$9.9 MILLION FOR PARK APPROVED GYM, COMMUNITY BUILDING PLANNED FOR STEPHEN SORENSEN.

Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO

Staff Writer

LAKE LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles County supervisors have approved spending more than $9.9 million to expand Stephen Sorensen Park by adding a 14,100-square-foot gymnasium and community building.

Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2008 and be done by fall '09.

"We have a lot of different entities like the Chamber of Commerce, the Town Council and the park board. The seniors are meeting hit-and-miss wherever they can find a spot. This will give them a place of their own," said John Jones, a Lake Los Angeles Town Council member and former park board member.

"It will be a place for the kids to get in and play in the wintertime when it's too cold. It's going to be a good thing for the community."

The board approved the park expenditure at Tuesday's meeting as part of the third phase of the park's development. The park, originally named Lake Los Angeles Park, was renamed for sheriff's Deputy Stephen Sorensen, who was shot to death in August2003 while investigating a routine trespassing case outside Lake Los Angeles.

The park is about 100acres, and 3acres initially were developed in the 1990s as a grassy area with picnic tables, a small playground, horseshoe pits, restrooms and a parking lot.

The second phase, completed in August, included construction of two lighted outdoor basketball courts, a lighted multipurpose field and baseball field, concrete walkways, landscaping, irrigation improvements and additional parking.

The gym and community building also will contain a multipurpose room, classroom, lobby area, restrooms, kitchen, and storage, custodial and utility rooms.

Once the project is finished, parks and recreation department officials anticipate one-time start-up costs of about $25,000 for sports and safety equipment, furniture, office and classroom equipment, and maintenance supplies.

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