The new Canyon Country Community Center groundbreaking ceremony is set to take place next week, and Santa Clarita residents are invited, officials said Tuesday.

The new community center is set to be built on an eight-acre site on the northeast corner of Soledad Canyon Road at Sierra Highway, replacing the community center on Flying Tiger Drive.

The existing community center was intended to be a temporary location until a permanent and larger facility could be built for the surrounding community, according to the City’s website.

After several meetings and community feedback, the new community center is set to offer a gymnasium, computer technology, arts and crafts, community and fitness rooms, an open turf play area, flexible outdoor spaces for events, playground, walkway, landscaping and a demonstration kitchen to be used for teaching, according to officials.

“There are also plans to have a basketball court installed,” said Kevin Strauss, communication specialist for the City of Santa Clarita. “This community center is going to be more than just a building for people to go inside of and take classes.”

Phase one of construction on the new Canyon Country Community Center is set to begin in early April.

“The first phase consists of the rough grading of the construction site, as well as improvements to the Mint Canyon Channel and storm drains, and the installation of a new infiltration system,” said City officials. “The Mint Canyon Channel is owned by the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Santa Clarita is thankful to Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who is supporting the project by funding a portion of the channel improvements.”

A box channel is set to be created on the site, which is intended to enclose the majority of the existing channel and allow for landscaping and a trail to be put on top of it to enhance beauty and increase usable space, according to officials.

Storm drain improvements and the installation of an infiltration system is set to have a positive environmental impact on the area by reducing water pollution.

“The infiltration system, which will be placed underneath the west and north parking lots on the site, will receive water from the Sierra Highway storm drains and remove the harmful debris and pollutants before releasing the water back into the ground and recharging underground aquifers,” said officials.

The new community center is expected to open in late 2020 or early 2021, according to Strauss.

“As the project goes along, more communications will come out from the City as to when the project is going be done,” Strauss said.

The groundbreaking ceremony is set to take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, March 15 at the community center’s new location on the corner of Soledad Canyon Road and Sierra Highway.

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