LA County to Spend More on Skyscraper Upgrade Than Purchase

Seismic Overhaul of Gas Company Tower Exceeds Initial $200 Million Acquisition Cost

Los Angeles County is set to invest over $230 million to enhance the seismic resilience of the recently purchased Gas Company Tower, a sum surpassing the building’s initial $200 million acquisition price. This proactive measure aims to future-proof the 52-story downtown skyscraper, intended to become the new county headquarters.

Proactive Seismic Strengthening

County officials have confirmed that the tower, purchased last November, is currently safe and up to code. However, the upcoming upgrades are described as “proactive” by **Lennie LaGuire**, a spokesperson for the county Chief Executive Office. The county is moving forward with “voluntary seismic upgrades” to reinforce the building’s steel moment frame connections.

“The Gas Company Tower does not require any seismic work to provide a safe, up-to-code and modern workplace for County employees. The County is choosing to perform this work proactively with an eye to the future, to ensure that the building performs optimally in the decades ahead,”

—Lennie LaGuire, Spokesperson for the County Chief Executive Office

The county’s Chief Executive Office emphasized that this expenditure remains significantly less than the estimated $1 billion needed to retrofit the current downtown headquarters, the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration. This older building, constructed in 1960, is considered vulnerable to severe earthquake damage.

Criticism of the Deal

Supervisor **Janice Hahn**, the sole board member who opposed the initial purchase, voiced concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the upgrade costs. She criticized the transaction, stating, “This is turning out to be a bigger boondoggle than was originally sold to the public.” **Hahn** believes the county should have thoroughly assessed all costs before proceeding with the real estate deal.

At the time of the acquisition, **Hahn** argued that the purchase would negatively impact the Civic Center and render the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration obsolete. The Hall of Administration, named after her father, is identified as one of several county-owned properties susceptible to earthquake damage.

Building’s Structural Integrity

The Gas Company Tower, erected in 1991, incorporates a “steel moment frame” structure, a design that, while not collapsing in the 1994 Northridge earthquake, sustained significant damage in some instances. The projected seismic work focuses on strengthening the connections within this structural element.

The county has already begun relocating employees into the tower, with the seismic retrofitting contract expected to be awarded in October. The construction work may proceed while employees occupy the building. In comparison to the Gas Company Tower, the estimated cost for seismic upgrades in Los Angeles skyscrapers can range significantly; for example, the 1990 Figueroa at Figueroa tower underwent seismic retrofits costing an estimated $60 million.