Simi Opens Community Center : Recreation: Residents welcome $3-million multipurpose facility, say it is long overdue. It’s area’s first.

Amid congratulatory speeches and much fanfare, recreation officials on Saturday opened Simi Valley’s first community center, a $3-million multipurpose complex that residents say is long overdue.

Rancho Santa Susana Community Center, at the city’s eastern end, will become a gathering spot for residents looking to play basketball, take recreation classes or hold meetings, said recreation supervisor Tracy Engel.

“Can you believe it?” asked Engel, who had worked for the larger and older Conejo Valley Recreation and Park District for 10 years. “They’ve never had a multipurpose center before.”

In addition to the 11,686-square-foot gym, the center has a restaurant-sized kitchen, circular dance studio, locker rooms and two large multipurpose rooms. Several brides have already reserved space for summer weddings, and recreation classes begin Monday, Engel said.

Recreation officials have been planning the center since 1987. With Simi Valley’s burgeoning population, a community center is a much-needed facility, officials said.

The long-awaited project was slightly delayed after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the region in January, said Rick Johnson, spokesman for the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District.

“We were going to try to open it up in April,” Johnson said. “The earthquake raised the north end of the building about one inch over the other end, and we had to compensate for that a little.”

The opening ceremonies at the center, at 5005-C Los Angeles Ave., went off without a glitch Saturday morning. About 125 people were on hand to hear speeches by recreation board members, staff, the architect and builder of the center. At 10:15 a.m., the balloons covering the entrance were released, and the doors were flung open.

In the lobby, the smell of new paint lingered, and volunteers circulated through the crowd, passing out brochures on recreation classes.

The biggest attraction was the gym--large enough to hold three volleyball courts or two regular-sized basketball courts. Six backboards, two electronic scoreboards and rows of wooden bleachers complement the freshly varnished floor, not yet scuffed by sneakers.

Joseph Brown and his friend Branden Foster, both 13, were among the first to bounce a basketball off the newly polished backboards.

The pair came to the opening ready to play, but after a quick dribble by Joseph and one shot by Branden, a volunteer told them they would have to wait until Monday. The opening day was to allow residents to tour the gym, not use it, they were told.

“I was hoping we’d get to play, but they said not today,” Joseph said.

But halfway through his grumbling, the volunteer returned and told the boys they could play after all, because Engel decided the gym should be put to use immediately.

“Oh cool!” Joseph squealed. “We’re going to come here every day!”

Within an hour after the center opened, four sweaty basketball games were in progress on the gym floor.

Vince Asturi, 34, who lives across the street from the center, said he was amazed at the size of the one-story complex, even though he has watched its construction for the past year.

“There’s nothing on this end of town,” Asturi said. “It’s about time.”

Shirley Ackerfield, 71, said she plans to sign up for some of the recreation classes the center offers.

“It’s the most beautiful thing,” Ackerfield said. “I just hope the children will use it. We don’t have too many things for kids this side of the valley.”