Construction Project Background 

The City of Goleta conducted a seismic evaluation of the Goleta Community Center Main Building, which yielded two main deficiencies in the Auditorium and Dining Hall: inadequate connection between the roof system and exterior concrete walls, and the absence of proper roof structural sheathing throughout the roof system. Given these deficiencies, and based upon evaluation and analysis of the City’s Building Official, the Auditorium and Dining Hall were closed to the public in February 2021, until seismic repairs could be made. During this time, other rooms in the Main Building, including the conference room and eight classrooms, remained in use. 

Seismic Retrofit

The Seismic Retrofit Project is scheduled to begin on May 30, 2023 and will take several months to complete. The construction work on the main building will improve the safety of the nearly 100-year-old building during an earthquake by strengthening the connections between the roof, walls, and floor. The project will also replace the roof which is past its useful life and provide a fresh coat of paint to the exterior. The work is funded by a Hazard Mitigation Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Administration supplemented by money from the City of Goleta’s General Fund.

The auditorium and dining room, the two largest rooms in the facility, have been closed to the public since February 2021 and will remain closed until seismic safety improvements are completed. The main building was closed in January 2023 to prepare the building for the retrofit project. Other uses on the campus, including Rainbow School, Head Start, the Senior Center, Resilience Personal Training, the Boys and Girls Club, pickleball courts and the athletic field, will remain open during construction. 

The self-service sandbag station at the Community Center will be closed during construction but community members can go to sandbag locations at Fire Station 11 (6901 Frey Way and Storke Road) or Fire Station 14 (320 Los Carneros Road).

Americans with Disabilities Act “ADA” Upgrades

A second project will follow the Seismic Retrofit project to address needed ADA upgrades to the facility. Upgrades include improvements to the existing restrooms and path of travel throughout the site, among other key assets. It is anticipated that the building will remain open during construction, with intermittent closures. The project team is currently working on the final phases of design. 

If you have any questions regarding either project, please contact General Services Director, Matthew R. Fore at mfore@cityofgoleta.org.