Plans Advance for Senior-Youth Center

Paving the way for what would be the city’s first intergenerational community center, the Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday gave the go-ahead to begin negotiations to purchase a 40,000-square-foot building on Van Nuys Boulevard.

Still in the planning stages, the center would offer a variety of services and programs for seniors and youth, with an emphasis on activities that both groups could take part in together, Councilman Joel Wachs said.

“We were looking for a location for a new seniors center because there is a real need in that part of the Valley,” Wachs said. “We began to realize that we could have both youth and senior programs in this facility. We think it’s really healthy to have youth and seniors doing things together.”

Wednesday’s unanimous council vote allows the Department of Recreation and Parks to begin negotiations to purchase the building, a former convalescent home at 9540 Van Nuys Blvd.

The center would be run by the department in cooperation with other city agencies, including the Department of Aging, Wachs said.

Both the purchase of the building and the programs will be financed by funds from propositions A and K, Wachs said. About $3.5 million has been committed to the project so far.

Proposition A, a $540-million bond measure for county parks and recreational projects, was passed by voters in 1992. Proposition K, approved in 1996, is a city measure that also provides money for parks and recreational activities.

In addition to the programs for seniors and youth, Wachs said, the Van Nuys Boulevard building is large enough to accommodate offices for a variety of city departments.

“It’s going to be unbelievable, a model for the rest of the city,” Wachs said. “There are a lot of possibilities for what we can do.”