BUENA PARK : Council to Study City-School Theater

The City Council on Monday agreed to pay $20,000 to study a plan to build a cultural arts center with the Buena Park School District.

The proposed center would attempt to serve the schools as well as the city’s Civic Theatre and Children’s Theatre. The school district and the city would fund the project, estimated to cost between $2.5 million and $3 million, and the center would be built at Buena Park Junior High School.

The study, which will be conducted over the summer, will look at whether the building’s design and cost will fit the needs of both entities, said Wes Morgan, the city’s director of recreation, parks and community services.

It will be conducted by architects Ralph Allen & Partners of Santa Ana.

The architects will study the proposed design features, including staging, lighting and seating and how the center fits into the school’s overall design.

The district proposed the project last fall as it began planning for a 10,000-square-foot activities building at the junior high. The district has set aside $2 million for the center and has asked the city for the rest.