Laguna Beach Offering to Buy Former Catholic School for $23 Million

The Laguna Beach, California, city officials approved a proposal last week to acquire a former Catholic school campus for $23 million.

During the Aug. 16 city council meeting, councilors agreed to make a formal offer to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange to purchase the St. Catherine of Siena Parish School property.

Discussions regarding the financing needed to purchase the property were ongoing prior to the approval. The total cost would be $23.5 million, with about $500,000 added for necessary improvements–plumbing, roof repairs, lighting, drainage, and reviews of the structural soundness and fire systems in the four buildings on the property.

The city has $12 million from available funding to cover about half of the cost. The available funds include $2 million from the American Rescue Plan–a federal emergency funding for local communities to respond and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic–designated for city facility use.

The remaining $11.5 million would come from a combination of direct loans from several city funds, which can limit the financial impact on the city by generating the lowest borrowing costs and most flexible borrowing terms.

The 6.5-acre property that served thousands of students has been unused since its closure in June 2020.

The City intends to transform it into public facilities and community spaces.

“The City will have a unique opportunity for the city to improve services, including a variety of long-term uses concepts like a community pool or cultural arts center.

St. Catherine of Siena Parish School in Laguna Beach, Calif., Aug. 16, 2022.
(Steven Georges/Diocese of Orange)

The campus is situated on South Coast Highway, Laguna Beach at the edge of the canyon. Some local residents expressed concerns about future uses of the property.

Brad Berberian is a resident of the city for many years and lives nearby. A letter he sent to the city stating that he would and neighboring families be subject to “fierce opposition .”

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” We would have an issue [the skating, swimming pool or parking structures] creates in terms of noise and traffic,” he said.

The city met with Laguna Beach Unified Schools District to discuss leasing a part of the property to some staff members. However, the staff report states that the state only allows the lease of the portion that meets the standards of kindergarten and elementary education programs.

Leasing is a way to save money on future renovations of buildings in the area that are used by its employees, says the district.

“Rather than spending significant amounts of taxpayer money to remodel this building, some offices can be moved to St. Catherine’s,” Dee Perry said in an email. This would be less disruptive to neighbors .”

The diocese will likely accept this offer.

” The Diocese of Orange looked at all possible options, but decided to move forward with Laguna Beach. Jarryd Gonzales spoke for The Epoch Times.

Built in 1957, the property has four buildings totaling 39,500 square feet, plus outdoor amenities such as athletic courts, a soccer field, and playgrounds.

The next step in this process is for the city manager make an official offer. Officials hope to close the deal within three to four month.