THOUSAND OAKS : Sale of Civic Center to Be Completed

The Thousand Oaks City Council unanimously voted Tuesday to close escrow on the long-awaited sale of the city’s interim civic center to biotechnology firm Amgen.

Mayor Judy Lazar this week will sign agreements transferring to Amgen the interim civic center at 2150 W. Hillcrest Drive, which the city moved into in 1988, and the Municipal Service Center at 1851 DeHavilland Drive.

In addition to paying $12,263,102 for the two properties, Amgen will foot the bill for the city’s upcoming move to its second temporary home, at 275 Conejo Ridge Ave. Amgen, which now leases the Conejo Ridge building but does not have any employees working there, will not charge the city rent, a spokeswoman said.

City staff will move to the new facility on March 20 and 21 and work there until the Civic Arts Plaza, now under construction at the Ventura Freeway near Hampshire Road, opens in the fall of 1994.

As part of the deal approved Tuesday, Amgen will give the city a 10-acre parcel in Rancho Conejo Industrial Park to house a new municipal yard. The city will continue to occupy the current municipal yard rent-free until the new yard is ready next January, City Atty. Mark Sellers said.

Sales of both the civic center and the municipal yard are expected to close escrow on or about March 4, Sellers said.

Amgen plans to use its newly acquired property to train employees and distribute pharmaceuticals.