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Seal Beach officials outline $15 million lifeguard headquarters plan and several funding options amid a $9 million shortfall
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Summary
At an April 13 study session, Public Works Director Lee and Chief Bailey described an aging, mold-prone lifeguard headquarters and presented a conceptual $15 million replacement estimate; staff proposed pay-as-you-go, debt/grant hybrids and possible commercial lease space to close an approximate $9 million gap.
Public Works Director Lee told the Seal Beach City Council at a study session on April 13 that the city needs to replace its aging lifeguard headquarters, calling the building functionally obsolete and noting recent mold remediation and repeated water intrusion.
"Every time it rains, we still get water intrusion to the back wall of our training room," Chief Bailey said, describing leaks, stucco falling and cramped locker-room conditions that lack HVAC and adequate vehicle storage.
Lee presented a conceptual project cost based on a 2020 needs assessment and escalation factors: "we're using $15,000,000 as the rough order of magnitude for discussion purposes," he said, and emphasized the number is illustrative and will change with scope. Staff told the council they currently have project balances and reimbursements set aside but face an approximate $9,000,000 delta to fully fund construction.
To bridge that gap, staff outlined three broad funding approaches. A pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) approach would fund the project from year-end savings and defer lower-priority CIP items, with staff estimating roughly two years to reach a shovel-ready state for design and permitting. A hybrid option would combine some external funding or financing (Lee noted a conceptual need for about $4,000,000 of external funds under one hybrid scenario). A second hybrid concept would include building a modest amount of commercial leasable space (staff estimated 1,000–2,000 sq ft within an ~8,500 sq ft facility) to create an ongoing revenue stream.
Lee warned that many grant and appropriation programs require a degree of completed design to be competitive: "the BRICS grant requires 30% of completed design," he said, and staff recommended starting design and permitting in tandem with funding planning.
Chief Bailey urged council action on public-safety grounds: "it's just past its useful life," he said, describing limitations that hinder lifeguard operations and training. Staff recommended next steps including continued council guidance on funding strategy, issuing an RFP to form a project team when directed, and proceeding with design and permitting to refine cost estimates and position the project for external grants.
No decision was requested or taken at the study session; staff said this is an early, conversational step in a multi-year effort and asked the council to provide initial guidance so staff can flesh out the preferred funding path.
