Sonoma County to study relocating government center to downtown Santa Rosa

Sonoma County supervisors on Tuesday agreed to take a closer look at the possibility of locating the future county government headquarters in downtown Santa Rosa, a move that would inject thousands of workers and, supporters say, breathe new life into the city’s core.

Site selection for a new county administrative center has been an open question stretching back more than a decade, and county officials in recent years have flirted more seriously with the idea of a shared campus with the city of Santa Rosa.

County staff recommended an easier, cheaper option, too: Build the next headquarters on 24 vacant acres on the county’s existing campus off Mendocino Avenue in north Santa Rosa.

But Chris Coursey, the former Santa Rosa mayor who was sworn in as supervisor Tuesday, joined Supervisor James Gore in lobbying hard for a downtown location, a move that could bring more than 2,400 workers to the city center on workdays, but could also cost up to $800 million, according to estimates provided by a county consultant.

“It’s a no-brainer to me that this be built downtown, in Santa Rosa, our county seat,” said Coursey, whose district includes the area. “This project downtown would not just benefit Santa Rosa or the 3rd District. It would have positive impacts that ripple countywide.”

It would also mark the biggest return of government offices to downtown in more than a half century, since the last courthouse was torn down in 1966.

County staff identified four potential downtown sites: the current City Hall property; the parking lot on the southwest corner of E and Third streets that used to be the home of the White House Department Store; the Sonoma County Library site; and the U.S. Post Office on Second Street.

A tandem site — combining the library and former White House store location — was billed as the most promising downtown option, capable of hosting two, 14-story towers, which would be among the tallest downtown.

No supervisor was ready to endorse a location Tuesday, and the board majority formed by Lynda Hopkins, Susan Gorin and David Rabbitt wasn’t ready to advance a relocation downtown.

Hopkins, the new board chair who represents west county, said the idea of a downtown site appealed to her philosophically, with its ability to shrink the county’s climate footprint. But she joined Gorin, whose district includes eastern Santa Rosa and Sonoma Valley, in taking a more provincial approach to the discussions. Her biggest concern, she said, was geographic equity and access to services for rural residents in her district and others.

Both Gorin and Hopkins also called for smaller service centers in their districts.

With a number of outstanding questions related to parking and accessibility, costs for construction and land, and the county’s ability to secure streamlined building permits from the city of Santa Rosa, the board opted for further study of the matter.

Rabbitt, an architect by trade, will join Coursey as part of a committee that will work with county staff on outreach to city officials, aiming to return to the full board later this year to advance a decision.

The county’s current campus has dozens of aging buildings and a $258 million maintenance backlog, according to 2018 estimates.

In the lead-up to the board’s meeting Tuesday, county supervisors were lobbied heavily by downtown business interests and city officials seeking a once-in-a-generation economic stimulus for the city center.

Peter Rumble, CEO of the Santa Rosa Metro Chamber, was among a handful of people to speak in favor of the downtown move during public comment, touting the community benefits “not just today, but well into the future.”

Rabbitt, though, said he was dubious about the commercial benefit of a downtown headquarters.

“Somebody show me a governmental center that has a lot of activity,” he said. “I’ve been lobbied, as we all have been. I say be careful what you wish for.”

The county’s site analysis heavily favored the existing, 82-acre campus between Mendocino Avenue and Highway 101, north of Steele Lane, citing reduced construction costs, proximity to law enforcement and judicial services and the opportunity to set aside 22 acres for mixed-use development, including retail, commercial and affordable housing.

But a downtown location would free up even more space — enough for 1,400 housing units, according to estimates put together two years ago.

A downtown move also preserves the opportunity for a dual government center, should Sonoma County and Santa Rosa join forces on a deal. Gorin, a former Santa Rosa mayor, said the city would need to step up — and do so fast.

“I think it’s time to call the city. The city’s been talking about a new city hall for 10 to 15 years,” Gorin said. “But if in fact there’s going to be some synergy between the city and county, they need to step up to the plate big time.”

Gore said his vote for a downtown location would be predicated upon the county being able to easily obtain necessary permits, buy the required property, secure appropriate parking and craft a solution for downtown library operations.

The price tag — between $442 million and $799 million — depends on whether supervisors will later commit to a smaller campus that requires more of the county’s 4,100 employees to work from home, as nearly 30% have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gorin, who early in the meeting called the existing campus option a “no-brainer,” signaled after two hours of discussion that she would be willing to support a relocation.

“I am intrigued by the synergy between the county, city and the state — creating a true government center,” Gorin said.

You can reach Staff Writer Tyler Silvy at 707-526-8667 or tyler.silvy@pressdemocrat.com.