City comes up with building for Solstice Parade organizers

12/28/05

By JOSHUA MOLINA
NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Garden Street facility will serve as a workshop

The popular summer solstice celebration is six months away, but already there's a reason to revel.

The city of Santa Barbara has agreed to lease the former Community Environmental Council building at 631 Garden St. to the organizers of the Summer Solstice Parade.

After several renovations are completed, the building will be called the Community Arts Workshop.

It will serve as a Solstice workshop in May and June, but the nonprofit Solstice will manage the facility year-round for other arts groups to use.

"This is going to mean so much to our community, not just Solstice," said Claudia Bratton, Solstice's executive director. "It's really exciting. It is something that has been worked on for years and years. I think personally it will make our parade even better."

Solstice in previous years has had to scramble to find a workshop and staging area for its floats. The parade is Santa Barbara's most colorful and extravagant, drawing tens of thousands of spectators to State Street.

Now the building will be a permanent home for Solstice. The financial terms are still being worked on, but Ms. Bratton said that the lease would be for 15 years, and likely for a nominal fee. The City Council must formally approve the final deal.

Solstice plans to make a number of improvements to the building, including creating a rehearsal room, set-building area and a costume department. Plans also call for office space and a possible gallery.

"It would be a great space to show large sculptural work," Ms. Bratton said.

Santa Barbara City Councilman Roger Horton is thrilled that the city and Solstice can come to terms on a deal.

"It's been a dream for a long time," Mr. Horton said. "I am really quite excited and happy about it."

Mr. Horton said he and city officials have looked long and hard for a workshop for Solstice and other artists.

"This one here seems like the first time that we have been able to come up with a viable space," he said.

Brian Bosse, redevelopment supervisor for the city, said that many of the details still must be worked out but that the city and Solstice are on the same page.

"It's very positive," Mr. Bosse said. "It's a big deal."

e-mail: jmolina@newspress.com

MIKE ELIASON / NEWS-PRESS PHOTO

The city of Santa Barbara's building will be called the Community Arts Workshop after renovations, and it will be leased to the organizers of the Summer Solstice Parade.