The Goleta City Council held a special virtual City Council Meeting on August 31 to discuss the future of the Goleta Community Center (GCC). Originally built in 1927, the GCC is located at 5679 Hollister Avenue in the heart of the City in Old Town and is an important gathering place for our community. The City purchased the GCC in 2013 but the building has been managed by the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC), a non-profit organization.

The City Council conceptually approved the City of Goleta assuming direct management of the GCC beginning next year while construction projects are ongoing, and asked staff to return in the fall with a plan to do this. Two major construction projects, one to complete the seismic retrofit and one to complete Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility improvements, are expected to begin next year.

Assuming direct management of the GCC on July 1, 2022, will provide the City an opportunity to take a more active role in improving the quality of the GCC. It will also allow the City to better stage the construction, develop a Community Center Strategic Plan, and determine the best management options for the GCC for the future.

The City Council also received a report during the Council meeting on the stakeholder and public outreach process that was conducted in February and March 2020 to better understand the community’s desires for programming and uses at the GCC. One of the recommendations of the outreach process was that the City conduct a strategic planning process to guide future use and management of the GCC. 

The City of Goleta is looking forward to improving the Goleta Community Center so that is a thriving facility for the next 95 years. We would like to thank the Goleta Valley Community Center (GVCC) organization for managing the GCC for many years. The GVCC organization will continue to be involved in the GCC and help the City decide the future of the Community Center.

Watch a recording of the meeting anytime on the City website at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings. It is also available to watch on Goleta TV Channel 19 Wednesdays and Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The full agenda from the meeting is available at https://tinyurl.com/x5m2sw8h.

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