City Panel Advises Buying a Building to Serve as Temporary LAPD Headquarters

Los Angeles should buy an office building to serve as the temporary headquarters of the Police Department while a new facility is built to replace Parker Center, a city panel recommended Thursday.

The city’s Municipal Facilities Committee, made up of top city administrators, said purchasing a temporary building and later using it for other city departments would be less expensive than leasing space.

The City Council voted last month to build a new police headquarters building, which is planned for the corner of 1st and Alameda streets and is expected to take six years to complete.

Buying an existing office building as an interim headquarters would cost $2 million more each year than staying in Parker Center. But Chief Legislative Analyst Ron Deaton said the city would realize long-term savings because other departments now spending $8.5 million to lease downtown space would be able to move into the purchased building when the LAPD moves into new headquarters.

“It is clear that, if the city chooses to move LAPD to a temporary off-site location, then the city’s investment in the purchase of a new structure is the most feasible and financially viable alternative,” Deaton said in a report.

The report, forwarded to the City Council for consideration, identifies three possible buildings for purchase: one at 801 Grand Ave., another at 600/650 S. Spring and a third identified only as being on Broadway and owned by Transamerica.