COUNCIL OKS POLICE BUILDING CARDENAS CASTS DISSENTING VOTE FOR $95 MILLION TEMPORARY HEADQUARTERS.

Byline: James Nash Staff Writer

Calling it the best deal for taxpayers and police, the City Council voted Tuesday to spend $95 million for an 11-story downtown building to serve as the Los Angeles Police Department's temporary headquarters while Parker Center is rebuilt.

In a separate action Tuesday, the council also agreed to provide up to $10 million in matching funds for a federal grant that could lead to hiring some additional officers over the next three years.

The building at 1149 S. Broadway Ave., co-owned by basketball legend Earvin ``Magic'' Johnson and a business partner, will house the LAPD for about 4 1/2 years while a new police headquarters is built on the site of the aging Parker Center.

The council voted 14-1 to buy the Broadway building for about $51 million, plus spend another $44 million for renovations and issuing bonds for the purchase.

City officials called the deal a money-saver because municipal departments housed in leased offices would move to the Broadway building after the LAPD returns to Parker Center. The leases total about $6 million a year, officials said.

``I think it's our belated opportunity to invest in our infrastructure by buying a building that is really a home for city services that would serve as a temporary home for the LAPD,'' said Councilman Bernard Parks, a former police chief. ``It's a matter of moving forward where we have the opportunity. It is certainly going to cost us a little money to save us a lot of money down the road.''

San Fernando Valley Councilman Tony Cardenas, who cast the dissenting vote, said he hasn't been convinced that the building is the best deal for the city.

``I need more information,'' he said. ``There's a lot of questions that have gone unanswered.''

Cardenas said he didn't have any specific objections to the purchase, only to the lack of information to justify it.

Critics have raised allegations of cronyism because the Broadway building is owned by Johnson and Kenneth Lombard, both of whom have contributed to campaigns of Mayor James Hahn and other elected officials. The officials have denied the charge. Despite fears of adding to its financial problems, the council also agreed Tuesday to accept a $20 million federal grant to hire as many as 278 police officers over the next three years, although it is unclear how many will be hired.

The council, acting without comment, approved the federal grant under the Community Oriented Policing Services program offered by the Department of Justice.

City officials originally were concerned the city would be unable to come up with the $9.3 million in matching funds required under the grant. However, officials said they could manage to find the money as they seek a change in the formula to get credit for some of the officers hired during this past year.

The council had considered and later put off a proposal that would have asked voters to approve a parcel tax to hire more officers. The LAPD has about 9,300 officers.

Staff Writer Rick Orlov contributed to this report.

James Nash, [phone]

james.nash(at)dailynews.com