Panel Begins Weighing City Hall Options : Finances: Seismic retrofitting is important but costs must be kept within bounds, Riordan aide says. Project has been on hold since September.
The special advisory panel named to take a new look at what to do with the suspended seismic retrofitting of Los Angeles City Hall met for the first time Friday and was told by Mayor Richard Riordan’s chief operating officer that the retrofitting is important but must be done at a reasonable cost.
The retrofitting, whose estimated costs soared from $92 million to $240 million before work was ordered halted indefinitely in September, is “probably not” such a high priority that it should proceed at the expense of putting more police on the streets, said Mike Keeley, the mayor’s aide.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Dec. 17, 1995 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday December 17, 1995 Home Edition Metro Part B Page 3 Metro Desk 2 inches; 57 words Type of Material: Correction
Retrofitting--A quote in Saturday’s Times attributed to Mike Keeley should have been attributed to Ron Deaton, Los Angeles’ chief legislative analyst. Regarding what the city should do about costly retrofitting needed at City Hall, Deaton said: “I haven’t a clue. I’m caught between two difficult situations. On the one hand, this is where I work. But another part of me says, ‘We can’t afford to fix it.’ ”
*
Nevertheless, he said, the Riordan administration is “absolutely” committed to renovating City Hall, which sustained damage in the 1987 Whittier Narrows and 1994 Northridge earthquakes and is vacant above the fourth floor awaiting seismic reinforcement.
The city’s chief legislative analyst, Ron Deaton, asked, “What should we do?
“I haven’t a clue,” Keeley told the panel. “I’m caught between two difficult situations. On the one hand, this is where I work. But another part of me says, ‘We can’t afford to fix it.’ ”
City Hall is one of the preeminent images of Los Angeles, he said. But the question remains, “Do we have $100 million, $300 million or $500 million to spend on it?”
The 14-member group headed by developer Stuart Ketchum is due to report its recommendations next month. The group devoted its first meeting to comprehensive reports on the state of City Hall, the original plans for the retrofit and how the costly impasse over what to do occurred.
William Holland, principal architect for the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, noted that any decision to demolish the building and construct a new one--an option that has been mentioned--would either require difficult approvals from preservationist agencies of government, or at least a long environmental impact study.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
