Community members are invited to join the celebration to commemorate the reopening of the Goleta Community Center (GCC), which has been closed for more than a year for seismic retrofitting.
The ribbon-cutting event will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, April 4 on the footsteps of the historic building, 5679 Hollister Ave., which is nearing its 100th birthday. Spanish interpretation will be available.
“We hope anyone and everyone who has a connection to our beloved Goleta Community Center and understands the important role it plays in keeping our community connected will come celebrate with us,” said Mayor Paula Perotte.
In addition to Perotte, those on the list of local leaders planning to attend are U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, Santa Barbara County Supervisors Laura Capps and Joan Hartmann, and members of the Goleta City Council.
Following comments from those associated with the project, and the ceremonial ribbon cutting, guests will have an opportunity to tour the facility and learn more about programming and rental opportunities.
There will also be some free giveaways with the new GCC logo while supplies last.
While there is still work to be done to prepare the building to be fully open, the city will be accepting applications from groups looking to book the facility after April 1. For more, visit www.CityofGoleta.org/GCC.
Originally built in 1927, the building was once a schoolhouse. The city acquired it from the Goleta Union School District in 2013.
The Goleta Community Center was managed by the nonprofit Goleta Valley Community Center for decades. When it was determined the building needed seismic and accessibility upgrades, the city assumed management of the building in January 2023 and used the construction time to gather thoughts and recommendations from the community and put together a Strategic Plan for the GCC. View the plan here.
The city is grateful to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for funding 75% of the Seismic Retrofit Project. Thanks to federal Community Project Funding secured by Carbajal, additional Americans with Disabilities Act upgrades are planned in the coming years to make the building accessible for all users.