Bids for Cultural Center Opened

The lowest construction bid for the Torrance Cultural Arts Center is $1.2 million more than the nearly $11 million the city has budgeted for the project, but city officials plan to proceed despite the overrun.

“There goes the contingency (fund),” Councilman Bill Applegate said after hearing of the bid opening Tuesday. “It won’t be a problem.”

In an eight-way bidding war, Moran Construction Co. of Alhambra offered to erect the four-building complex for $12.23 million. The second-lowest bid was $12.37 million by Cates Construction of Lancaster, and the third-lowest was $12.47 million by Continental Heller of Long Beach.

In 20 years of trying to build a cultural arts center, Torrance has run into numerous obstacles, mostly financial. In 1988, the City Council fired the complex’s first architect because his design drew bids nearly 60% over budget.

The center will include a 500-seat theater, a community meeting hall, dance and exercise rooms, music and crafts studios and a Japanese garden. Ground breaking has been scheduled for Feb. 1.

Philip Tilden, the city’s management programs administrator, said city staff members will review the three lowest bids and recommend one of the construction firms to the council at its Jan. 30 meeting.