$3 million in federal funding awarded to improve Goleta Community Center

GOLETA, Calif. – The Goleta Community Center will receive $3 million in federal Community Project Funding to improve and reopen the nearly 100-year-old antiquated facility.

The building sees an average of roughly 100,000 visitors a year for a variety of classes, senior services, and childcare, among other uses and programs, according to city officials. Additionally, more than 90 nonprofit organizations use the building monthly.

The Goleta Community Center is also used as a Red Cross shelter during natural disasters and was used as a COVID-19 testing site at the peak of the pandemic.

The city-owned building, located at 5679 Hollister Ave., has been closed since January 2021 due to the need for seismic improvements.

The $3 million in federal funding will be used for seismic upgrades along with other building improvements that will allow the building to safely reopen.

“It is imperative that we get this important community resource fully operational and available to the large and diverse populations that gather here,” said Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte.

In order to make the seismic upgrades, the city is required to make American Disabilities Act improvements, which include adding access aisles to ADA parking spaces, improvements to the path of travel from the bus stop on Hollister to the front door, new handrails on the front entrance access ramp, and the addition of toilet stalls to inside restrooms.

The seismic upgrades are expected to begin in the winter of this year, and the first phase of ADA improvements will begin soon after.

Once the seismic upgrades are complete, the auditorium and dining room of the community center will be safe to reopen.

The seismic improvements will be funded by a $5 million Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant, which includes $1.3 million in matching from the city of Goleta.