Date: October 2, 2001	Contact: Darren Pudgil
	tel: (619) 531-5894

ROBERTS BREAKS GROUND ON NEW LIBRARY, GYM & TEEN CENTER
Spring Valley Library will be three times larger than existing branch

SPRING VALLEY - Supervisor Ron Roberts today joined with community members and school officials to
break ground on a new County library, gym and teen center in Spring Valley.

The complex, which will open in the Spring of 2002, will be built on a dirt lot on the campus of La Presa
Middle School. It is a joint project of the County of San Diego and the Spring Valley-La Mesa School District,
which donated the land on which the buildings will be constructed.

"This is a great example of what can be accomplished when we all work together,” said Roberts. “By pooling together the resources of the county and the school district, we're going to be able to build something wonderful. It will be a place where our kids can learn and play in a safe environment."

At just over 13,000 square feet, the library will be three times larger than the existing Spring Valley branch, which is located in a strip mall off Elkelton Blvd.

It will allow school children greater access to information, which will compliment their ongoing education and provide enough space for the library to increase its collections. The public will also be able to use the library.

Next to the library, a 14,000 square foot gym and 1,500 square foot teen center will be built. In the gym, students will be able to take part in a whole host of athletic activities, including basketball, volleyball and aerobics.

The teen center will offer a wide array of social activities, mentoring, peer counseling, and homework assistance. Students will work with staff to develop activities that will be both fun and safe.

The County of San Diego will pay for most of the $4.7 million cost of the project. The state and the school district are also chipping in with financial assistance.

For more information about this project, please call Supervisor Roberts’ policy advisor Charlotte McArdle, at
(619) 531-5544 or via e-mail at cmcard@co.san-diego.ca.us.