Newport Beach considers infrastructure projects, including new police HQ
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Newport Beach officials met during a special council meeting to discuss key projects in the city, including the possibility of adding a new police department headquarters to its Civic Center.
At the Jan. 31 meeting, Public Works Director David Webb presented a report on three potential infrastructure projects. The council heard updates on future plans for Lower Castaways Park, a new fire station and the police headquarters project.
The discussion considered each project with the city’s Facilities Financial Planning program in mind, which serves in the long-term to help fund or renovate civic buildings.
“The police station … project is, of course, a big undertaking, both financially and logistically,” said Mayor Lauren Kleiman, “but it is long overdue and definitely needs to be in the Civic Center.”
With an aging police station in Newport Beach, a council majority on Tuesday approved an ad hoc committee to assess building a new headquarters. Public residents would not be a part of the councilmember-only panel.
The City Council formed an ad hoc committee in October to explore potential sites for the new police headquarters.
Webb told council members the city owns a property by John Wayne Airport that was thought to be a good site for such a project, but that “there’s been a growing interest in expressing a desire to have the police facility close to the Civic Center.”
The estimated cost of building on the property near the airport on Dove Street was the cheapest option at $150 million. Finding a property around the Civic Center would cost $3 million more, but that figure does not include the price of acquiring privately-owned land.
A third option proposed building on top of Civic Center Park that would cost $162 million and require mitigation work. The idea appeared to find favor with several council members.
“To say I’m excited about this potential project would be an understatement,” said Councilmember Sara Weber. “Creating a true Civic Center with City Hall and public safety is an amazing vision.”
Jim Mosher, a Newport Beach resident and regular at council meetings, aired his concerns about turning over open space for a new police headquarters.
“The idea for open space in Newport Center, which we don’t have a lot of, is getting constantly eroded,” he said. “We’re taking away the little public area, and our view location up there, which was part of the park concept, is now going to be looking at a police parking lot.”
Decreased fire department response times are cited in Newport Beach’s desire to move a fire station over to replace a busy Orange County Transportation Authority bus hub at Fashion Island.
The council also heard updated plans for Lower Castaways Park, a historical site where the first commercial shipping vessel entered the bay in 1870 and established a “new port.” The city originally considered a $47-million aquatic center at the site, but scrapped that plan.
“When it comes to the aquatic center, there’s no path to victory right now in the community,” said Councilmember Joe Stapleton. “We spent a tremendous amount of time over the last two years trying to find [it] a home.”
Though an ad hoc committee hasn’t given recommendations to council on what to do with Lower Castaways Park, Webb outlined a $26-million “harbor-centric” plan to add parking, a restaurant and a coffee kiosk to the site.
Councilmember Erik Weigand wanted to prioritize building a new police headquarters and called himself a “naysayer” on the new Lower Castaways Park plan, especially as it includes 100 parking spaces.
“I’m more interested in a passive park concept that has less parking, less folks coming and going and [is] maybe [more] walkable, rideable,” he said. “I don’t want to increase car traffic there.”
The special meeting also gave an update on the effort to relocate Fire Station No. 3. In June, the council supported moving the first station to a bus hub at Fashion Island and authorized sending a letter to the Orange County Transportation Authority.
Newport Beach is currently studying the proposal with OCTA and hopes construction could begin as soon as 2029.
The city is also looking to accelerate the timeline of a new police station to be shovel ready that same year.
