DATE: 02/19/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Office of the City Manager
2025-25
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
CORONA DEPOT BUILDING RELOCATION UPDATE
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
On July 3, 2024, the City Council approved the relocation of portions of the historic Corona Depot Building, located at 150 Depot Drive, following a resolution requested by Council Member Speake to affirm the City’s commitment to preserving the structure. Since then, staff has been working on plans to move and relocate the depot. This report provides an update on the project and seeks the Council's direction on preservation options for the Corona Depot.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Provide direction on potential preservation options for the Corona Depot Building.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
In May 2024, the City Council directed staff to research preservation options for the Corona Depot Building. Following this, on July 3, 2024, the Council approved Resolution 2024-071, affirming the desire to preserve and relocate the architecturally significant portion of the building, specifically the waiting area and patio. A preferred relocation site, City Park, was identified in July 2024. Since August 2024, staff have been actively engaged in planning, cost assessment, and securing necessary permits for the project. Furthermore, the depot's current owner, Ganahl Lumber, has proposed to donate $50,000 to the project if the move is made within a reasonable timeframe. The City would not become the owner of the structure until is was removed from the site.
ANALYSIS:
Progress and Stakeholders
Ganahl has applied for a demolition permit and the City has applied for a building relocation permit. Both permits are in process. Approval of the demolition permit is a ministerial action that can be issued over the counter. The building relocation permit is a discretionary action that requires an environmental analysis, per the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and approval from the Board of Zoning Adjustment.
Multiple meetings have been held with the building owner, stakeholder groups, staff, and consultants to come to an understanding about the feasibility, process, and cost of the relocation. Staff contacted the Corona Historical Society and the Corona Historic Preservation Society (CHPS) to discuss their preferences for the relocation, rehabilitation, and mitigation measures. CHPS requested additional preservation efforts, including moving an additional portion of the building and salvaging historic materials (window framing, Spanish roof tiles, brass letters, sliding baggage doors, and plaque). Additionally, the City hired Thirtieth Street Architects, an architecture firm specializing in historical rehabilitation and restoration, to assist in the analysis, develop bracing options to ensure structural integrity during the move, and develop an adaptive reuse design at the new site.
The building relocation permit and environmental analysis require a site plan and an adaptive reuse plan, both of which are dependent on whether the Council chooses to relocate additional portions of the building or construct an addition to the moved structure.
After the City finalizes the environmental analysis, the City will provide a 30-day notice to the Corona Historic Preservation Society in accordance with the noticing requirements in Chapter 17.63 (Historic Resources) of the Corona Municipal Code. Additionally, the City will provide a 20-day notice to the public, in accordance with CEQA procedures, before the demolition and building relocation is reviewed by the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA). Once the BZA approves the request, the owner may proceed with the demolition and the City with the relocation of the building.
Potential Adaptive Reuses and Proposed Location
The relocated depot could serve multiple community uses, including:
Coffee shop
Concession stand
Restrooms
City Park has been identified as a preferred relocation location. The park is currently undergoing a renovation, has an appropriately size available flat location, and is itself a historic location that would be compatible with a relocated historic looking structure. The route to this site would pose few challenges for moving a building of this size.
Staff is seeking the Council's direction on this location.
Estimated Costs
The council initially approved the allocation of $250,000 for relocating the waiting room, enclosed patio, and foundation grading. After significant additional analysis, the cost of moving the two portions of the structure, nearly exceed the $250,000 allocation and foundation grading would incur an additional cost. These costs do not include the cost to build a new foundation, affix and brace the moved structure, rehabilitate the interior, and otherwise bring the moved structure into compliance with modern building codes for adaptive reuse.
CHPS has preference to expand the scope of the move to include additional portions of the structure, such as the general office area, up to approximately 2000 square feet. This will significantly increase the moving costs between $550,000 and $750,000, and expand the scope and cost to bring the facility up to modern building standards for an adaptive reuse.
Staff have consulted a number of architects and contractors with experience relocating and rehabilitating old structures to estimate the cost to complete the moved structure. The consensus estimate is approximately $1475 per square foot for a moved structure and $1250 per square foot for an addition (new construction) to the moved structure. The consensus estimate to build a brand new building in the style of the Depot is approximately $900 per square foot.
Options
Staff has outlined five options for Council consideration:
Option A: Take no action. The estimated cost is $0.
Option B: Preserve key components. The estimated cost is $25,000 to $50,000 Option C: Build a new replica of the Depot and use the original roof, windows, doors, etc. The estimated cost is $2.3 million.
Option D: Move the original two structures and rehabilitate them. The estimated cost is $4+ million.
Option E: Move original two structures, rehabilitate and add on a new build structure (CHPS request). The estimated cost is $6.5+ million. Option F: Move original two structures, baggage area and rehabilitate (CHPS request). The estimated cost is $7.5 million
Breakdown of estimated costs:
Staff is asking the Council to provide direction on potential preservation options and location, if any, for the Corona Depot Building.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The total project cost can range between approximately $2.3 million and $8 million.
Depending on which option is chosen by the City Council, approval of the recommended actions will result in an appropriation up to the amount of $8,000,000 to the Corona Depot Building Relocation Capital Improvement Project No. FC-2024-11 within the Measure X Fund 120. Ganahl Lumber’s pledge of $50,000 toward relocation efforts is anticipated.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
This action is exempt pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the Guidelines for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), which states that a project is exempt from CEQA if the activity is covered by the commonsense exemption that CEQA applies only to projects that have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is for causing a significant effect on the environment.
Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This
OPTION A
Take No
Action
Do not preserve
any components
or portion of the
building
OPTION B
Preserve Key
Components
e.g. roof tiles,
windows, doors,
etc. for future
building use
OPTION C
Build
Replica
and use the
original roof,
windows,
doors, etc.
OPTION D
Move
Original
& Rehab
OPTION E
Move
Original
+ New Build
& Rehab
OPTION F
Move
Original
+ Baggage
Area
& Rehab
Move cost $0 $0 $0 $250,000 $250,000 $800,000
Rehabilitation $0 $0 $0 $2,641,646 $2,641,646 $2,641,646 Baggage Area
Addition -- -- -- -- -- $2,950,000
New Build
Addition -- -- -- -- $2,500,000 --
New Replica $0 $0 $1,611,000 -- -- --
Soft costs $0 $0 $483,300 $792,493 $792,493 $792,493
A&E cost $0 $0 $241,650 $396,247 $396,247 $396,247
Salvage & Storage $25k-$50k* $25k-$50k*
TOTAL $0 $25k – $50k
$2,360,950
+ $4,080,386+ $6,580,386+ $7,581,986+
presentation is seeking direction from council solely for the purpose of analyzing the environmental impacts of the relocation of the Depot.
PREPARED BY: AMINAH MEARS, DPA, ASSISTANT TO THE CITY MANAGER REVIEWED BY: JUSTIN TUCKER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER