Agenda Item   

AGENDA STAFF REPORT

 

                                                                                                                        ASR Control  24-000467

 

MEETING DATE:

07/23/24

legal entity taking action:

Board of Supervisors

board of supervisors district(s):

2

SUBMITTING Agency/Department:

County Executive Office   (Approved)

Department contact person(s):

Thomas A. Miller (714) 834-6019 

 

 

Veronica McNamara (714) 347-4954

 

 

Subject:  Offer to Convey and Purchase 1015 and 1055 North Main Street, Santa Ana

 

      ceo CONCUR

County Counsel Review

Clerk of the Board

          Concur

Approved Agreement to Form

Discussion

 

 

3 Votes Board Majority

 

 

 

    Budgeted: Yes

Current Year Cost:   See Financial Impact Section

Annual Cost: N/A

 

 

 

    Staffing Impact:

No

# of Positions:            

Sole Source:   N/A

    Current Fiscal Year Revenue: N/A

   Funding Source:     See Financial Impact Section

County Audit in last 3 years: No

   Levine Act Review Completed: Yes

 

    Prior Board Action:         10/18/2011 #9; 12/16/2003 #73; 11/14/2000 #S51B

 

RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):

 

 

1.

Authorize the Chief Real Estate Officer or designee to conduct due diligence investigations and provide notice of, accept and execute the Offer to Convey and Purchase and Sale Agreement with SIC/LEED 1015 Santa Ana, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company after satisfactory completion of due diligence, which is anticipated to be concluded on, or before, November 29, 2024, in substantially the forms attached, with minor modifications that do not increase the cost or liability to the County, upon County Counsel approval, and take all subsequent actions to effectuate the purchase of the office facilities and parking structure located at 1015 and 1055 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, and the two nearby parking lots bordering East 11th and North Spurgeon Street, for $980,000.

 

2.

Authorize the Chief Real Estate Officer or designee to execute the Certificate of Acceptance for the Grant Deed and the Assignment and Novation Agreement in substantially the form as attached,  make minor modifications to documents that do not materially alter the terms of the transaction, sign or re-sign documents and related transactional and escrow documents, direct recordation of documents including but not limited to the Grant Deed and acceptance documents through the escrow process, and perform all related actions necessary to complete the transactions for the purchase, by the County, of the office facilities and parking structure located at 1015 and 1055 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, and the two nearby parking lots bordering East 11th and North Spurgeon Street.

 

3.

Authorize the Chief Real Estate Officer or designee to spend up to $450,000 for costs related to due diligence investigations, escrow and other related costs, and upon satisfactory completion of all due diligence, to implement the funding plan to complete the purchase of the office facilities and parking structure located at 1015 and 1055 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, and the two nearby parking lots bordering East 11th and North Spurgeon Street.

 

4.

Direct the Auditor-Controller, upon notification from the Chief Real Estate Officer or designee to issue payments of a total amount not to exceed $450,000 to vendors for payment of due diligence, title research, land survey, engineering reports, hazardous material assessment report(s), trust deed clearance fees, forwarding fees, subordination fees, utility prorations and other costs and fees associated with the due diligence, escrow and title research as applicable.

 

5.

Direct the Auditor-Controller, upon notification from the Chief Real Estate Officer or designee to issue payments to SIC/LEED 1015 Santa Ana, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company or deposit funds in escrow for SIC/LEED 1015 Santa Ana, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company's account for payments of a total amount not to exceed $980,000 for the full and final purchase price of the office facilities and parking structure located at 1015 and 1055 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, and the two nearby parking lots bordering East 11th and North Spurgeon Street.

 

 

 

 

SUMMARY:

 

Acceptance and execution of the Offer to Convey and Purchase and Sale Agreement with SIC/LEED 1015 Santa Ana, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company after satisfactory completion of due diligence will allow for the purchase by the County of the office facilities and parking structure located at 1015 and 1055 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, and nearby parking lots, pursuant to a lease conveyance agreement, to retain the current use as the headquarters for the Orange County Department of Child Support Services and the Orange County Probation Administrative Office, and ensure continuation of services at that location.

 

 

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

 

On November 14, 2000, the Orange County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved a lease between the County of Orange (County) and Main Street-Santa Ana, LLC (MSSA) for the facilities and parking structure located at 1015 and 1055 North Main Street, Santa Ana, and two nearby parking lots bordering East 11th and North Spurgeon Street (collectively the Property), for occupancy by the Orange County District Attorney, Family Support Division, now known as the Orange County Department of Child Support Services (CSS).  MSSA subsequently sold the Property to Santa Ana Arts, LLC (SAA) and, on December 16, 2003, the Board authorized entering into a new, renegotiated Lease Agreement (Lease) with SAA for twenty-one years, which included an Offer to Convey (Offer) that provides the County an option to purchase the Property at the end of the Lease term for the price of $980,000.  In 2005, SAA sold the Property to the current owner, SIC/LEED 1015 Santa Ana, LLC (Lessor).  On October 18, 2011, the Board approved an amendment to the Lease to expand the Lessor’s repair and maintenance obligations and responsibilities.

 

1015 North Main Street is a two-story office building containing 26,629 square feet and 1055 North Main Street is an eleven-story office building containing 169,483 square feet for a combined total of 196,112 square feet.  The buildings were constructed in 1963 and are situated on 1.72 acres of land.  The adjoining parking structure is three stories and contains approximately 300 parking spaces.  The two nearby parking lots bordering East 11th and North Spurgeon Street provide approximately 200 parking spaces and occupy 1.4 acres of land.  The Property is generally located on the northern side of Santa Ana approximately half a mile from the Civic Center and lies between 17th Street to the north and Civic Center Drive to the south with bus routes running along all three streets.

 

The Property is currently occupied by CSS, Orange County Probation’s (Probation) Administrative Office, and Verizon, pursuant to a separate lease with the Lessor.  Verizon occupies a 7,749 square foot suite on the 10th floor of 1055 North Main Street but is in the process of relocating and should vacate the Property before transfer of ownership. 

 

CSS is the local agency responsible for ensuring children receive financial support by providing services such as establishment of parentage, establishment of court orders for financial and medical support, enforcement of court orders for support, and collection and distribution of payments.  CSS supports the community by offering workshops, performing community outreach, and providing assistance to parents who may be struggling with meeting their obligations.

Probation is a public safety agency that serves the community using effective, research supported rehabilitation practices and collaborative partnerships.  Probation assists the criminal court system through investigations, probation reports and community supervision of approximately 10,000 adult and 800 juvenile clients on court-ordered probation or in diversion programs and operates the juvenile hall, youth camp, and youth reporting centers. 

The Offer was executed by SAA in 2003 and transferred to the Lessor in 2005.  In order to exercise the Offer, the County must provide the Lessor notice of its intent to purchase the Property between the commencement of the twentieth year of the Lease and the one-year anniversary of the expiration of the Lease, from January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2025. Once the purchase of the Property is complete, CSS and Probation intend to continue operating the Property consistent with its existing use.  County Executive Office (CEO) Real Estate in conjunction with CSS and Probation would like to commence due diligence on the Property with the goal of taking ownership immediately following the end of the Lease term on December 31, 2024.  Upon the satisfactory completion of due diligence, CEO Real Estate will provide appropriate notice to Lessor of the County’s intent to purchase the Property and will execute the Offer and other necessary documents to effectuate the transaction.  Pursuant to the Lease terms, the $980,000 purchase price shall be paid in two increments of $490,000 each: one due at the time the Purchase and Sale Agreement is executed, prior to close of escrow; and one due within the one-year anniversary of the close of escrow; however, CEO Real Estate will direct the Auditor-Controller to issue the final payment at close of escrow to fully complete the acquisition of the Property without delay. It is in the County’s interest to take ownership of the Property as soon as possible due to the fact that the County would be exempt from paying property tax upon transfer, therefore resulting in a savings to the County’s cost to operate the facility.

 

The Offer and Purchase and Sale Agreement also state that the Lessor is to provide either fee title or a 30-year lease for an additional 205 off-site parking spaces within half a mile of the Property or at a location approved by the County at market rate, but no more than $100 per space per month. The Lessor has a Parking Lease Agreement (Parking Agreement) to lease up to 205 parking spaces within the parking structure located at 812 North Sycamore Street, Santa Ana, California (Sycamore Parking Structure) for use by the County. CEO Real Estate is requesting authority to accept the assignment of the Parking Agreement from the Lessor to the County. Assignment of the Parking Agreement to County will allow for the use of the Sycamore Parking Structure should the County have future need for parking.

CEO Real Estate will commence due diligence investigations, including procurement and review of the preliminary title report, underlying title documents and a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment for the purchase of the Property.  Due diligence will also include a land survey to support the issuance of an American Land Title Association Policy and an estimation of the Property’s market value.  In the event that any material issues arise during due diligence, CEO Real Estate will provide an update to the Board with the relevant information.

 

In addition, OC Public Works will inspect the building infrastructure and systems and conduct a Tier I structural/seismic assessment of the Property, and CEO Risk Management will conduct a safety inspection, as necessary. Based on this, CEO Real Estate, CSS, and Probation recommend that the Board authorize the Chief Real Estate Officer or designee to accept and execute the Offer and Purchase and Sale Agreement, upon satisfactory completion of due diligence, to commence the process to take ownership of the Property.

 

Compliance with CEQA:  This action is not a project within the meaning of CEQA Guideline Section 15378 and is therefore not subject to CEQA, since it does not have the potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment.  The approval of this agenda item does not commit the County to a definite course of action in regard to a project since it is for a delegation of authority to approve the purchase of the office facilities and parking structure, if appropriate after due diligence, to retain the existing use and ensure continuation of services.  The proposed activity is therefore not subject to CEQA.  Any future action connected to this approval that constitutes a project will be reviewed for compliance with CEQA.

 

 

 

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

 

Appropriations of $980,000 for the full and final purchase price of the property and parking facility located at 1015 and 1055 North Main Street, Santa Ana, California, and the nearby parking lots, and up to $450,000 for due diligence and escrow related costs will be absorbed in Fund 15D, Countywide Capital Projects – Non General Fund FY 2024-25 Budget.

 

 

 

STAFFING IMPACT:

 

N/A

 

REVIEWING AGENCIES:

 

Child Support Services, OC Probation

 

ATTACHMENT(S):

 

Attachment A – Purchase and Sale Agreement
Attachment B – Grant Deed and Certificate of Acceptance
Attachment C – Location Map
Attachment D – Confirmation of Public Notice Publishing
Attachment E – Offer to Convey
Attachment F - Assignment, Novation and Consent Agreement