ANAHEIM : Building Bought for Community Center

The City Council this week approved spending about $435,000 to buy an apartment complex that will be converted to a permanent community center in the Jeffrey-Lynne neighborhood.

The purchase has worried some in the neighborhood who would have preferred that the city build a structure in a park that is to be built in the area, but most residents and community center employees say they are pleased to have a permanent site.

“We’ve got a lot of folks here with their opinions and comments, and the response seems to be really positive,” said Anita Castro-Zvoda, director of the community center that now operates from a two-bedroom apartment that the city rents for $850 a month.

“We’re happy to take whatever will allow us the room to support the services,” she said.

There was concern that families living in the eight-unit complex of one-bedroom apartments on Jeffrey Drive would be displaced to make way for the community center.

While those residents will need to move out, the city is offering a number of options and assistance to help them make the transition.

“They’re not just going to toss them out on the street,” said Castro-Zvoda about the city housing authority, which is assisting residents.

The housing authority will soon be meeting with the residents living in the complex to determine how many will need to be relocated and where those residents would like to move.

The agency will probably provide rental assistance and moving assistance to help the residents make the transition, and some residents may qualify for federal housing assistance.

The residents will be given at least 90 days’ notice, but the community center staff members may begin relocating their offices to the new building sooner if the apartments become vacant.

There are a number of proposals on how to use the complex, including knocking down walls to build classroom space. Courses in English and employment training are priorities for residents, as are after-school programs and tutoring for children.

The city opted to buy the complex because officials believed the property value would increase in time, while a new structure would wear out over the years and need to be replaced.

Some residents have been concerned that the city was moving too slowly in acquiring a permanent center and converting a part of the area into a park by the end of the month, as was promised. Castro-Zvoda, however, pointed out that funding is always an issue and that major improvements to an area take time.

“We didn’t get into the situation we’re in in Jeffrey-Lynne in one year. It’s going to take more than a year to get us out of it,” she said.