Former Hughes Site Selected for 911 Center

A tug of war between San Fernando Valley lawmakers was averted Tuesday when the Los Angeles City Council voted to negotiate the purchase of a 5 1/2-acre site in West Hills to build a new emergency communications center.

Councilman Marvin Braude, who represents parts of Van Nuys, last week had argued to build the communication center at the Van Nuys Civic Center, to help revitalize that aging facility.

But Los Angeles police officials and City Council members Laura Chick and Mike Feuer argued the West Hills site was best because it was available for a good price and had room for future expansion.

Over the past week, Chick and police officials persuaded Braude to support the purchase of the West Hills site by assuring him the city will move ahead with a Van Nuys Civic Center revitalization plan.

The West Hills site, where the Hughes Corp. was formerly located, is at Roscoe Boulevard and Fallbrook Avenue. City officials expect to pay just more than $1 million for the property, less than half of its estimated market value. Construction will cost about $15 million and will be funded with voter-approved bond money.

The 50,000-square-foot building will house between 80 and 100 workers per shift. They will answer 911 calls for the San Fernando Valley. An identical center will be built near the police training facility in Westchester to handle calls from other parts of the city.

Councilman Nate Holden objected to the purchase, saying the city should build the facility at the Van Nuys Civic Center on land it already owns.

But police and city officials said the city would have to build a new parking structure to accommodate the 911 operators, an expense that would offset the cost of buying the West Hills site, which has enough space for an inexpensive parking lot.

The council voted 12 to 1 to begin negotiating the purchase of the West Hills site, with Holden dissenting.