FEASIBILITY OF DEMOLISHING OLD LAPD HEADQUARTERS (PARKER CENTER)

Motion - The Los Angeles Civic Center is the central hub for all civic activities in Los Angeles. Comprised of five main buildings (City Hall, City Hall South, City Hall East, Parker Center, and the 911/Dispatch Center), and a subterranean mall, the Civic Center provides a convenient location for the consolidated management of a wide variety of public services. Two of these facilities, Parker Center and City Hall South, were built over 50 years ago using materials, designs, and workplace standards that are now outdated and inefficient. In June 2004, the City Council appointed an interdepartmental Task Force comprised of key City departments and community representatives charged with the task of developing a Master Plan for the civic center area. Centered on the "Mangrove Site" at First and Alameda, and extending westward, this effort has brought together the energy and expertise of City staff and local community leaders to develop a greater vision for the future of the civic center. Known as the "East Civic Center Properties Task Force," this group has held a series of productive meetings to develop a strategy for moving forward with a revitalized civic center area. Most recently, the East Civic Center Properties Task Force has concentrated their efforts on moving forward with a mixed-use development project on the main Mangrove parcel that will be adjacent to a new Goldline station, as well as the new Fire Station 4 and Emergency Operations Center. Given that the Task Force will be focusing on the core Mangrove parcels, strategic decisions about the future of the remainder of the Civic Center will need to be made in a timely fashion. The City has moved forward with the construction of a new, state-of-the-art Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Headquarters Facility on the Old Caltrans Site across from City Hall. When completed in early 2009, the City will be left with a vacant, outdated office building at the former Parker Center Headquarters on Los Angeles Street. Adjacent to the 911/Emergency Dispatch Center and the LAPD's new Metro Detention Center, this site is most appropriate for continued use for municipal functions given its proximity to critical public safety operations. The City also has no plans to replace or otherwise improve the design of the underutilized, 140,000 square foot City Hall South facility. Built in 1954, this facility is surrounded by nearly 56,000 square feet of landscaped grounds and is situated along a key corridor recently targeted for revitalization. These existing City assets, coupled with the fact that nearly 1 million square feet of City leased space throughout the downtown area will expire in less than 4 years, make it critical that City staff fully develop options for the Council's consideration on the future of the core Civic Center. Efforts should immediately begin to explore the feasibility of demolishing the Old Parker Center facility once the new Police Headquarters is completed, and designing and constructing a new City facility to house City staff at this location. City staff should provide the Council with a list of departments that could potentially be housed in this new facility so that policymakers can consider all options regarding occupancy of this new facility. City staff should also examine the current design and use of City Hall South to determine its future in the revitalized Civic Center area. THEREFORE MOVE that the City Council instruct the Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA), with the assistance of the Bureau of Engineering, General Services Department and the City Administrative Officer, to report to the City Council within 45 days on the feasibility of demolishing the old LAPD Headquarters on Los Angeles Street (Parker Center) upon completion of the new headquarters facility, and constructing a new City office building on that site to house City staff from various City departments. The report should include a timeline and cost estimates for this project, as well as a list of those City departments that can potentially be relocated to this facility. Additionally, the report should explore other options for more efficiently and effectively using, redesigning, or replacing City Hall South and the area surrounding this facility.

9