The project manager and lead contractor of the Civic Center plans to return the city $365,000 after the audit showed that up to $1.2 million could have been overbilled.
[3] Bohlin Cywinski Jackson (BCJ) won the commission to outfit the site with a new 100,000-square-foot City Hall that runs alongside a public green.
The architecture is inspired by the city's beachside Southern California roots and includes many subtle nautical references.
BCJ thoughtfully designed numerous outdoor spaces so residents can enjoy the year-round sunny climate and implemented long, narrow buildings emphasizing figurative and literal transparency.
Civic gardens adjacent to City Hall in the southern portion of the site transition to park land made up of multiple meadows, habitat for native flora and fauna, trails, bridges over an existing wetland, and extensive native California planting.
Sustainable practices include on-site storm-water treatment with extensive swales and retention basins integrated into planting.
[7] The civic center lawn also hosts a concert series brought on by the City of Newport Beach.