Free city hall has ‘greens’ seeing red

How much are you willing to pay for a new Newport Beach City Hall?

Maybe $25 million? How about $50 million? Any chance of coughing up $100 million?

One proposal floating around beats all the estimates: It calls for a new city hall that would end up costing nothing once the land where City Hall now stands is sold.

The only problem: To save all those greenbacks, the plan’s author, Bill Ficker, has to get the backing of the city’s greenest residents. At this point, he might as well be trying to raise $110 million. But that isn’t stopping Ficker, a longtime architect in Newport Beach, perhaps best known for winning the 1970 America’s Cup yacht race.

“This is something that has the opportunity of unifying the community,” Ficker said. “There’s an opportunity here for us to have a free city hall with a minor environmental impact.”

Since late last year, but even more so in recent weeks, Ficker has been circulating a plan for a modest single-story city hall on city-owned land above the Newport Beach Central Library. His estimated cost is about $27.5 million, including a 220-space parking structure and decorative concrete “intaglios” representing different pieces of Newport Beach history.

However, the 12 acres of land Ficker has targeted are set for a different purpose.

In 1992, the Irvine Co. gave the land to the city to be used as open space. In exchange, the city allowed the company to develop other properties. In December, the City Council pulled the site from the running for a new city hall, and after years of struggles by environmentalists, including Jan Vandersloot and Jean Watt, it is set to become Newport Center Park.

“I told Bill [Ficker] when I talked to him ? it would only happen over my dead body,” Vandersloot said. “We’ve been working on a park for more than 15 years since it was dedicated as open space.”

Money is now being raised to build the park, which would be divided into three distinct areas, Debra Allen, a member of the city’s parks commission, said.

The upper part would be a natural, environmental area with limited walkways and paths. The middle part would be grass ? something the city hasn’t been able to include in the Castaways and Back Bay View parks because of Coastal Commission restrictions ? for picnicking and the like. The lowest part near the library would include a circular seating area with limited lights that at most could accommodate small plays and other performances.

“It’s just an utterly unique site,” Allen said, adding that it has some of the best views in the city.

Those views are an asset Ficker wants to take advantage of ? only set within a city hall and not a park. Ficker’s plan includes a meeting room or social area on the ocean-side of the building that would showcase the location’s views.

“I thought there could be a little creativity and give and take,” Ficker said of his plan, which also includes the possibility of taking some of the savings it would generate and using those millions to buy land in other parts of town that could be turned into open space.

Vandersloot, though, sees the Newport Center location as indispensable.

“It’s like an oasis in the center of Newport Beach,” he said.

Ficker said he knows he is up against strong, dedicated opposition ? and he is quick to point out that he respects their position.

“I am sympathetic, and I’m trying to figure out how people can co-exist,” said Ficker, who spent two hours at the location with Vandersloot over the weekend.

His hope is to find some common ground ? developed or not. And a dozen or so environmentalists in town he has talked to have seen merit in the plan, he said.

But the hurdles remain.

“I certainly respect Bill, and I’ve known him for a long time,” Allen said, noting that when she owned a flower shop three decades ago she put together arrangements for a party celebrating his America’s Cup victory. “On this issue, though, he’s completely off base.”

At this point, it is up to Ficker to get support from the park’s backers, said Newport Beach Mayor Don Webb.

The city has committed to having a park at that site, although the money for it is being raised privately.

“In the absence of community support for a city hall at that site, we really can’t consider it,” Webb said.

Ficker said he is willing to work on finding that support, though he thinks it also should be the council’s job to check the community’s pulse.

Ultimately, Ficker’s goal is to get the project exposure and see just what people really think.

“I don’t want it to be my project,” he said. “I want it to be the people’s project.

“I feel if this plan is exposed, there will be a lot of people responding positively.”

QUESTION

What do you think of Bill Ficker’s City Hall proposal? Call our Readers Hotline at (714) 966-4664 or send e-mail to [email protected]. Please spell your name and tell us your hometown and phone numbers for verification purposes only.dpt.20-cityhall-CPhotoInfo2P1S4U7520060620j14k5nnc(LA)Plans for a new Newport Beach City Hall site include a one-story building on Avocado Avenue.