Disney Concert Hall Building Accord Reached : Music: About $15.5 million must be raised, however, before construction on future home of the L.A. Philharmonic can start.

With the expectation of funds from the Disney family and their friends, county negotiators and private interests backing the proposed $220-million Walt Disney Concert Hall have reached agreement on the long-delayed construction of a new downtown home for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

The county Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a foot-thick packet of lease, financial and architectural documents for the 2,400-seat concert hall. It is to be built on county-owned land across the street from the current Music Center complex.

If approved as expected, the agreements open the way for breaking ground on a 2,500-car underground garage early next year. No work, however, can begin until about $15.5 million more in private donations is raised toward construction costs.

Officials expressed confidence that the Disney family and friends would quickly come up with the money. The family, officials said, is anxious for Disney’s elderly widow, Lillian, to savor the groundbreaking of the cultural hall which she established four years ago with a $50-million donation in memory of her husband.

Groundbreaking for the garage could begin as early as February, if the funds are in place, officials said.

“This is going to put Los Angeles County right on the map worldwide,” said board Chairman Deane Dana. “What we’re building here is something that is going to be one of the greatest concert halls in the world.”

Since May, 1987, when Lillian Disney donated $50 million to the Music Center, concert hall construction has bogged down in government tie-ups and plan changes. At one point, the county wanted a hotel built next to the concert hall, but those plans fell through.

The most recent delay resulted from efforts to ensure that taxpayers would be protected financially, officials said.

“Disney will have to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the county that sufficient monies are there to build the concert hall before we go ahead digging the hole for the garage,” said Senior Assistant County Counsel Raymond Fortner.

The $110-million concert hall is to be built entirely with private donations. The county will sell bonds to pay for the underground garage, which will cost about the same amount.

County officials said they did not want work to start on the garage until they are satisfied the entire project would be completed.

Fred Nicholas, attorney for the committee of Disney Hall backers, said he is confident the private funds will be available by February, primarily coming from Disney family members and their friends.

“We have to have the commitments in writing and we don’t have that yet,” he said, adding that “the Disneys are amenable to putting in more money.”

Lillian Disney’s donation has grown to about $78 million through returns on investments, leaving about $32 million to be raised from private donors.

The Los Angeles Music Center, which raises funds for the performing arts companies housed in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and the Mark Taper and Ahmanson theaters, was asked by the county if it could make Disney Hall its No. 1 fund-raising priority for construction.

County officials said the Music Center could not make that promise because it faces its own refurbishing bills. The center also failed to reach its fund-raising goal last year for support of the resident companies.

Disney family attorney Ronald Gother said a fund-raising agreement was reached about 10 days ago with the county.

According to copies of the agreements and county and Disney Hall officials:

* Work on the garage cannot begin until 85% of the concert hall funding is available either through cash, pledges approved by the county, letters of credit or other provable source of income. The concert hall backers will use that money to build the garage.

* Once work on the garage begins, the county plans to sell $110 million to $117 million in bonds that will be paid off over 30 years with fees collected from parking. Proceeds from the bonds will repay the Disney Hall committee for its garage construction costs and in turn will be used to help pay for concert hall construction.

* Construction of the hall cannot begin, however, until private interests have raised about $105 million.

In about four years, when the entire structure is scheduled to be finished, ownership will revert to the county. It is unclear who will provide the money to support the Philharmonic once the hall is finished.

The Philharmonic currently raises more than half of its money through ticket sales and other income. The Music Center through its annual fund-raising drive also contributes millions to the orchestra.

Music Center President Esther Wachtell said attorneys for the Center and Disney Hall are working out details of the Center’s role in fund-raising for construction as well as for operation of the Philharmonic.

Times staff writer Tracy Wood contributed to this story.