Pasadena Board Advances Plan to Retrofit City Hall

The City Council has taken the first step toward approving a $96.6-million seismic retrofit of the Beaux Arts City Hall to prevent its collapse in a major earthquake.

Council members Monday opted to pursue a state-of-the-art retrofit that will require the closure of the 72-year-old landmark for more than two years.

“Obviously, this vote is just the beginning. We’ve got to find the money to fund this retrofit scheme,” Councilman Paul Little said.

City officials stressed that it was not a question of whether to retrofit the structure--known to millions through its cameo appearances in films and television--but on what scale.

The plan endorsed Monday is the most expensive option and calls for mounting the building’s columns on rubber shock absorbers and replacing an open arcade on its east side with a three-story wing. This technique, known as base isolation, reduces shaking and allows the building to move as one unit in the event of a major temblor.

So far, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has committed $6.6 million toward the project and the state another $1.7 million, city officials said.

The project’s price has skyrocketed from $54 million since it was first broached in 1996. City officials cite the need to replace more of the building’s infrastructure and the increasing cost of relocating employees for 26 months.

Seeking to address the growing funding gap, council members Monday approved a $140,000 contract with Los Angeles-based Cerrell Associates Inc. to identify funding.