GARDEN GROVE : City Makes Bid to Host Transit Agency

City officials will go before the Orange County Transportation Authority on Monday to ask directors to agree to house the agency in a building to be constructed in the city.

Representatives from the city of Orange also will be making a pitch to become the host city for the agency.

City Councilman Mark Leyes said Garden Grove officials are offering to build a $10-million transportation building near Euclid Street and Acacia Parkway, a site formerly occupied by the Acacia Restaurant, which was torn down after a fire.

The city is offering to build the 100,000-square-foot building as a redevelopment project to be financed by tax-exempt bonds, Leyes said.

Garden Grove officials can show, he said, that the Transportation Authority can save money by selecting the local proposal over rival bids.

Other reasons why the agency should choose Garden Grove is that the agency can make mortgage payments and own the building after 25 years, Leyes said. Also, office space is available in Garden Grove for the agency to consolidate operations while the new building is under construction for the next 18 months or so.

The former Orange County Transit District, which merged last year with the Orange County Transportation Commission to form the Transit Authority, has occupied a building on Acacia Parkway in the Civic Center area for several years.

The agency plans to continue to use the building at 11222 Acacia Parkway to accommodate the administrative staff for bus operations, reportedly because the building was paid for with federal funds and the agency would have to return the money if it vacates the building, Transportation Authority spokeswoman Mona Zaida said.

She said, however, that the agency plans to move out employees from leased office space in the PacTel and IDM buildings, also in Garden Grove, because the agency wants to put as many employees as possible at a single location.