$13.5 Million Added to Coliseum Repair Funds : Recovery: FEMA allocation means that three-quarters of the money needed to finish on time has been committed.

With earthquake repair at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum proceeding at a fast pace, federal disaster officials announced Thursday that they have allocated an additional $13.5 million to fix the facility, bringing federal funds committed to $24.4 million.

During tours of the stadium Thursday and earlier in the week, the Coliseum Commission’s project director, Don C. Webb, said that with less than 150 days to go before the beginning of the Raiders and USC football seasons, he is optimistic that enough of the work will be done to allow the games to be played there, although the crowds may have to be held to 50,000 while upper-level work continues.

The authorization of the second infusion of funds was signed by Richard W. Krimm, associate director for response and recovery at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The Washington-based official is in California this week reviewing progress of quake reconstruction in general.

Krimm noted that the Coliseum money will be held in reserve until construction bills come in, and that the state of California is obligated to contribute 10% of the costs.

The director of the state Office of Emergency Services, Richard Andrews, confirmed that the state has already committed about $2.6 million as its share, and a spokesman for Gov. Pete Wilson said that money will come out of an earthquake reconstruction bond issue that the electorate is being asked to approve in the June primary election.

Wilson’s spokesman, Paul Kranhold, said that if the bonds are not approved, “We will have to look elsewhere for the money,” but he said the governor is confident that the voters will say yes.

Coliseum officials are sticking with their earlier estimate that total repair costs will run about $34.7 million, although they say the cost could change.

With more than three-fourths of that figure now committed by federal and state authorities, the officials are expressing confidence the rest will be forthcoming when needed, and FEMA and state spokesmen indicated Thursday that the agencies are fully cooperating with the repair project.

Krimm said President Clinton has expressed interest in having the Coliseum repairs go forward. A White House task force chaired by John Emerson, a former official in the Los Angeles mayoral office of Tom Bradley, is overseeing the Administration’s coordination of overall earthquake relief efforts.

Webb, meanwhile, discounted speculation that the historic peristyle at the east end of the stadium is so badly damaged that it will have to be torn down and rebuilt.

He said that enough of the facing of the peristyle has been removed to show how much damage was done in the Jan. 17 earthquake, and he is confident that repairs can be successful, although they will probably wait for the most part until after the facility is reopened.

“The project budget does not include major seismic upgrading of the press box (atop the Coliseum’s south rim) and the specific means of stabilizing and strengthening the peristyle is still under development,” Webb said Thursday.

But emergency shoring of the peristyle end can provide an evacuation route for spectators in case of an emergency, he said.

Workers for the Tutor-Saliba Corp., the main Coliseum contractor for the repairs, are beginning this week to drill holes for the seismic reinforcing piles and columns that will be necessary to protect the stadium’s superstructure in the future. Excavation of the upper concourse to facilitate this work is nearing completion.

In addition, most concession booths have been moved away from the stadium’s outer concourse to facilitate the installation of the reinforcing columns. Trees impeding this work have been cut down or, as in the case of palm trees, set in boxes for replanting.

State officials present Thursday said that most historic preservation issues regarding the repair project have been resolved, and they expressed optimism the remainder also will be.