THOUSAND OAKS : New Tenant Sought for Civic Arts Plaza

Thousand Oaks officials, eager to find a new tenant for the Civic Arts Plaza now that the city’s parks department has backed out of its lease, will solicit bids from cultural and educational groups.

The original budget for the $64 million center, which will contain both City Hall and a state-of-the-art auditorium, called for the Conejo Parks and Recreation Department to lease 10,000 square feet in the government section of the complex.

But strapped by budget cuts, the district announced it could not afford the $2-million cost of moving into the Civic Arts Plaza, despite a longstanding goal of setting up headquarters near City Hall for residents’ convenience.

Now, the city is seeking a replacement tenant--preferably a single user compatible with either the arts or government. Learning Tree University and the Conejo Symphony have expressed interest, although the symphony would only need about 10% of the available space.

The offices will go for market rate. “We’re certainly not planning to subsidize anyone,” Mayor Judy Lazar said.

And the lease will likely be short-term.

“At some point, it will be desirable to (invite) the park district, should they be able to come back,” Lazar said. “The park district was always envisioned as a tenant so we could make it a true government center for the city . . . a convenient place for residents.”