AgdaPkt 2002-03-25 - Laserfiche WebLink

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IREPORT To the Honorable Mayor and City Council From the City Manager March 11,2002 Subject Restoration of the San Mateo County Courthouse and Construction of the Courthouse Plaza Recommendation Support Redwood City becoming the Lead Agency for the Restoration of the Historic San Mateo County Courthouse and Courthouse Plaza, and investigate further, the funding options. Background The original San Mateo County Courthouse was completed in 1910, and was used for County offices and courts until two years ago. Additions to the Courthouse were completed in 1939, and housed additional County offices. The original building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is perhaps one of the most important historical buildings in San Mateo County. In 1995, San Mateo County leased the original Courthouse building to the San Mateo County Historical Association. In an amendment to the lease, the entire building was leased to the Historical Association in 1998. Issues The 1939 additions, while somewhat historical themselves, detract from and hide the original structure. From Broadway, the original building and the dome are not even visible. There has been growing public support for the removal of these newer additions, restoration of the exterior of the building, and creation of a plaza that showcases the building and provides a functional outdoor public space for the Downtown Area. This project was recommended in the recently circulated Downtown Plan, and seemed to get universal support. The City Council has selected the Courthouse Restoration as the seventh highest priority for the next two years. The property is owned by San Mateo County, leased to the San Mateo County Historical Association, and right in the middle of Redwood City's Downtown Area. While it might be possible to develop a construction project where all these agencies -1-