$25-Million Sports Complex Proposed for Hansen Dam Area

In the most ambitious project of its kind in city history, Los Angeles parks officials proposed Wednesday a $25-million transformation of the Hansen Dam Recreation Area into a major sports and recreation facility for the region.

The plan calls for using 100 acres in Lake View Terrace to build sports fields, an indoor soccer arena, roller hockey rink, bike motocross course, skateboard park, model airplane airport and a recreational vehicle campground. It won tentative support Wednesday from the city Parks Commission.

The panel delayed final action to give the president of the Galaxy professional soccer team 30 days to determine whether Hansen Dam would be suitable for a new 35,000-seat soccer stadium for the team and a major training center for the national men’s and women’s teams.

Galaxy President Tim Leiweke told the Parks Commission that Hansen Dam is one of several sites under consideration by the team as part of a bid to build a national soccer facility costing as much as $60 million.

“We’d like to see a project that would put the soccer capital of the United States in the city of Los Angeles,� Leiweke told the commission.

Commissioners said both proposals, while potentially competing, are exciting.

“It’s a terrific, incredible proposal,� Commission President Steven Soboroff said of the improvements presented by the parks staff.

The city plan would build facilities on 100 acres of the 1,463-acre recreation area. Funding would total $15 million from the state and $10 million from the city’s Proposition K bond funds, said Rick Sessinghaus, an assistant general manager for the parks department.

The proposal is in addition to ongoing development of two lakes and a water slide on the property, set to open next month. That $15.8-million project began the return of the dam area to its post-World War II role as one of the San Fernando Valley’s prime recreation destinations.

Sessinghaus said the proposed project would be the most expensive of its kind that the city has undertaken, involving both open space and sports fields, as well as a $1-million tented arena with an artificial turf playing surface for soccer games and two roller hockey rinks. The arena would have bleachers for about 1,000 spectators.

The proposal also includes:

* A $100,000 model airplane airport.

* Four new turf soccer fields and two dirt training soccer fields with night lighting.

* A 38-space campground for recreational vehicles.

* Ten half-courts for basketball games.

* Eight softball fields.

* A $350,000 skateboard park.

* A $150,000 bicycle motocross course.

* A mountain bike course.

* A hang glider facility.

* A new 25-acre park with grass, picnic tables and playground equipment.

* A permanent site for the San Fernando Valley Fair.

Proposal Compatible With Master Plan

“This is possibly the most innovative sports facility the city has ever proposed,� said Steve Davis, a parks official who helped draft the plan.

Davis said the proposal is compatible with a master plan drafted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns the land and leases it to the city on condition that much of Hansen Dam be retained for flood control.

Elements including the skateboard park, roller hockey rinks and motocross course provide facilities that are much in demand but not plentiful in Los Angeles, Davis said.

“I am so excited by this proposal,� Commissioner Mike Roos said.

But Soboroff said he is also interested in Leiweke’s proposal, which includes development of 12 public soccer fields for youth teams. No city money would be needed, but the Galaxy might need financial help from the state, Leiweke told the commission.

“We are out looking for a permanent home for the Galaxy,� Leiweke said, noting that the team is playing games at the 90,000-seat Rose Bowl, which is too big.

He said the United States Soccer Federation is expecting to get bids from several cities for a training facility for the men’s and women’s national teams.

Leiweke said he is developing a proposal that would combine a state-of-the-art stadium for Galaxy home games with a major training facility. The new soccer stadium could potentially host World Cup matches as well as NCAA final-four soccer tournaments, Leiweke said.

“All of our best soccer players would come to train here,� Leiweke told the commission.

The facility would require 50 acres. Sessinghaus said the only two facilities in the area with 50 free acres would be Hansen Dam and the Sepulveda Basin in Van Nuys.

“Building a stadium there [Sepulveda Basin] would create all kinds of different issues,� Soboroff said.

Galaxy to Give Report in 30 Days

Although the Galaxy hasn’t narrowed its search for sites to one location, Leiweke agreed to a commission request to report back in 30 days on whether the team would be interested in pursuing the use of Hansen Dam.

“Maybe this would work here. Maybe it would not,� Leiweke said. “We are interested.�

If the team determines that Hansen Dam is not suitable for a stadium, the commission would then be able to give the go-ahead to planning for the massive sports development proposed by parks officials.

Improvement Plan

The city Parks Department has proposed a $25-million improvement plan for the Hansen Dam Recreation Area. Some of the elements:

1. A 38-space campground for recreational vehicles, two horseshoe pits, a barbecue area and a model airplane airport.

2. Indoor roller-hockey rinks and soccer field, 10 basketball courts, four sand volleyball courts and picnic areas.

3. Soccer playing and training fields, as well as concession buildings and parking.

4. A 25-acre park with picnic tables and playground equipment.

5. A skateboard park, softball fields, a bicycle motocross track and concession buildings.

6. Soccer and softball fields.

Additional improvements throughout the park would include: A site for a permanent home for the San Fernando Valley Fair, a hang gliding facility, jogging trails and a lake.