Contra Costa County supervisors on Tuesday approved issuing up to $110 million in construction bonds to pay for a new main county administration building downtown and a new county Emergency Operations Center across town.
Moving as quickly as possible to get the lowest possible interest rate, the supervisors' 5-0 vote Tuesday is expected to secure something close to the current 2.365-percent over 15 years. Issuing bonds to raise $100,255,000 -- the expected cost of the admin building, the emergency operations center and related buildings -- would cost the county $20 million over the 15-year term of the bonds.
The supervisors in January designated a county parking lot between Marina Vista and Escobar Street, immediately north of the current 12-story administration building at Pine Street and Escobar, as the location for "651 Pine's" replacement. Pine Street between Marina Vista and Escobar would be closed, with part of the new administration building likely to be built on top of it.
County officials began in August 2016 planning in earnest for both the new administration building and the operations center, to be built on Glacier Drive near Highway 4 and existing Sheriff's Department buildings.
By far the tallest building on the downtown Martinez skyline, "651 Pine" opened in 1954. Sixty-four years later, it has become outdated in every respect, county officials said, and has racked up almost $25 million in deferred maintenance. Approximately 200 county employees in several departments work in the building, and the Board of Supervisors meets there most Tuesday mornings.
The planned parking structure for the new downtown admin building also would benefit the Contra Costa County Superior Court complex, providing much-needed juror parking downtown.
On May 9, the supervisors approved a consulting services agreement with Sacramento-based Vanir Construction Management, Inc. to oversee replacement of both the administration and Emergency Operations Center buildings. It is hoped both new structures will open in 2019. The 12-story "651 Pine" would be demolished thereafter.
