New City Hall Will Serve Government

• Council Is Less Interested in Any Performing Arts Use

BY BILL KOENEKER

Stating that the new City Hall was primarily intended for government use, the Malibu City Council, at a special meeting this week, decided to downplay the importance of fostering the business of a performing arts center, but rather community productions, and directed the consultants and staff to focus on a civic building instead.

The council had previously heard a presentation from consultants LPA, Inc. on the conceptual plans and preliminary construction designs and was asked to decide from several options given.

At the same time, the council approved a budget amendment of $528,000 for the new City Hall.

Several individuals, including people who had been involved with the Malibu Performing Arts Center, had urged the council to not undo what was created.

However, a specialist brought in by the consultant, who helps design performing art centers and small and large theaters, said the MPAC was not designed for theater and dramatic performances, but rather as a concert venue and recording studio. He said it could cost up to $400,000 to turn the current space into an all-purpose hall for different kinds of productions.

Tony Berg, who said he served as the director of MPAC, urged the council to leave the space intact. “Performers told me it was the finest space they had recorded in. It is rather an unorthodox space,” he said.

Mayor Sharon Barovsky indicated she finally understood how the space was “totally designed for concerts and recording and really is not designed for children’s theater,” or other kinds of productions.

“Do we want to make money or open it up for the community? One thing is for sure. We bought it for a City Hall,” the mayor said.

Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said she thought the council had not had enough time to decide how to define the new City Hall. “It is a defining moment and we have had only five hours to define it,” she said.

However, Councilmember Andy Stern chastised Conley Ulich for her absence at the last special meeting and said he was ready to decide and cast his vote. “I have no desire to have another meeting. We bought it as a City Hall. This is a civic building,” Stern added.

“It is time for decision making,” agreed Councilmember Jefferson Wagner. “It did fail as a performing arts center. The city bought it as a government building.”

Councilmember John Sibert agreed, “It was clearly not a financial success in the past. It has to be a City Hall first,” he said.

The council settled on an option presented by the consultant that would allow for a variety of seating and stage configurations, while at the same time acting as council chambers. The different formats would call for from 230 seats up to 320 seats, depending on what the theater is used for.