CITY TO COMPLETE NEW POLICE HQ BUILDING.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

GLENDALE - The city will assume general contracting duties on Glendale's long-delayed police headquarters, taking over completion of the $57.6 million building from the contractor who was removed in January.

In a 3-1-1 vote Tuesday, with Mayor Frank Quintero dissenting and Councilman Bob Yousefian abstaining, the City Council moved to have city staff oversee the thousands of finishing touches still needed on the building, which has been in the works for nearly four years.

``At this point, we have no choice but to move in and complete and finalize that building so we can have a move-in date,'' Councilman Rafi Manoukian said. The building's grand opening has been delayed two years. ``The issue is expediency.''

The Public Works Department will oversee the day-to-day work, and a Parks and Recreation Department employee will act as project administrator. The Police Department will be involved in the work.

Items city officials claimed remain unfinished include fire and life safety alarms that have not yet been approved for use and security systems that are not yet working.

Builder Ray Wilson Co. and city officials have been wrangling for months over whether the 160,000-square-foot building at 131 N. Isabel St. is complete. Both sides believe the conflict will likely be resolved in court.

Officials with Ray Wilson Co., which has submitted a claim to the city for $20 million for work they said went beyond the contract specifications, have maintained that the building is ready to be occupied - a claim the contractor's surety supports.

Naush Boghossian, [phone]

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com