Improvements Planned for Las Palmas Park

Las Palmas Park, once a hangout for gang members and the site of a drive-by shooting, is about to embark on an improvement project that will include construction of an at-risk youth center.

The park and recreation center will close early next month for a $1.2-million renovation and expansion.

“We want to help youngsters before they get sucked into the gang lifestyle,” said San Fernando Mayor Raul Godinez II. “The community has really embraced the park and made it their own.”

Plans for construction of a senior center within the recreation center have been put on hold while the city applies for an additional $2 million in state and federal grant funding, said city Public Works Director Michael Drake.

The city has thus far received more than $3 million for the Las Palmas Park projects through state bond money and the federal Community Development Block Grant program, Drake said.

The first phase of the recreation center project is expected to be completed in late May or early June. During the closure, senior meals will be provided by the Catholic Charities group at the Santa Rosa Community Center. The city agreed to pay $200 a month to the group for the service.

Other Las Palmas Park projects completed during the four-year improvement program include construction of a Little League ball field, a T-ball field, a concessions stand, public restrooms and a group picnic area.