Official Set to Unveil Plan for New City Hall

Deputy City Manager Wes Morgan will give a detailed presentation of the planned 40,000-square-foot Buena Park City Hall at tomorrow’s City Council meeting.

The plans call for a two-story loft, which would nearly double the current City Hall’s 21,000 square feet.

Morgan said additional space to handle the demands of the growing city has been needed for some time. The current structure was built in 1957 and is simply worn out, he said.

“From a maintenance standpoint it was going to cost the city a lot of money to renovate,” Morgan said. “So we were faced with the decision to pour money into making repairs, or to look at a new building for the future.”

The new design will be similar to the existing structure’s mission style but will incorporate some elements of Mediterranean design. Morgan said the new structure, which will cost approximately $6.5 million, will provide enough space for government business for the next 40 years.

“We’re in a position right now, because of the way the economy has been going over the past few years, to build a state-of-the art-building.”

Morgan said the new City Hall will house all services except the Police Department, which will also have a building constructed.

The city intends to start the bidding process by the beginning of next year. Construction is expected to begin next summer and take a year.

“We don’t see a great amount of growth happening in the city over the next 40 to 50 years,” Morgan said. “So the new building should be around for a while.”

Andre Briscoe can be reached at (714) 966-5848.