LOS ANGELES : MWD Narrows Search for New Headquarters

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on Tuesday decided to focus its search for a new headquarters on two plans: a proposed 14-story tower next to Union Station and rebuilding the MWD headquarters campus on Sunset Boulevard near Dodger Stadium. A final decision is expected next month.

In a closed meeting, the MWD board of directors eliminated an offer from the Los Angeles Times and the Times Mirror Co. to renovate and sell the newspaper company’s square-block office complex in the Civic Center to MWD for $87.35 million. MWD officials privately said they had concerns about rehabilitating Times Mirror Square, parts of which were built in 1935.

William A. Niese, senior vice president for law and human resources at The Times, said Monday that the newspaper is considering moving to another Downtown site, but such a move is unlikely unless the current headquarters is sold.

MWD officials declined to reveal costs of the other proposals, citing continuing negotiations. The fourth finalist site, MWD-owned property near Brackett Field airport in La Verne, was not eliminated but is being kept on a back burner.

Times spokeswoman Martha Goldstein said Tuesday that the newspaper will continue to talk to any interested parties about a possible sale, but she stressed that “no final decisions have been made with respect to whether we sell our headquarters building or not.”