City Works to Get Tenant for Civic Center : Thousand Oaks: Council will consider taking bids on renovating the vacant run-down building. The process could cost thousands of dollars.

Struggling to find a tenant for the long-vacant civic center on Hillcrest Drive, the Thousand Oaks City Council on Tuesday will consider taking bids on renovating the run-down building.

Councilwoman Jaime Zukowsi--concerned that the civic center’s leaky roof, broken windows and gutted interior might deter potential tenants--made the request last week to give the building a face lift.

“I must insist that we treat that facility with the respect it deserves, or else no one will even consider buying it,” Zukowski said. “It looks like a bomb shelter. We’re communicating, by the current condition of the property, that we’re not eager to sell or lease it.”

In response to her plea, City Manager Grant Brimhall has proposed soliciting cost estimates from contractors interested in sprucing up the building, which the city vacated several years ago because of asbestos contamination.

But simply collecting and analyzing the bids could cost the city thousands of dollars in staff time, Councilman Frank Schillo said. And while he might support a small expense to replace boarded-up windows, Schillo said he would be unwilling to sink big money into the property.

“Why spend money renovating the building in a way that might not match the requirements of the person who’s going to lease it?” Schillo asked. “They may want to tear the whole thing down.”

The city needs to sell the civic center at 401 W. Hillcrest Drive for at least $11 million in order to repay loans taken out to pay for the Civic Arts Plaza, which is scheduled to open this fall.

Recognizing that the economic slump will make it tough to reap such a hefty sum, the council has decided to hold on to the building for a few years until the real estate market rebounds. In the meantime, however, city staff is looking to lease the property, perhaps to a think tank or school.

Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce President Steve Rubenstein, who sat on a citizens committee analyzing the best uses for the building, said he thought a moderate investment would serve the city well.

Last month’s earthquake prompted some San Fernando business owners to consider moving, he said, and they might be more interested in a ready-to-use facility than a fixer-upper.

“In the condition it’s in right now, no one would even look at it,” Rubenstein said. “We have to bring it up to an acceptable condition.”

As is, the civic center’s pothole-marred parking lot collects pools of water when it rains. The broken windows are covered with plywood boards. And the gutted interior, while free of asbestos, remains a mess.

Along with cosmetic defects, the building has another serious flaw: The second story is not wheelchair accessible, and a new tenant might have to install an elevator to serve disabled people.

All told, the improvements might be too expensive for the council to consider--unless the right tenant comes along, architect Gary Heathcote said.

“I can see making minor repairs to the building, yes,” said Heathcote, a member of the citizens committee that reviewed the site. “But when it comes to throwing money at it, I’m a little dubious.”