NEWS RELEASE

CCDC SEEKS PARTNER TO REDEVELOP CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX
Public/Private Partnership Sought to Replace Aging Facilities
While Providing Significant Tax Savings

SAN DIEGO- The Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC), on behalf of the City of San Diego, issued a nationwide Request for Qualifications (RFQ) today, seeking development partners to explore the possible redevelopment of the Civic Center Complex. The process is the first step in an effort to revitalize the area, cut costs, and improve efficiency and service levels for San Diego taxpayers.

The Civic Center Complex site is bounded by Third Avenue, and A, C and Front streets, and includes the City Administration Building, Development Services Center, City Concourse Building, Civic Theater, and the Evan Jones Parkade.

“Public/private partnerships in redeveloping city administration facilities have become models across the country,” said CCDC Chairman Fred Maas. “Exploring a possible redevelopment project that replaces our aging City Hall, cuts costs, consolidates our operations and improves efficiency levels could be a win for San Diegans.”

Because of their extensive experience managing complex, high-density development projects CCDC was tasked with managing this process. Similar public/private partnership projects include the new city hall in Austin, Texas and state-of-the-art courthouse facilities in New York City.

Currently, San Diego’s City Administration Building accommodates only 600 employees, and the City has had to lease privately-owned space for more than 15 years.  City offices are now located within eight downtown buildings (four leased), representing more than one half million square feet of leased space.

Collectively, more than 3,000 employees work in these properties which include annual leasing costs of $13.5 million. Deferred maintenance on the City Administration Building alone is estimated to exceed well in excess of $10 million. With the majority of the leases coming due in 2013 and 2014 and rates projected to significantly increase, this RFQ is seen as a proactive approach to evaluate possible costs savings through redevelopment of the site.

“This project is an important opportunity to spark the revitalization of the area north of Broadway and along C Street,” said CCDC President Nancy Graham. “We look forward to receiving proposals and evaluating whether a public/private model could work to solve multiple downtown redevelopment objectives.”

The RFQ process will include a thorough financial evaluation to ensure that a project would only move forward if it could clearly demonstrate a significant reduction in operational and capital costs.

Goals of the RFQ include:
• Revitalizing the City’s Civic Core
• Catalyzing private sector development in the Civic Center area
• Providing more accessible public spaces
• Providing smart growth transit-oriented development
• Opening up B Street which has been closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic for 40 years
• Replacing aging infrastructure
• Constructing a more publicly accessible City Hall
• Increasing tax increment revenues generated to the City; and
• Utilizing sustainable development techniques

Responses are due October 12, 2007. A pre-bid conference has been scheduled for September 6 at 10 a.m. in the Silver Room of the Community Concourse (202 C Street). Additionally, public workshops are planned throughout the process to provide input, feedback and ideas. All dates will be posted on the CCDC website www.ccdc.com as they are scheduled.