Sky-High Bills for a High-Rise Classic : Projected cost of fixing quake-damaged L.A. City Hall: $240 million and no end in sight

As repair estimates approach $240 million, some Angelenos are beginning to ask whether our earthquake-damaged City Hall is worth saving. But the right question is not whether the classic structure should be restored to its former glory; most agree it can and should. The question is how to curtail the cost. And, just as important, how to correct the almost instinctive tendency of public officials to turn voter-funded capital projects into open-ended budget busters.

After the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, city leaders studied the cost of retrofitting bridges and public buildings in Los Angeles, including City Hall. Armed with convincing cost estimates and the determination to shore up vulnerable structures, they successfully campaigned for Proposition G in 1990, four years before the Northridge temblor further damaged the city’s signature white tower.

The $376-million bond measure did not specify the precise amount for each project. But officialdom--including the city’s chief engineer, the Board of Public Works and the City Council--agreed then that about $92 million would be needed to cover seismic improvements for the 68-year-old edifice.

Yeah, sure. Then came Northridge. Damage from the temblor plus a bit of creative bookkeeping to cover shortfalls from another bond measure drove up the price again. Projected cost in 1994: $153 million.

Last summer, City Hall was closed above the fourth floor and 900 employees were relocated to other offices. Moving expenses, rent for new office digs and furniture cost the city $22 million. Now consultants are suggesting modernizing City Hall with features such as new electrical fixtures, heating and air conditioning. Projected cost in 1995: $243 million to $300 million. In Los Angeles, municipal budget padding threatens to become a sport.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is negotiating with the city over how much more disaster aid will be coming from Washington. And we know how Washington feels about a dollar these days.

Meanwhile, a blue-ribbon panel appointed in November by Mayor Richard Riordan and Controller Rick Tuttle is expected to deliver a report, probably this week, that criticizes “mission creep” to stratospheric levels in the City Hall project. Thus far nearly $60 million has been committed or spent to upgrade the symbolic structure. It’s not too late to demand that contractors deliver their projects on budget, and that the air be let out of ballooning extras.