County, city join forces to build sports complex

Wave Wire Services

DOWNEY — Officials broke ground March 13 on the construction of the Downey Sports Complex at Rancho Los Amigos South Campus.

I think a lot of us over this past year realized how much we took for granted when we weren’t allowed to do those things anymore and for many people — especially kids — that was sports,” county Supervisor Janice Hahn said.

“Sports aren’t just about exercise. They build camaraderie, confidence and leadership skills. Sports are an important part of childhood and this sports complex is going to be an asset to Downey residents.”

The five-acre site will include three multipurpose sports fields, lighting for nighttime play, restrooms, a concession stand, an equipment storage room, office space for staff, and a surface parking lot. The parking lot will include 19 electric vehicle charging stations. When it’s completed, the county will lease the facility for one dollar a year to the city of Downey, which will operate it.

This is an exciting day for our entire community, as we break ground on this brand new sports complex that will provide much needed recreational opportunities for our local youth,” Downey Mayor Claudia Frometa said. “This project would not be possible without the support of Supervisor Janice Hahn, who has been committed to this project and has worked with our city to articulate a vision and a design that reflects the needs of our community.

This complex and sports fields will be a legacy to our younger generations that health matters to us. Our youth matter! Looking forward to its completion and the many years of use and recreation.”

The project is budgeted at $12.12 million, with $10 million coming from Hahn’s Fourth District discretionary funding while the additional $2.12 million will come from the city and will cover the synthetic turf, office space and a multi-sport scoreboard.

The project is estimated to be completed in November.

The complex is part of a larger county plan to redevelop 70 acres of the Rancho Los Amigos South Campus, which was abandoned 30 years ago after Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center consolidated its hospital campus.