“What secrets lie beneath?” That’s the question that comes to mind as we approach the Burbank City Hall Annex. It’s more than just an office building. It’s a piece of Burbank’s history.
The Burbank City Hall Annex has a fascinating story. The original city hall stood on this very site. It was built in 1916 at the corner of Olive and 3rd Street. That original building housed the Burbank Fire Department. Later, it became home to police department offices. This was after the newer city hall opened across Olive in 1943.
But time marches on. In late 1959, the old city hall was razed. This made way for the Burbank City Hall Annex. The Annex was part of the city’s 10 Year Capital Improvement Program.
Construction on the new Annex began January 11, 1960. It opened on February 24, 1961. The new Burbank City Hall Annex housed the Burbank Police Department. It also held the city jail and the city’s civil defense headquarters.
Here’s a little-known fact. A tunnel once ran below 3rd Street. It linked the Annex to the County Courts building. This tunnel was used to transport prisoners for court appearances.
But that’s not all. The Burbank City Hall Annex had a fortified basement. It was built to withstand a “zero-zone bomb blast.” A deep well was dug beneath the building. This provided independent water “in case of attack.” This gives you a sense of the era in which it was built. The Cold War anxieties were very real.
Today, the Burbank City Hall Annex stands as a reminder of Burbank’s past. It represents progress. It also reflects the concerns of a different time. It’s a building with stories etched into its walls. These stories whisper of civic duty,警務和 community resilience.