Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Striplin shared updates on several capital improvement projects and the city’s spending plan Tuesday in a meeting of the city’s Budget Committee.
Striplin said the city is about six months into the process, which usually culminates in June with the City Council’s approval, after a few more public discussions.
The presentation also offered an update on several locally anticipated projects from Striplin, the CEO of city staff, which are part of the city’s plans for its $96.7 million capital-improvement portion of the budget, which represents a 19% increase, or $15 million over last year’s.
The biggest projects expected to see significant funds from those accounts next year include The Rink, the Via Princessa Park upgrades, a second parking structure for Downtown Newhall and plans for the former site of the Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center.
The Rink
The best news for roller-skating enthusiasts in this year’s budget is that their dreams of a rink near the Santa Clarita Sports Complex are being answered: The city is budgeting $1 million in one-time costs and $1.2 million in ongoing costs for staffing and operations for The Rink, the city’s multipurpose sports facility and skating rink.
Striplin estimated the new facility would be open in October.
The new expenditures push the estimates for the opening of the facility to more than $30 million, including the $1.66 million budgeted for design. The project is one that the city has spent years on, now calling for a fall finish.
In April 2022, the city approved $356,000 to design a gated roller-skating rink with a single-story covered structure, shaded seating, a DJ booth and a few other amenities.
City officials came back at the City Council’s direction a year later, with $200,000 more in design costs for a basketball court, pickleball courts, a volleyball court and spectator seating.
Additions in November 2023 pushed up the design cost again to include a kitchen/concession area, additional storage, a family restroom and “exterior improvements,” according to a previous City Council agenda. Staff gave examples of additional uses, such as a championship venue for city sports programs.
The City Council held a groundbreaking ceremony in August 2024. In December of that year, the city awarded about $27.5 million to AMG Associates and several other contractors for the project’s actual construction. At the groundbreaking, the city had identified April 2026 as a possible opening date.
Via Princessa
The city’s budget is calling for $35 million — the largest single expenditure in the capital improvement project budget for 2026-27 — for the construction phase, or Phase II of Via Princessa Park.
“When complete, Via Princessa Park will feature four multi-sport fields with sports field lighting, four pickleball courts and a pedestrian tunnel beneath the Metrolink tracks,” according to the city’s website. “The playground will include a treehouse element overlooking an aquatic-inspired play structure, along with log scrambles, native tree shade, stormwater planters and a critter scavenger hunt.”
The city held a groundbreaking in January to celebrate the 30-acre project, the city’s 41st park.
The land is currently still in the grading phase, according to Striplin.
Main Street development
Striplin also mentioned Old Town Newhall’s continued redevelopment as a big part of the coming year’s spending plan.
“Under sustainable public infrastructure, we have $26.1 million for the parking structure in Old Town Newhall on Main Street,” Striplin said, during his report. “This is proposed as a six-story parking structure at the south end, and will be built probably starting next year.”
Construction plans for Main Street are expanding once again, with the city’s negotiations on a deal that would book-end the revitalization of Downtown Newhall.
The plans also involve 65 condos in a relatively small retail portion at the south end of Main Street.
Newhall Crossings, which has been credited by the city as being a big part of that neighborhood’s revitalization, was built by Jason Tolleson and his company, Serrano Development Group, nearly 10 years ago. That’s the same entity the city is working with on this project and another next door called The Hartwell.
Nearby, the city also had originally discussed the potential to create a space for artists and veterans; however, the most recent budget calls for a complete demolition of the building, at a cost of $1.26 million.
