Newport Beach is inching toward a public-safety makeover that could leave taxpayers footing an as-yet-unknown bill: move Fire Station No. 3 to the OCTA bus hub near Fashion Island, then build the transit center somewhere else. The City Council has approved a non-binding framework that puts the city on the hook for a comparable replacement, even though the feasibility study — and the price tag — are still unfinished.
As reported by Los Angeles Times, the council unanimously approved the term sheet on July 28. City Manager Seimone Jurjis said OCTA would evaluate potential sites outside Newport Beach and could relocate the transit facility by the end of 2031, with the city paying for the relocation.
A July 28 staff report from the City of Newport Beach says the city’s preferred candidate is 3848 Campus Drive, though other locations are also being studied. The proposed replacement would need to preserve transit access, operations, accessibility and service continuity before the existing hub could be shut down.
The City Has Promised A Replacement Before Moving The Hub
The biggest financial provision is tucked into the term sheet: Newport Beach would fund 100% of the costs for a functionally equivalent replacement transit center, unless the parties later agree otherwise. The Orange County Transportation Authority says that could include studies, environmental work, design, land acquisition, construction and construction management…