The demolition of the old Contra Costa County administration building in downtown Martinez could make room for the construction of a 20,000-square-foot office building on that same spot — a structure county officials say could also be a three-story structure.
The possibility of the new office building was discussed during a wide-ranging Board of Supervisors retreat this week. Any formal decisions about a new county office building will be made in the future.
The old county administration building at 651 Pine St. in downtown Martinez, which opened in 1964, was officially decommissioned after the formal dedication in December of the new administration building on Escobar Street, across the street from the old building. A significant amount of satellite communication equipment is still on and in the building, said Eric Angstadt, chief assistant county administrator, and the building hasn’t been completely vacated.
He didn’t announce a date for when demolition of the 12-story building, one of the tallest in Contra Costa County, could begin.
A new office building at that 651 Pine St. site, Angstadt said, could host office space for the Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, Contra Costa Health Services and the still-forming Office of Racial Justice and Social Equity.
There also is also “strong interest,” Angstadt said, to move the Contra Costa County Superior Court’s law library from the A.F. Bray courts building two blocks away into the prospective new office building.
A new two-story office building would cost an estimated $65 million, Angstadt said, with about $40 million of that cost to be “new debt.” A three-story building, he said, would cost about $75 million. The cost of demolishing the old building is included in both figures, he said.
Angstadt recommended the two-story option to the supervisors, saying he’s confident there are enough prospective tenants now to fill that space the first day it’s open. He’s not certain three floors would be spoken for at the outset, but four supervisors said they prefer a three-story building. It would cost more, they reasoned, to add a third floor later than to build it along with the rest of the building.
“It probably wouldn’t be filled immediately, but I would think that within five years it would be,” Supervisor Karen Mitchoff said.
When asked why more office space wasn’t built into the newly christened county administration building on Escobar Street, Angstadt said that the new building was designed to conform to City of Martinez guidelines favoring shorter structures, and that the soils where the new building is are subject to liquefaction and can’t support a larger structure.
Even though 651 Pine is only a block away from the new building, Angstadt said that parcel is more able to support a larger building than is the Escobar Street parcel.
I am going to miss that old building. Ever since McDonalds vacated that area, there was no need to go downtown! The antique shops were the only draw now.
I am going to miss that old building. Ever since McDonalds vacated that area, there was no need to go downtown! The antique shops were the only draw now.
No – this is not a duplicate comment!!
“wide-ranging Board of Supervisors retreat” Does that mean they will go to the French Laundry to make decisions?
I grew up running the stairs to the top and down on the Alhambra Wrestling team.
Nasty building- ugliest architecture ever. I will not be sorry to watch it come down.
That would be beautiful! Haha!
where is the money comin for this??
Probably from the bribes the county got for being compliant with the national central committee’s mandates for lockdowns. 😀
Where Is the money coming for this?
Your pocket.
All our pockets.
You asked for it when you voted.
The backs of employees. They will cry poor so they can take away more benefits and freeze wages of the rank & file workers. But there will be plenty of money for the BoS to get another 60% raise
With all we’re told about the next “big one,” they are actually building on soil subject to liquefaction? Will they be taking earthquake engineering precautions in the architectural design?
County needs to STOP building in that narrow valley that is downtown Martinez.
Just because it was in Martinez before doesn’t mean it has to always be there. With advent of electronic communication offices don’t need to be in same town.
How many county employees are working from home ? ? ?
Someone has to be there to pocket the kickbacks from developers.
Besides, the Office of Racial Justice and Social Equity needs a new office to show how important it is.
Perhaps Contra Costa County is vying to be as negligent with taxpayer money as Los Angeles, who spent $550 million to build one high school.
Original G – ummmm you do know that Martinez IS the county seat. So it makes sense to have the building there
@ Well Folks, I agree. Employees gave up over 9% of their wages with a promise of being returned later. M any employees retired waiting years for that return on their “community investment”. “Eyes Wide Shut!” They need o provide a large breakroom for the entire building to use and a rooftop tables/eating area that could be utilized by employees or special events. The county should also provide ONE large community meeting room for gatherings that used to use other county buildings until county offices grew and rebuilt them into modules for employees to work. The Economic Opportunity Council for one- needs more meeting spaces!
They confessed to building on liquefaction soil?
I once worked at 651 Pine and though my office had windows that opened into the central open air section of the building I could hear the trains all day long! I loved that!!! However, regarding the building of the “New” administration building, I have not seen any comments about the city/county adding any parking for the employees housed there. It was nearly impossible to park near there back in the early Aughts – I imagine it’s even worse now. Where are those folks parking??????