MISSION VIEJO : Civic Center Project to Cost $17 Million

A $17-million price tag for an 80,000-square-foot civic center will be presented to the City Council tonight.

The long-awaited report from the city’s civic center committee indicates that the complex will cover about 8 acres and predicts that the city could move in as soon as 1994. The 21-acre site is off Crown Valley Parkway near Interstate 5.

“This will be a quality building,” said Councilwoman Susan Withrow, who is also a member of the Town Center Committee. “But we can come down on the costs, if necessary. We have that flexibility.”

The city plans to occupy about half of the proposed building. City officials say several groups expressed interested in renting part of the remaining 40,000 square feet.

The United Way has indicated that it might lease about 15,000 square feet, Withrow said. Other groups inquiring about tenancy include the County of Orange administrative services and the South County Chamber of Commerce, she said. The city also has spoken with county representatives about building a courthouse on the site.

The City Council has placed a high priority on reserving space for police and fire facilities in the new complex.

The city’s plans for the Chrisanta site have been challenged by local political groups, who have criticized the cost of the project and would like citizens to vote on the issue.