Civic and Senior Center Move Forward

The City Council just approved the Civic/Senior center architectural and design services contract ($3,434,815) to Carrier Johnson and a construction management contract ($2,104,864) to Bernards.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The project will be located on 11.9 acres near Serrano Creek in an undeveloped parcel previously owned by IRWD. The area is best described as at the end of Indian Ocean Drive. Immediately to the North, Serrano Summit is building 600+ new homes, and to the South is Serrrano Creek itself. To the East is Dimension Drive.

The new Civic Center will consist of 4 major components – (1) Community/Senior Center, (2) City Council/Performing Arts Center, (3) Police/Emergency Operations Center and (4) City Hall. It’s anticipated that the City Hall offices and the Police/Emergency Center will be the largest portion (46,900 sf) and the Council Chamber/Performing Arts Theatre will be the smallest (12,500 sf). The 32,200 Community Center will house an 11,000 sf Senior Center.

According to the City report –

“The Serrano Summit site offers a number of unique features, including direct access to existing trails, creating abundant opportunities for visitors to engage with the natural environment. The Civic Center buildings will complement the existing landscape and topography, becoming an extension of their natural surroundings. The elevation of the site, combined with the surrounding open spaces and backdrop of mountain ranges, presents panoramic vistas of Lake Forest. Nestled in the hills of Lake Forest, the site is close enough to the hustle and bustle of Lake Forest’s thriving neighborhoods and business communities to be convenient, but removed enough to provide a sense of destination. At the end of the process, the community will have an amenity that truly reflects the unique history and character of Lake Forest, on a site that emphasizes the natural beauty that defines our community, making nature and the outdoors more available and accessible for everyday civic life. The Civic Center will become Lake Forest’s 100 Year Home.”

ABOUT THE COMPANIES

Carrier Johnson brings a breadth of experience in the successful delivery of public agency building projects, including civic centers, community centers, senior centers, and performing arts centers. Since its inception, the firm has designed over 45 million square feet of space, including more than 4 million square feet of municipal space. Carrier Johnson has designed a number of award-winning buildings, most notably the CalTrans Regional Headquarters in San Diego designed for the State of California. Other past projects include the City of Vista Civic Center, City of Chula Vista Civic Center Complex, City of San Jose – Edenvale Community Center, City of Murrieta Senior Center, and the County of Stanislaus – Gallo Performing Arts Center. Established in 1977, Carrier Johnson currently employs 61 professionals, maintaining offices in Orange County and San Diego.

Founded in 1974, Bernards is a nationally ranked, multidisciplinary commercial builder and construction management company with a regional office in Irvine. Bernards offers extensive experience in the successful delivery of public agency building projects using the CM-Multi Prime delivery method. Past projects include the Atascadero City Hall, Calabasas Civic Center, Camarillo Library, and the Corona City Hall.

TIMELINE

The City hopes to have “shelf-ready design plans” by this time next year. These will then be reviewed and possibly changed. Once final plans are approved, construction is estimated to take 22 months.

As we move forward I’ll keep you informed. The Civic Center and the Senior Center are intended for the people of Lake Forest. It’s your home. Your input will be invaluable in helping shape the building and what happens inside.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. Jim Gardner is on the City Council for Lake Forest but he’s not part of the “Gang of 3”. You can check him out on LinkedIn and/or Facebook and you can share your thoughts about the City at Lake Forest Town Square on Facebook. His comments are not meant to reflect official City Policy.

Dr. Gardner has office hours every Tuesday from 4 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall. In addition, he holds a Town Hall meeting every quarter. The next meeting will be on Jan 30 at 2 pm at the Foothill Ranch Public Library. Please note that Office Hours will be cancelled during the holiday period and will resume in January.