Van Nuys : Braude Urges City to Replace Civic Center

Los Angeles City Councilman Marvin Braude said Tuesday that he has asked city officials to look into a proposal to replace Van Nuys City Hall with a new, modern civic center that would be built through a public-private partnership.

Under the plan, Braude said the aging Van Nuys City Hall and adjoining buildings would be replaced with a civic center that would combine office space, a police station, movie theaters, restaurants and commercial developments.

“The thrust of the project is to save the city’s money and to bring a site to Van Nuys that people can identify as an important place,” he said.

If a partnership is formed, Braude said, the project could be built by a private firm, with the city providing the land and promising to rent offices in the development for city services, such as a one-stop Building and Safety permit center.

Braude, who represents parts of Van Nuys, said he has asked officials at the General Services Department to calculate how much office space the city needs in the San Fernando Valley and could rent in the proposed civic center.

In the next two weeks, he said, he will ask the City Council to issue a formal request seeking private developers who may be interested in participating in the partnership.