Santa Clarita City Council approved a $3 million deal with the Santa Clarita Valley Committee on Aging to build a new community Senior Center.

The City Council approved the deal Tuesday night, designating the funds for the sole purpose of building a new Senior Center. The deal is part of a partnership with Los Angeles County, which is also contributing $3 million for the center’s construction.

That deal is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

The new Senior Center is proposed to be built on a 2.5-acre property near the corner of Golden Valley Road and Five Knolls Drive, in the western edge of Canyon Country on its border with Saugus.

Construction is anticipated to begin on the new facility in January 2017.  The tentative completion date is January 2019, according to the City Council meeting agenda background.

The money provided to the SCV Committee on Aging will be split by the city of Santa Clarita and Los Angeles County.

“Our office is proud to work in partnership with the city of Santa Clarita who is also giving $3 million – to allocate an additional $3 million from the county to provide a new, state-of-the-art senior center for our Santa Clarita Valley communities,” said Kathryn Barger, Supervisor Michael Antonovich’s chief deputy supervisor.

The money designated for the new Senior Center will be provided between the 2015-16 and 2016-17 fiscal year, according to the City Council meeting agenda.

The contract designates that money appropriated can only be used in contracts with companies involved in creating the new building.

The Santa Clarita Valley Committee on Aging initially approached the city of Santa Clarita and Los Angeles County after completing a comprehensive needs assessment on their current Senior Center facilities.

On Nov. 25, 2014, the city of Santa Clarita committed to the $3 million dollar appropriation, following a contract negotiation between City officials and the Santa Clarita Valley Committee on Aging.

Tuesday night, the agreement between the two entities was approved, officially providing money to the organization.

The current Senior Center, located on Market Street in Newhall, was erected in 1983, according to the Senior Center Website.

The center’s services include, meal preparation and delivery, information and assistance, and transportation opportunities on a regularly scheduled basis, according to their website.

The new Senior Center, will be built to accommodate a higher number of senior citizens and provide more health services.

The building is proposed to be between 1800 and 2200 square feet and will feature 143 new parking stalls.
The Senior Center is expected to be built in conjunction with a new YMCA facility.  Officials hope it will create a safe, social environment for seniors and community members in the area.