HUNTINGTON BEACH : Firm Is Hired to Design Pier Plaza

The City Council has selected James Adams & Associates, a Newport Beach architectural firm, to design a plaza proposed at the foot of the new pier.

Still to be decided, however, is whether the city can afford to build the plaza, which could cost as much as $5 million. The proposed plaza would be a non-commercial gateway to the new pier and would be built at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Main Street.

By a 4-3 vote, the council Monday night picked the Adams architectural firm, thereby rejecting architect Ron Yeo, who has done design work on the pier itself. Competition for the plaza design had narrowed down to those two firms.

Mayor Peter M. Green urged a delay on the decision, saying more study was needed. Green, Councilwoman Grace Winchell and Councilman Jim Silva voted against awarding the design to Adams.

Silva reminded the council that there never has been a firm estimate of what a plaza would cost. Previous estimates have ranged from $2 million to $5 million.

The City Council also has no plans on how to finance a plaza, but City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga told the council Monday night that bond-financed redevelopment funds may be available in the future.

The $11.7-million new pier, which does not include a proposed entrance way or plaza, still lacks $1.63 million in financing. Private fund-raising efforts have been launched in an effort to close the deficit.