The Newport Beach city council approved early construction on its new city hall project, and a timeline for completion of construction by 2012.

The mass excavation and grading of the project site, at Avocado Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard, will include the removal of 200,000 cubic yards of dirt. This work is scheduled to begin May 11 and construction of a parking structure for the site will kick off in December.

“This is an historic time,” said Mayor Keith Curry. “Dirt will fly on this site before this council meets again.”

The city is contracting with Irvine-based building C.W. Driver to do the early phases of the project that at one time had a total price tag of $140 million.

The timeline also includes the preparation of major bid packages by November 2011 and construction on the rest of the site beginning in January 2011.

— ADAM ELMAHREK

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