Garden Grove Civic Center Revitalization Project

The Garden Grove Civic Center Revitalization Project is the development of a new public safety facility for the Garden Grove Police Department, a new parking structure, and a redesigned Civic Center Park.

According to the 2020 Infrastructure Space Needs Assessment Report, the current public safety facilities are undersized with inadequate staff and public parking. The outdated buildings have aged building systems, and the facilities do not adequately facilitate the current space needs of staff as they fulfill their duties to serve the needs of the community.

The new public safety facility will consolidate staff to better serve the needs of the community more effectively and efficiently. Other benefits include attracting and retaining sworn officers and civilian staff, creating a welcoming environment for the community, and creating a secure and safe place for the Garden Grove Police Department to carry out critical public safety activities.

The Garden Grove City Council approved the project agreement on March 26, 2024 and the project broke ground on May 14, 2024.

Phase I of the project includes the construction of the new public safety facility and parking structure. Move-in to the new public safety facility will take place in Fall 2026.

Phase II includes the demolition of the old public safety facility and the construction of a redesigned Civic Center Park, which will begin once Phase I is complete. The redesigned Civic Center Park is estimated to be complete in Fall 2027.

The current public safety facility will be open and operational during Phase I of the construction of the new public safety facility. After the move-in to the new public safety facility, the old public safety facility will be demolished during Phase II and a redesigned Civic Center Park will be built in its place. A new police memorial will be built at the new Garden Grove police facility.

The front lobby and service counters will be open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

The redesigned Civic Center Park will feature open green space, a memorial grove, a walking trail, event lawn and more.

The removal of the pond is necessary as it is located in the footprint of the new public safety facility. The City drained and removed the pond in coordination with the City’s Public Works Department and Dudek, a qualified biologist. Dudek received the necessary permits from Fish and Wildlife Services, and assisted in the relocation of the different animal species in the pond. A new pond is not planned as part of the redesigned Civic Center Park.

Dudek, a qualified biologist, prepared a Wildlife Management Plan that details the approach for the removal and relocation of the different animal species in the pond. Under Dudek’s supervision, the animals were safely removed and relocated to a rescue facility. The Wildlife Management Plan is available under the “Resources” tab at www.ggcity.org/civic-center.

The City has removed and stored as many of the public art elements as possible, and they are being incorporated into the park design. The large Adirondack chairs have been relocated to the park adjacent to the H. Louis Lake Senior Center, located at 11300 Stanford Ave.

The project has been designed to retain as many of the existing trees as feasible. Any trees removed will be replaced at a 1-1 ratio in an alternate location as determined by the City. The redesigned Civic Center Park will include a memorial grove that will include new trees.

The eastern portion of the park between the H. Louis Lake Senior Center (11300 Stanford Avenue) and the Credit Union of Southern California (11390 Stanford Avenue) will be accessible.

OC Library – Garden Grove Main Branch (11200 Stanford Avenue) will be open at the beginning of construction. According to the County of Orange, the Garden Grove Main Branch will close in January 2025 for one year to construct tenant improvements. It is estimated to reopen in January 2026. For more information, visit www.ocpl.org/libraries/garden-grove-main or call (714) 530-0711.

Yes, they will be open during construction with regular hours of operation. For hours of operation, visit www.ggcity.org.

There will be approximately 20-30 public parking spaces in the new parking structure. It is anticipated that additional on-street parking will be provided in the Civic Center area.

Currently, there are no plans to close the bus stop. Please check all bus stop activity before heading to your desired destination at www.octa.net.

If sidewalk closures are required during construction, a temporary sidewalk route will be provided. When road closures are required, traffic control measures will be implemented.

OCFA Station No. 81 is not part of the Garden Grove Civic Center Revitalization Project. The secured parking lot that is currently being used for OCFA vehicles will be redesigned during the project construction.

The public safety facility is being financed in part on available Measure O funding. In 2018, Garden Grove residents passed Measure O, a one-cent transaction and use (sales) tax to support police recruitment, maintain 9-1-1 response times, and to evaluate the need to modernize or replace existing Garden Grove Police Department public safety facilities. Bonds are also being issued to finance the project.

Information, news, updates, and resources are posted on the project webpage at www.ggcity.org/civic-center. Community members can also sign up for email updates under the “Get Involved” tab.

More information can be found at www.ggcity.org/civic-center.

For inquiries on the redesigned Civic Center Park, email John Montanchez, Community Services Department at johnmo@ggcity.org.

For all other inquiries, please contact Grace Kim, Economic Development and Housing Department at gracel@ggcity.org.

Please contact Tom Farrar from Clark Construction at tom.farrar@clarkconstruction.com or (702) 378-6919.