Clearing the rubble
Demolition underway in new community center project
The city has started clearing the site for the future Canyon Country Community Center.
Demolition work is underway at the property that was once known as Caruso’s II, an Italian restaurant. The city plans to take two to three weeks to demolish the building.
The permanent center is planned to be built on the northeast corner of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway, replacing the current one on Flying Tiger Drive that opened to the
public in 2012.
The new center will be 25,000 square feet with a new gymnasium, a multipurpose area, play structures, a demonstration kitchen and an outdoor basketball half-court with open turf area, said Janine Prado, the city’s community services administrator.
“The current center is in a strip mall, so it has a very small capacity,” Prado said. “There’s no outdoor space or play area and limited room for meetings and events.”
Once completed, the center will expand on programs the current center already offers. The LEAP after school program, the iTeens program, birthday parties and other recreational activities for all ages will continue at the new center while adding new programming due to expanded capacity, Prado said.
The demonstration kitchen would give residents the opportunity for cooking classes. Youth and adult sports such as basketball, volleyball and pickleball would be added features in the new gym. The multi-purpose area would have a capacity of 300 people, Prado said.
Other construction to go with the center entails a new gateway plaza on that corner of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway, and street improvements on Dolan Way and Solamint Road. There would also be improvement of the Mint Canyon Channel, according to Public Works Director Robert Newman.
“We needed a big chunk of land right in the middle of town so people could enjoy it right where they live,” said Mayor Laurene Weste.
The community center is part of the city’s 2020 vision plan that outlines numerous projects to be completed by 2020. Construction is planned for the spring of 2019.
The timeline for completion is late 2020, according to city documents.
“It is a great thing for Canyon Country to finally begin this amazing 9-acre project that will accommodate recreational community needs,” Weste said. “This will be a state-of-the-art facility. We’ve known that a community center that could meet the needs of Canyon Country was warranted and we’re so thrilled that we’re able to now create the right center.”