Renovation Effort to Modernized Civic Auditorium Underway

Nonprofit Group ‘Friends of’ Formed to Help Remodel Santa Cruz’s Community Center

Renovation of the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium, the largest arts and cultural venue in Santa Cruz County, is the goal of the newly launched Friends of the Civic Auditorium. The nonprofit advocacy group is the result of efforts by an ad hoc group of Civic supporters and receives fiscal sponsorship from Arts Council Santa Cruz County.

The Civic Auditorium, which is owned and run by the City of Santa Cruz, has been a Downtown Santa Cruz landmark and cultural destination since it opened in 1940, hosting concerts and events and serving as a key gathering place for the Santa Cruz community.

“Audiences and performers are facing growing obstacles from the Civic’s aging infrastructure,” said Ellen Primack, executive director of Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. “The Civic Auditorium is the only venue in Santa Cruz County that can accommodate up to 2,000 people for cultural and artistic events. But the auditorium is uncomfortable, and for some, unsafe. This hurts our arts organizations and our downtown economy, and it leaves our community without the beautiful gathering place we deserve.”

Recent design studies have found the Civic Auditorium to be structurally sound and a stellar candidate for a cost-effective renovation to improve the building’s utilization and comfort. The renovated Civic will bring modern systems, new safety measures and a higher level of comfort to this historic building. A new second-story lobby will be created, including an exterior balcony area for receptions, with an elevator to enhance accessibility. The front portico will be glazed with glass, expanding the size of the first floor lobby. Lighting, acoustical and staging systems will be upgraded. Restrooms and concession areas will be improved.

“A renovated Civic would mean the next chapter in the creative lives of everyone who lives, works, and plays in Santa Cruz County,” said Michelle Williams, executive director, Arts Council of Santa Cruz County. “Our community needs and deserves a beautiful arts and cultural venue of this size which will showcase homegrown and world-class talent, inspire and delight audiences, and boost our local economy.”

Friends of the Civic Auditorium will advocate for renovation of the Civic by engaging with community members, elected officials and other stakeholders to develop and execute a plan for funding the renovation.

Improving and modernizing the facilities of this historic building will give Santa Cruz an anchor venue for artistic activation at a scale that can’t be served by any other building in the county. The renovation will also significantly invigorate the Civic’s contribution to the economic vitality of Downtown Santa Cruz by drawing lively crowds that will support local restaurants and businesses.

Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium by the Numbers:

• Constructed in 1939 under the Public Works Progress Administration as a multi-use facility
• Seats approximately 2,000 people, making it the largest cultural venue in Santa Cruz County
• Draws more than 85,000 attendees annually

•••

Friends of the Civic Auditorium (FoCA) is a nonprofit advocacy group dedicated to the modernization of the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Fiscal sponsorship of FoCA is provided by Arts Council Santa Cruz County. Learn more at www.FriendsoftheCivic.org or via Facebook and Instagram.