Scouts Honor Advent of New Center

After more than 10 years of raffles, bake sales and auctions, various Scout groups were finally able to raise enough money to launch the first phase of renovations of Brea’s Old City Hall into a Scout center.

About 100 people attended a recent renovation-demolition party to kick off the start of work on the building.

“We had Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Brownies turn out to help us celebrate,” said Bernie Kilcoyne, president of the Brea Lions Scout House Foundation.

Built in 1927, the building housed the second City Hall since the city incorporated in 1917.

Kilcoyne said the first phase of renovations will involve the outside of the building; the second phase will deal with internal work. The Scouting groups raised about $100,000 for the project, with the city and a parks grant kicking in another $200,000.

Once the building is complete, officials expect that more than 1,600 Scouts will use it for meetings, training and award ceremonies. “We don’t know exactly how long the work will take, but it should be ready before the year 2000,” Kilcoyne said.

Depending on safety and permit issues, Kilcoyne said some Scouts may be able to earn badges if they are able to do any actual work during renovations. The “work” the Scouts did at the recent celebration was “symbolic, more than anything else,” Kilcoyne said. But some of the Scouts, including Brownies, took a few swings with sledgehammers at a temporary building next to the historic hall that is being demolished.

Kilcoyne said architect Don Switzer is donating his time to this project. “Switzer’s grandfather, Frank Sr., served on the Brea City Council for 24 years,” he said.

The Old City Hall became the site of the American College of Law in 1981. The Brea Historical Society later took control of the building, making it a part of the group’s Walking Tours of Downtown Brea. The building is listed on both the state and federal registries of historical places.