On June 10, 2025 the City of Goleta held a "topping off" ceremony with the placement of the final structural steel beam for the Goleta Train Depot. This milestone marked the completion of the construction project’s structural framing, a project that began with a groundbreaking ceremony in September of 2024. The topping-off ceremony, a tradition in the construction industry, celebrates the safe, successful completion of the installation of structural steel framing and recognizes the accomplishments of the construction crew.
On September 12, 2024, representatives from the City of Goleta and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) celebrated the groundbreaking for the new $32 million full-service train station set to be complete in summer 2026. Read about it here.
On July 16, 2024, the City Council took a number of milestone steps to award the construction contract for the new Goleta Train Depot. View the staff report here. These steps included the following:
- Approving the Conformed Plans and Specifications for Construction, incorporating addenda and bidding clarifications from the bidding process; and
- Authorizing the City Manager to execute an amendment with Anil Verma Associates, Inc., (Project's Architect) to expand the scope of work, extend the term, update the schedule of fees for design support during construction increasing the not-to-exceed amount to $3,652,000; and
- Authorizing the City Manager to execute a Construction Contract with Quincon, Inc. for the Goleta Train Depot Project in the not-to-exceed amount of $17,378,741, subject to the requirements of the contract documents; and
- Authorizing the City Manager or designee to approve contract contingency orders change orders for the Goleta Train Depot Project, if necessary, in an amount not to exceed $1,737,874; and
- Authorizing the temporary borrowing and budget appropriation of $1,502,854 from the General Fund Contingency Reserves to the Goleta Train Depot Project construction account.
On April 8, 2024, a Notice Inviting Sealed Bids for the Goleta Train Depot (CIP #9079) was released. Bids were due via electronic submission through the City of Goleta PlanetBids Vendor Portal on May 21, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. PST. Please see City Bid Results for more information.
On March 19, 2024, the City Council authorized the Mayor to execute Amendment No. 2 to the Agreement between the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments and the City of Goleta, regarding the Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program for the Goleta Train Depot Project, extending the Agreement from December 31, 2026, to December 31, 2027, and increasing the total funding amount by $5,600,000 for a new total amount not-to-exceed $17,800,000. View the staff report here.
On December 19, 2023, the City Council took a major step in the project by approving the development, plans and specifications, and authorizing the advertising for construction, along with the approval of related professional services agreements, View the staff report here.
At the August 15, 2023 City Council Meeting, Project staff presented a proposed amendment to authorize an extension and additional funding for design. View the staff report here.
The above renderings are from the August 15, 2023 Council meeting.
On January 31, 2023, Project staff was notified of its successful co-application with Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) for $5.56M in Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program Supplemental Funding which is matched by a $1M commitment of City funds. Staff continues its work on coordination with utilities, the Los Angeles – San Diego – San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Rail Corridor on its Goleta Layover Facility Expansion and preparing next steps in order to go out to bid for construction this summer. View the 2023 TIRCP Detailed Award Summary here, the Goleta Train Depot award is #13 on page 7.
On December 22, 2022, Project staff submitted its 100% plans set to the Building Department to begin the plan check review process. This marks another major milestone in the Project’s march to completion.
On December 20, 2022, Project staff provided an update on the Goleta Train Depot Project and received authorization to commit $1M in City funds for a potential funding match for $5.56M in supplemental Transit and Intercity Rail Capital Program Supplemental Funding. Since January of 2022, the Project Team has seen widespread and substantial increases in costs for materials and construction on large scale projects throughout California and generally throughout the country due in large part to the high inflationary environment causing the need to find additional funding. View the staff report and presentation here.
At the January 18, 2022, City Council meeting, the City reached a major milestone towards the completion of the much-anticipated Goleta Train Depot Project. The Council, in a unanimous 5-0 vote, on January 18, 2022, certified the Goleta Train Depot Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and approved the Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Goleta Train Depot Project Located at 27 South La Patera Lane and approved the Project. View the staff report and presentation here.
The Design Review Board (DRB) provided Advisory input and support on the Goleta Train Depot project and its latest design iteration (see image above) at its meeting on July 13, 2021. DRB had provided input and guidance earlier this year at its January 26, 2021, and April 27, 2021, meetings. The DRB conducted an Advisory review and offered comments on design-related issues for the Goleta Train Depot project. Materials for all of these meetings are available at www.CityofGoleta.org/GoletaMeetings.
The above rendering is the result of the multiple advisory reviews with the DRB in 2021.
At the October 20, 2020 City Council meeting, the Council received Staff’s October 2020 update on the Goleta Train Depot and provided consensus to support Staff’s recommended “Infill” public roadway improvements from Hollister Avenue to the terminus of South La Patera. View the staff report, including presentation, here.
At the August 5, 2020, Special City Council Meeting, Council unanimously selected the “Traditional Theme” train depot building design. The complete staff report is available here: https://tinyurl.com/y48a45rm. The “Traditional” design takes inspiration from Goleta’s agricultural history as well as the historic nature of many of the historical train depots found throughout California, including Goleta’s historic depot that now serves as the home of the South Coast Railroad Museum.
