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Council directs staff to study one‑stop permit counter at Banner Tower; asks architect cost estimate and lease terms by Feb. workshop
Summary
After a lengthy briefing, council gave staff direction to have Miller Architects estimate costs to build a one‑stop permitting counter in 101A at the Banner (Vanner) building and to review the landlord’s maintenance responsibilities and lease terms; staff will return by the second meeting in February.
The San Bernardino City Council directed staff Wednesday to develop more detailed cost estimates and lease information for a proposed “one‑stop” permit counter in the Banner Tower (also referred to as Vanner Tower) and to return with findings in a staff workshop by the second council meeting in February.
Management analyst William Lampi and several department directors briefed the council on options for consolidating the city’s decentralized permitting counters. Staff said existing counters are spread over multiple floors and buildings, creating an inefficient experience for residents and developers; the recommended approach is to centralize planning, building, public‑works and business‑registration services into a single, accessible counter.
Staff presented a leasing option at Banner Tower: suite 101A on the first floor and an additional suite 900 on the ninth floor. The reported rental rate discussed in staff remarks was $2.10 per square foot. Staff told the council that combining the additional spaces would increase the city’s monthly lease obligation from roughly $56,800 to about $79,400 under the presented terms. Staff also said that suite 101A would require new flooring, painting and furniture; the owner had acknowledged some water damage issues in adjacent tenant space and would handle specified repairs.
Staff recommended against a long, seven‑year tenant improvement package at this time because council asked staff to evaluate options for the city’s former City Hall and other longer‑term facility strategies. Council members directed staff to proceed by asking Miller Architects (the city’s design consultant) to produce a scoped cost estimate to implement a one‑stop configuration on the first floor and to advise on tenant improvements, furniture and connectivity. Council also asked the city manager to obtain a clear, written description from the landlord of the Banner Tower regarding its maintenance and repair obligations (including any outstanding work on water damage) before the city commits to expanded leased space. The council voted to approve that direction and set a target for staff to return with the consultant’s estimate and landlord contract terms by the second meeting in February.
Staff estimated that the budget already set aside for a one‑stop program — $800,000 carried over from earlier budgets — is likely sufficient to cover design, flooring, minor tenant improvements and furniture if the council proceeds. Staff said the 9th‑floor space is largely move‑in ready; the first‑floor suite would need finished flooring and furnishings to function as a public counter with plan‑review workspace.
Ending: The council’s unanimous direction stops short of a final lease amendment; staff will return with Miller Architects’ cost estimate, a clearer statement of the Banner Tower landlord’s obligations, and recommended contract terms in a February workshop.
