WESTMINSTER : Architect Named for Civic Center Upgrade

The first major improvements to the Civic Center complex in 27 years are a step closer now that the City Council has selected the architect who will design and manage the project.

The $3.5-million renovation will encompass City Hall, the Community Services building, the Police Department and the City Council chambers. The council will hold its meetings at the Community Services building during the renovation, officials said.

The council recently awarded a $248,300 contract to Dougherty and Dougherty of Newport Beach to manage the project and prepare plans, specifications and a cost estimate. The money will come from a $9-million bond issue sold last year, which also was used to repair streets around the Civic Center.

City engineer Marwan Youssef said work will begin in July and is expected to be completed by August, 1996.

The project includes installation of a $500,000 computer system through which departments in different buildings will communicate with each other, officials said.

The 27-year-old Civic Center complex is overcrowded and lacks storage space, said Youssef, who heads a four-member project management team.

About $1.5 million will be spent to remodel City Council chambers, which will be equipped with remote-controlled cameras to film council meetings. A projection screen will be installed for presentations, and the heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, sound and lighting systems will be replaced.

Another $1.5 million will be spent to improve the Police Department and the Community Services building. The improvements will be mainly to the interiors of the buildings, Youssef said. The brick facade and external architecture will not change, he said.