Last year, Lancaster officials announced plans to build a multi-agency regional “resilience center” as part of its efforts to bolster emergency preparedness. On Thursday July 11, city leaders and residents joined in a groundbreaking for the center at the Antelope Valley Fair and Event Center.
The project was made possible due to a multi-agency effort that involved the city of Lancaster, Los Angeles County, Antelope Valley Union High School District, the state Department of Food and Agriculture and the City of Palmdale.
A rendering of the new Parris Center at the AV Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The new center will function for community events and emergency preparedness. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Antelope Valley queens open the ceremony to break ground on the new Parris Center at the AV Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The new center will function for community events and emergency preparedness. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Site of the new Parris Center at the AV Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The new center will function for community events and emergency preparedness. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Robert Parris thanks the city for backing the new Parris Center at the AV Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The new center will function for community events and emergency preparedness. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The Parris family attends the groundbreaking of the new Parris Center at the AV Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The new center will function for community events and emergency preparedness. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Rex Parris, Lancaster Mayor, at the groundbreaking for the new Parris Center at the AV Fairgrounds on Thursday, July 11, 2024. The new center will function for community events and emergency preparedness. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
The resilience center is named after Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris and his family. Parris said the center “is going to make a world of difference in our city and our region’s emergency response capabilities.”
The city and the Antelope Valley Fair Authority received a $20 million grant from the California Department of Food and Agriculture to create the 240,000 sq. ft. new and renovated space for emergency sheltering “during climate-induced or other emergencies,” the mayor said in a prepared statement.
The center will be used for community events. But the broader intent is to create more secure shelter space, improve kitchen and sanitation facilities, provide showers and other upgrades to help residents and the surrounding area in times of need.
