DATE: 04/16/2025
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Community Services Department
2025-173
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
PROPOSED OPERATIONS PLAN FOR THE HISTORIC CIVIC CENTER
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to provide feedback on the proposed Operations Plan for the Historic Civic Center. The Plan was developed to provide a better understanding of the future programming and operation needs for the Historic Civic Center, and the proposed maintenance and repairs needed to address site and building deficiencies.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council provide feedback on the proposed Historic Civic Center Operations Plan.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
The Historic Civic Center (HCC) was constructed in 1923 and served as Corona’s second high school until 1962, when it became Corona City Hall. In 2005, a new City Hall was built, and the Historic Civic Center was re-purposed to host mixed-use programs and leases with local non-profits, arts, and service providers. This same year, the HCC was added to the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nation’s historic places worthy of preservation.
The HCC campus consists of the main building, which includes multiple classrooms and suites, a community room, and a 383-seat theater; the east annex building, which is currently leased for arts and theater programming; the historic gymnasium, which is used for city sports programming; and the Vicentia Activity Center, which is used for afterschool programming.
In 2021, the City Council adopted the City of Corona Strategic Plan, which includes strategies under the goal of Sense of Place to 1) Renovate the Historic Civic Center to become the City’s premier performing and visual arts center and 2) Designate the Historic Civic Center as Corona’s center for the arts and relocate all non-arts lessees.
ANALYSIS:
To prepare for the future programming and operation of the Historic Civic Center as the City’s premier performing and visual arts center, the Community Services Department developed a Historic Civic Center Operations Plan (Operations Plan) to identify the programming and operational needs for the facility, along with the maintenance and repairs needed to address site and building deficiencies. The Operations Plan is included as Attachment 1 and is divided into 9 sections with the following information:
1. Campus Overview & History
a) Strategic Plan goals for the HCC
2. Building Assessment
a) Building Deficiencies
b) Site Deficiencies
3. Programming Assessment
a) Current Programs
b) Space Utilization
4. Market Analysis
a) Demographics
b) Spending Habits
c) Feasibility Study
d) Community Feedback
e) Top10 Resident Programming Priorities
f) Market Trends
g) Facility Tours
5. Proposed Programming Improvements
a) Sample Schedule
b) Class Offerings (Fine, Visual, and General)
c) Proposed Site Plan
d) Hours of Operation
e) Potential Community Partners
6. Proposed Repairs & Maintenance
a) Site Repairs & Maintenance
b) Building Repairs & Maintenance
c) Technology Repairs & Maintenance
d) Furniture & Equipment Repairs & Maintenance
e) Costs
7. Operating Budget
a) Revenue Model
b) Staffing
c) Marketing
d) Operating Costs
e) Supplemental Funding Partners
8. Implementation Plan
a) Timeline
9. Next Steps
COMMISSION ACTION:
On April 8, 2025, the Parks and Recreation Commission received a report on the proposed Historic Civic Center Operations Plan. Following the report, a motion was made by Vice Chair Boggs to recommend the Operations Plan to the City Council as-is. The motion did not receive a second. An alternate motion was made by Commissioner Olsen and seconded by Commissioner McBride to recommend the Operations Plan to City Council with the consideration of unknown risks that may be discovered during the building maintenance and repair activities, such as seismic improvements, asbestos remediation, and lead-based paint remediation. The motion passed 5-0.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no financial impact associated with the City Council’s review and feedback of the Historic Civic Center Operations Plan. The maintenance and repairs identified for the HCC site and building are preliminary estimates. A formal assessment and scope of work are needed to determine a final cost estimate of all improvements. Individual projects and contracts for site and building improvements will be brought to City Council, as needed, for final review and approval.
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 no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. This action seeks feedback on an operations plan for the Historic Civic Center. Therefore, no environmental analysis is required.
PREPARED BY: DONNA FINCH, COMMUNITY SERVICES DIRECTOR
REVIEWED BY: JUSTIN TUCKER, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Historic Civic Center Operations Plan