MTA to Review Plan for 2 Headquarters Buildings : Transit: The move is in response to critics who say dual sites would defeat the purpose of merging a county panel and the RTD.

Hoping to squelch a growing controversy, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Wednesday voted unanimously to establish a panel to investigate whether to construct two headquarters buildings.

The MTA is the result of a merger between the county’s two feuding transit agencies, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission and the Southern California Rapid Transit District. Inheriting a game plan that allowed the two longtime rivals to build separate structures, the MTA threatened to put the kibosh on the two-building idea.

“It’s one entity; why have two buildings to perpetuate something that the merger was to bring to an end?” asked Councilman Richard Alatorre, chairman of the MTA. “The RTD has already broken ground. Once we come to grips with the question of co-location, then we will deal with the options.”

Behind closed doors in January, the Transportation Commission directed its staff to initiate negotiations with developer Ray Watt to build a $111-million headquarters, even while a separate $137-million RTD building was under construction at Union Station.

Before making the controversial decision, commission staff evaluated several options, including purchasing the building they now lease, building next to the RTD’s facility at Union Station, or building their own structure. After evaluating costs, Neil Peterson, executive director of the Transportation Commission, said the agency decided to pursue the project with Watt because it was cheapest.

Peterson also said he did not believe it necessary for the two agencies to be united under one roof even after the merger.

Wednesday’s action, however, reopens the question. The 13 MTA board members include the five Los Angeles County supervisors, Mayor Tom Bradley, three mayoral appointees and four representatives from the League of Cities. The panel that will review the headquarters controversy will be made up of a county supervisor, a Los Angeles City Council member and a representative from the league.

“Maybe this will streamline things, and it will be the MTA that will start functioning and not the RTD and the LACTC,” said MTA board member James Cragin, a Gardena city councilman.

In the sometimes contentious meeting, MTA members heard a variety of views during the public comment session. Some critics accused the Transportation Commission of doing public business behind closed doors. Others argued that it was wasteful to invest money in a new building when many downtown structures are vacant. Still others said the project would create needed jobs in an area hit hard by the recession.

Wednesday’s meeting was the second time the MTA has met. Under law, the Transportation Commission and RTD will exist only until April 1. At that time, the MTA is expected to assume full command of the region’s planned $183-billion rail and bus network.

Officials do not have a firm date for when the MTA’s new chief, Franklin White, will take over. He is expected to begin his duties at the end of March. In an MTA meeting last month, White--then a New York state transportation commissioner--was named to the top job.