Old Courthouse Square gets go-ahead despite deficit

<p>Calling it a pivotal point for Santa Rosa's struggling downtown, the City Council gave the go-ahead Tuesday to redesign Old Courthouse Square as a park and performance space without a busy street cutting through the middle.</p><p>"The reuniting of the square's time has come," proclaimed Mayor Bob Blanchard, acknowledging the council's unanimous vote to award a $550,000 design contract to the SWA Group of Sausalito.</p><p>The decision backed up a council promise to fund the winner of a city-sponsored Courthouse Square redesign competition that attracted 22 teams.</p><p>There were concerns that the council wouldn't stick by the promise when a vote on the contract was postponed in January after several unions questioned the use of public money for redesigning the square when the city is considering layoffs and job furloughs to help offset a projected $5 million budget deficit.</p><p>Union leaders did not oppose the expenditure Tuesday. One union leader said last week that other sources of money have been identified to offset the need for layoffs and furloughs.</p><p>Mike Marovich, representing two affiliated companies with plans to build high-rise buildings on Third Street, said remaking the square into a unified park, event space and social gathering spot is vital to the downtown's economic resurgence.</p><p>"Courthouse Square is the key building block to overall development of the downtown," he said, calling it downtown's "front porch."</p><p>There was some opposition, however.</p><p>David Grabill, spokesman for the Sonoma County Housing Advocacy Group, said spending city money on a design contract at a time when funding is being cut for homeless programs because of budget problems "is a crazy kind of priority."</p><p>San Francisco developer Tom Robertson, who owns property in Santa Rosa's downtown, countered that redesigning the square "will make enormous financial sense if you do the math."</p><p>He said it will create a venue for money-making events downtown, generate $70,000 in annual parking meter fees and entice new businesses and high-rise residential development that would generate additional sales and property taxes.</p><p>SWA's winning design entry calls for the two halves of the square to be reunited by eliminating the stretch of Santa Rosa Avenue that cuts through the middle.</p><p>Santa Rosa Avenue was connected through the square to Mendocino Avenue in 1966 after the Sonoma County courthouse was demolished because it failed to meet earthquake standards.</p><p>The conceptual design submitted by SWA includes reintroduction of Hinton and Exchange avenues at the square's east and west ends, parking along both streets, a glass fountain, an arbor of overhead lights and several areas to stage musical and cultural events.</p><p>The estimated construction cost is $7.5 million.</p><p>City leaders concede they have no money for construction and indicated they may have to do the work in phases as money is collected.</p><p>Councilwoman Jane Bender, a leading reunification proponent, said the Courthouse Square Advisory Committee will meet March 14 to consider formulating a fund-raising plan.</p><p>The only money raised so far has been by Santa Rosa Main Street, a downtown lobbying group.</p><p>Chris Messina, Main Street's executive director, said the group has raised $190,000 to date and has a goal of $1 million.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Mike McCoy at 521-5276 or mike.mccoy@pressdemocrat.com.</p>