Officials excited about Oak Park Community Center

VISION FOR THE FUTURE--Rancho Simi Parks manager Ed Hayduk, left, points out some of the features of the new Oak Park Community Center and Gardens to Ken Behringer, a member of the Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council. Officials toured the construction site last week. The center should be opening in March.

The community center is located next to Oak Canyon Community Park, which opened to the public in 1997.

"When it’s all finished, it should be award-winning," said Kent Behringer, a MAC member. "It’s a real triumph."

In addition to community meetings, weddings and other social events, the facility will serve as headquarters to the dozens of park district programs, which include educational, athletic, and arts and crafts events.

Director Jo Lassak currently runs the Rancho Simi programs out of a temporary site at Red Oak Elementary School in Oak Park.

"We’ll have facilities for our programs finally," Lassak said. "We’re really lacking now."

Similar to the library, the community center has experienced its share of setbacks.

The project was delayed nearly a year because of high construction bids. When work finally began last February, workers discovered that the Kanan Road site wasn’t surveyed properly and another month was lost.

The library, located less than a mile away at Oak Park High School, encountered delays because of its non-performing contractor.

––John Loesing