ANAHEIM : City Unveils Plans for Community Center

The new downtown community center will cost $18 million and will include a central meeting hall, an art museum, a theater, a pool and a gym, according to plans announced by the city this week.

The project would be built in two phases and on both sides of Philadelphia Street between Center Street and Broadway, according to the plan. It would also include construction of a new YMCA and a Boys and Girls Club.

Bill Taormina, president of the city’s trash haulers and a leader of the committee that wrote the proposal, said the panel’s goal was to bring several city groups together to try to devise a facility they all could use. Included were representatives of senior and youth groups and the art community.

“Everybody has been looking for their own facility, so rather than have each group trying for the same limited resources, we wanted to put them all together,” Taormina said.

The first phase, which would cost $6.5 million, would include a senior center, the general meeting room, the gym and part of the museum. Under the proposal, funding would come from federal, state and county grants, sale of the current downtown senior center site, a $2-million insurance settlement the city is set to receive and some private grants. Construction could begin next year.

The second phase would include the completion of the art center, the theater, the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club and the pool, which would be operated by the YMCA. This phase would be paid by private fund-raising efforts.

Some council members criticized the proposal.

Councilman Frank Feldhaus said the committee was not thinking big enough. He said a city with a major-league stadium and arena should have an equally grand community center.

“I don’t see why we should settle for second best,” Feldhaus said.

Councilman Irv Pickler said he wants to see more emphasis given to facilities aimed at children.

The council will be asked to hire an architect to design the project by spring.