Construction plans at the Lobero Theatre are moving forward after the Santa Barbara Planning Commission gave its approval last Thursday. 

Plans include demolishing the rehearsal hall and courtyard to construct a three-story addition at the back of the theater with a rooftop terrace.

Marianne Clark, executive director of the Lobero Theatre Foundation, said it’s the most transformative project the theater has undertaken since it was built in 1924.

“It’s critical now that we evolve to meet the needs of the future even as we honor the theater’s important history,” Clark said. “To put it simply, we’ve run out of space, and we lack a number of the basic features that are expected in theaters of the Lobero’s caliber.”

She added that the addition will include the theater’s first-ever laundry facilities, additional showers and restrooms, production offices, storage, and space for rehearsals, green rooms, and audience and donor cultivation.

The first floor will serve as extra backstage rehearsal space along with office space. The second floor will have a banquet hall, and the third level will have a lounge, bar and event terrace with a fireplace.

There will be no changes to the front of the building or the existing theater except for expanded fire sprinkler coverage. 

“It is critical that this project begin on time and be completed as quickly as possible,” Clark said.

While some arts organizations have moved their 2027-28 season performances to the Granada Theatre, Clark said 20 other local organizations will be displaced by the Lobero closure.

“The Lobero’s a vital community resource, and hitting our permitting and construction milestones will have impacts on dozens of organizations and on the livelihoods of hundreds of Santa Barbarians,” Clark said.

The commissioners had only minor comments about the renovation and said they were excited about the added space for events. 

“I’m really excited about this project,” Commissioner Lesley Wiscomb said. “I think it’s really wonderful. There’s a lot going on downtown, and it’s pretty exciting.”

The renovations will also include a new wall along the back of the property that is 8 to 10 feet tall. It will provide a new pathway from Anacapa Street to the new courtyards, replacing the existing paseo.

The paseo that provides a pedestrian pathway from Canon Perdido along the west side of the theater, across city parking lot No. 9 and toward US Bank on Carrillo Street, will be eliminated.

The reason the current pathway is being eliminated is over concerns with safety and emergency access, as pedestrians have to cross four vehicle traffic lanes, according to associate planner Carly Earnest. 

Instead, the new wall with gates will create a new pathway along the back of the building. The gates, however, will be open only while staff is on site, according to Clark. 

The commissioners expressed some disappointment with the loss of the paseo but said they understood the safety concerns. 

“I am sorry that that passageway was lost, but it looks like now the onus is on the city of Santa Barbara and their driveway that accesses the parking lot to create a 3- or 4-foot pathway there,” Barnwell said. 

Commissioner Benjamin Peterson said he supported the project and found it “beautiful.”

“The addition complements the building I think very well and almost balances it out,” Peterson said. 

He said, however, that he was “uneasy” by the loss of the paseo.

“I personally feel there is something being lost by a gate closure at night,” Peterson said. “I feel that we are losing an essential paseo, but I understand the reasoning for it.”

The project will now have to return to the Historic Landmarks Commission for a final review. 

The Planning Commission asked that the Historic Landmarks Commission provide input on the design of a historical plaque and a wall commemorating donors financially supporting the theater’s addition.