Los Angeles Valley College opened a $23 million Community Services Center for students and area residents this week as part of its campus expansion and modernization program. The 29,000-square-foot center, east of Ethel Avenue near Monarch Stadium, is a multipurpose facility that has several activity and administrative rooms for community service programs, a computer lab, a gymnastics center and two large rooms for dance classes, martial arts and other activities. “I’m looking forward to attracting residents from all our surrounding communities with the new services we are providing,” said Valley College President Erika Endrijonas in a prepared statement. The college has several projects underway funded by its $626 million capital improvement program, including the construction of the 77,000-square-foot Valley College Gateway – a building that will house the school’s main administrative offices, a community workforce development center and a job training center where students can find employment and internships. Construction on the $35 million Gateway and a $31 million athletics facility broke ground this January and are scheduled to be completed by the middle of next year. The capital for the expansion was provided by the Los Angeles Community College Building Program, a $6 billion program funded by taxpayer-approved bonds that have so far helped the district’s nine colleges fund renovations on older academic buildings, sports facilities and parking structures. Los Angeles Valley College also will break ground on a performing arts building and a new student union facility this year, with projected completion dates in 2017.