Proposal for Sports Center Advances

The Department of Water and Power has reached a tentative agreement with a developer to lease up to 16 acres of land next to the Golden State Freeway for use as a multipurpose sports center.

The development, which still must pass several city hurdles before construction could begin, would include a 75-tee driving range, chipping and putting areas, a baseball batting cage and a retail shop specializing in golf and baseball gear, said Frank Igo, president of Golf Sport, a management company that will oversee the project.

“In the future we hope maybe there may be a roller hockey rink and an arena soccer field also,” said Igo, who estimated the project would cost between $1.5 million and $2 million.

The center would be built on an unused 70-acre parcel of DWP land near Bledsoe and Encinitas streets in Sylmar.

DWP real estate officer Marc Garcia said it would take about three months before the city Planning Department completes traffic and environmental studies to determine whether the project is feasible.

Once the studies are completed and the developer obtains a zoning variance, the project would still be subject to approval by the DWP board and City Council, officials said.

Garcia said it was not uncommon for the DWP to rent surplus property.

“If there is an under-performing asset, like land that is just sitting there, we will rent it to raise revenue,” Garcia said.

Igo, whose background is in hotel development, said he had been scouting the Valley for locations for the sports center before settling on the DWP property.

“We think this is a very good location. . . . It has freeway access and the neighborhood and the councilman [Richard Alarcon] have been very supportive,” Igo said.