Houghton center

Rendering courtesy of the City of Long Beach.

City officials today unveiled a rendering of the new Houghton Park Community Center, a facility that will add to the existing community center built as a series of connected buildings in the 1930s and 1980s.

The unveiling took place at Houghton Park and was attended by city officials, including Vice Mayor Rex Richardson.

“After almost 100 years, Houghton Park is finally getting the community center it deserves,” said Vice Mayor Rex Richardson in a statement. “The building will set a new standard for design, complementing our new Michelle Obama Neighborhood Library and Fire Station 12, and will serve as a central gathering place for our community for many years to come.”

Expected to break ground in early 2018, the 6,450-square-foot building will be paid for by $4 million in Measure A funding and $3 million from Capital Improvement funds that have been set aside for this project beginning in Fiscal Year 2014, according to a city release.

The center will house two large multi-purpose rooms and a central area for restrooms and reception, it will add two park-facing public restrooms to provide park goers with restroom access without having to go inside the building and it will incorporate electric vehicle parking, school bus loading and unloading zones and more bicycle parking to accommodate various transportation methods, according to city officials.

The building has also earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating and will use drought tolerant landscaping around the building and courtyard to cut down on water usage, officials stated. Polycarbonate panels will also be included to bring natural daylight into multi-purpose rooms and reduce energy costs.

Stephanie Rivera is the community engagement editor. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter at @StephRivera88.