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City of Palmdale Public Works

Civic Center Improvements

During the 1990's and into the new millennium the City of Palmdale has made significant renovations to its downtown Civic Center. Changes to the Palmdale Civic Center have included the construction of Poncitlan Square, a development services building, a community services building, the Palmdale Council Chamber, the relocation of Human Resources and Public Safety staff, and renovation and renaming of the Cultural Center to the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center. Below is a brief summary of each individual project:

Poncitlan Square
This two-acre site is located in the heart of the downtown Civic Center, bounded by 8th and 9th streets east and avenues Q-9 and Q-10. The site was developed in 1998 and hosts a gazebo, benches, walking path, gardens, a fountain, and a Veterans Memorial Garden. The park is the site for weddings, receptions and the City of Palmdale's popular summer event Thursday Night on the Square.

Development Services
The development services building is designed to provide better customer service within a single City facility. The building houses the public works administration, traffic, and engineering divisions; the building and safety department; the planning department, including the business license and code enforcement divisions; and the economic development department. Combining these development services into one building provides the community with a more convenient "one-stop" shop. The City organization benefits by improved communications within a facility designed for conducting City business. The building was opened in June 2000

Palmdale Institute of Technology
The Palmdale Institute of Technology, an 18,640-square-foot, single story, Spanish-style facility, is home to the AERO Institute. The institute is a joint effort by the NASA-Dryden Flight Research Center and the University of California Space Grant Foundation. The goal of the AERO institute is to provide comprehensive technical undergraduate and graduate education in aerospace science, engineering and technical skills through participating college and universities, and to conduct leading-edge aerospace research and development.

Palmdale Council Chamber
The Palmdale Council Chamber building provides a new facility to accommodate public meetings for a City with a current population of 145,468 that continues to grow at a fast rate. Seating in the new Council Chamber will be flexible and accommodates up to 125 seats, 60 more than the former chamber. The building also includes a state-of-the-art audio/visual system for public presentations; accommodations for the disabled; public restrooms that meet current building standards; a public plaza, foyer, and sound system for people waiting outside the Council Chamber; public phones and drinking fountains; and additional legal office space and meeting rooms. The building connects the existing City Hall administration wing with the newly renovated finance department to create one attractive City Hall administrative building facing Poncitlan Square. The exterior of the building is designed with a Spanish-Mediterranean theme, similar to that of the new development services and courthouse buildings.

Human Resources and Public Safety/Parenting Relocation The Human Resources Department has moved to 823 E. Avenue Q-9 and the Public Safety/Parenting departments will move to 827-829 E. Avenue Q-9 in May 2008, just east of the Palmdale Chamber and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. These relocations are due to the proposed construction of the Palmdale Senior Center and park , which will be constructed in the year 2008.

Larry Chimbole Cultural Center
The recently renovated 22-year-old Larry Chimbole Cultural Center is located in the City of Palmdale's Civic Center area and is bounded by Sierra Highway and Palmdale Boulevard.

The 21,800-square-foot building features an upstairs auditorium, which can accommodate 350 theater seating or 250 dinner seating, and three meeting rooms to accommodate 40 to 50 people.

The recent renovation provided more open space in the main auditorium while creating an outdoor balcony overlooking the new plaza improvements.

The exterior of the building is designed with a Spanish-Mediterranean theme similar to that of the new development services, council chamber, and courthouse buildings.


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