THE NAVIGATION CENTER in Huntington Beach (City of HB).

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

One step forward, one step back.

On Tuesday night, the Garden Grove City Council voted unanimously to reject all construction bids and authorize the re-advertising for bids for the construction of the planned Central Cities Navigation Center project.

The action delays the start of work on the center, which is aimed at providing housing and services for the homeless. Garden Grove will be the host city and operate it in conjunction with the partner cities of Fountain Valley and Westminster.

According to a staff report, two bids were received for the project, one for $4.8 million and another for $6.9 million. But “both bids have irregularities and may lead to protests.” 

The proposed center is on a 0.41-acre site at 13871 West Street in an industrial area northwest of Harbor Boulevard and Westminster Avenue. It would accommodate as many as 80 people.

Getting the center built and up and running is a priority for all three cities as anti-camping ordinances can only be enforced if there’s a place for the unhoused to be sheltered.

Before the meeting a reception was held in an adjacent room in the Community Meeting Center to honor Lisa Kim, Garden Grove’s new city manager.