Just like “The Jeffersons,” city staff is moving on up, but instead of heading over to the eastside, they’re going to be relocating downtown — 1433 Fourth Street to be exact.
That is where the Cultural Affairs Division is expected to move, making more space for other departments at City Hall, which is said to be short on space.
The lease with Folke Investments, LLC, is for five years with one five-year option. The 1,351-square foot space will be rented for $3.30 per square foot, with an increase of 5 percent per year, which will amount to $295,615 for the length of the contract, according to Miriam Mack, economic development director for City Hall.
“The jeffersons,” — Just like city staff is moving on up, but instead of heading over to the eastside, they’re going to be relocating downtown
Space continues to be a pressing issue for city staff, as workers are now forced to share offices built for one or work out of areas once used for storage or hallways. City Hall was built in 1939 to serve a population of about 53,000. Times have changed, and so has the number of people living and working in Santa Monica, which has forced the council to rent approximately 46,000 square feet throughout the city.
The lease agreement came before the council in January, but no action was taken because of a potential conflict of interest. Elected officials were concerned that the property was owned by Metropolitan Pacific Capital, LLC, a commercial real estate company operated by Bayside District board member John Warfel, who was appointed to the board by the council.
Seeing a potential conflict, the council asked staff to look over the lease, at which time they discovered the building was not owned by Metropolitan, but rather just managed by the company. The owners are Folk Investments, LLC. Seeing no conflict, staff is again presenting the lease for council approval.
The council has already entered into a lease agreement with Folke in the same building and on the same floor as the current proposal. The Civil Engineering and Architecture Division is expected to move into that space in mid-March.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 13, 2007. Read the original PDF.