MISSION VIEJO : City Hall Will Be Moved to Cut Rent

Looking to save money on rent, the City Council has decided to move city hall to a new location this fall.

After a closed-session vote Monday, the council announced that city hall will be moving to an office building at 25909 Tala St., near Alicia Parkway and Jeronimo Road, when the city’s current lease expires on Sept. 30.

The city hall at 26522 La Alameda has been the seat of city government since Mission Viejo incorporated six years ago.

City Manager Fred Sorsabal had been negotiating for a rent reduction from the city’s current landlord. When those talks broke down, the city looked elsewhere.

Rent on the Tala Street building will be $1.25 per square foot instead of the $1.70 foot now being paid.

About 26,000 square feet will be rented--the entire second floor as well as first-floor space that will be used for City Council meetings.

“We will have a space more suitable for city facilities,” Sorsabal said. “I think the northeast portion will also be generally more accessible for our citizens than our current location.

“But the main reason we’re moving is the rent,” he said.

The city will sign a five-year lease with a two-year escape clause.

The escape clause is needed because city officials are negotiating with development companies to build a civic center complex at Marguerite Parkway and La Paz Road.