Malibu’s new civic home base will soon be up and running, with the city preparing to move to its new dwellings early next month.
Featuring roomier quarters and more amenities, the new city space will cost significantly more than its previous leased space.
“The lease is signed,” said Katie Lichtig, Malibu city manager. “The tenant improvements are underway and we are planning to move in the first week or two in August.”
While the move is a step up, the new facility, located at 23815 Stewart Ranch Rd., is not a permanent home for the city. The lease is a five-year renewable lease and the city does not have an option to buy. However, there is still hope to have a place for the city to call its own in the future, said Councilmember Sharon Barovsky.
In the meantime, the new facility will accommodate residents’ needs better and city staff as well, as city officials will have more room to maneuver because the new building will feature a larger public counter area and a community conference room.
“Something the city really needs,” highlighted Barovsky, who joked that “the new city hall won’t have rats. We will kind of miss those.”
But comfort and convenience do not come without extra cost. The new lease for the 16,000 square foot facility will cost approximately $200,000 more per year. The city’s current lease is $286,602 for 11,434 square feet.
But the move was needed and it will be beneficial said Mayor Pro Tem Ken Kearsley.
“If the Bluffs Park is returned to State Parks, the city will need space for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and it will sublease part of the facility to the senior center, which will be funded by the federal government,” he said, thereby making up some of the cost differentials.
The senior center prepaid its share of the rent for five years using federal funds from a community development block grant, an amount of $194,544, explained Lichtig, who added the new facility will have council chambers included and other features unavailable until now.
To get the senior center furbished, the council recently appointed a blue ribbon committee, which visited senior centers in neighboring cities to gauge what the center should feature.
“That would hopefully include computers, card tables, a T.V. fridges and microwaves, but the time schedule is not finalized yet,” said Leslie Moss, chair of the blue ribbon committee. He noted the center already has a piano that was donated by Barovsky.
“This senior center is going to be a state-of-the-art center where there will be more than just card playing and lunches,” Barovsky said. “They are talking about lecture series and more, and if they wanted to, they could open up the space to other groups.”
Once the city is out, the old city hall will be returned to the Sheriff’s Department.
But with the new budget crunch the Sheriff’s Department is facing, Lt. Steve van Herpe, the Malibu liaison for the Lost Hills Station, said the sheriff does not know what he will do with the vacated facility because fiscal constraints may limit the options available.