Garden Grove council hears construction update on Civic Center public-safety building and new park

Garden Grove city officials and their development partner presented an update on the Civic Center Revitalization Project, reporting that construction of the new public-safety building is underway and park design is nearing completion.

City Manager Lisa Kim introduced the update and Craig Beck, the city executive director overseeing the project, and Christina Solomon of development partner Edgemoor reviewed design features for the three-story police facility at Euclid and Acacia, and the anticipated layout of the Civic Center park. Keith, the project construction manager, gave a construction timeline and materials update.

The presenters said the contractor improved site soil conditions with stone columns, completed foundation work and below-grade utilities, and that the building “is now going vertical.” The team reported a forthcoming construction milestone to “top out” the building and projected a watertight shell by late 2025. The park is phase two: after the police department occupies the new facility the old building will be demolished and the park constructed in that footprint, the presenters said.

Why it matters: the project reconfigures the civic core—police facility, library, senior center and city hall—and adds programmed public space intended for events and everyday use. Council members praised the pace of work and discussed park amenities, public programming and fundraising offers.

Key details reported by staff and Edgemoor - Public-safety building: site work, foundations and early vertical construction are complete or underway; glazing and exterior finishes are scheduled after the building tops out so the structure becomes watertight later in 2025. (Presentation remarks) - Security and design: the building will include a visible “beacon stair,” a community-facing lobby and meeting rooms, a second-floor briefing room overlooking a memorial plaza and site elements intended to support annual police memorial ceremonies. (Presentation remarks) - Park program: the park plan centers on an event lawn with surrounding walkways and trees, an entry plaza at the end of Civic Center Drive, a play area and fitness nodes, an event stage, a quiet memorial grove, restroom facilities and a “green corridor” connecting the police building and library. Presenters said the event lawn could accommodate a range of uses and said organizers studied layouts supporting food trucks and staged events; the presentation said approximately 14 food trucks could be accommodated around the walkway. (Presentation remarks) - Schedule and documents: park construction documents were described as “nearly complete” with an anticipated completion of design documents by March 2025 to move into plan checks; the public-safety facility and the park remain on the project timeline with the next major milestone a building top-out. (Presentation remarks) - Construction methods: crews have poured slab-on-grade and elevated decks, installed underground utilities and used deep stone columns to improve soil; large concrete pours were noted as ongoing work. (Construction update)

Council reaction and follow-up Council members welcomed the speed of progress and raised items for further work: lighting for the green corridor to ensure nighttime safety, incorporation of a water feature (several council members and members of the public asked staff to evaluate options and costs), potential donor contributions for trees, and programming logistics such as whether the stage will require reservations or fees. City staff said that park hours will follow existing city park-hours in municipal code unless the council adopts a specific ordinance for this park, and that programming logistics will be further defined during design and in coordination with operations staff.

What’s next Staff and the development partner said they will finalize construction milestones (including topping out the public-safety building and beginning parking-structure work) and complete park construction documents in the coming weeks. Councilmembers asked for periodic tours at key construction milestones and additional cost and operations detail as park programming and final features are developed.

Ending Councilmembers and the public applauded the project’s progress; several councilmembers offered to work with staff on donor opportunities to add plantings and other enhancements. Edgemoor and city staff said they would return with further detail as the design documents are finalized and as construction reaches topping-out and watertight milestones.