted their neighborhood. After a long battle, they persuaded the council to evict the charity after 20 years in the city-managed community center.