A South Coast school district is close to finalizing a deal for an old military facility which will give it nearly five acres of prime property next to some existing schools.
The Santa Barbara School District has been trying for decades to buy the Santa Barbara National Guard Armory property. It’s 4.7 acres of land in the 700 block of East Canon Perdido Steet, in the downtown Santa Barbara area.
The land is between two existing schools, Santa Barbara High School and Santa Barbara Junior High School. While the district doesn’t have exact plans for the property, purchasing it while it is available preserves a number of options for its use.
The Santa Barbara School Board will consider the $11.6 million dollar purchase when it meets Tuesday. A 2016 bond measure passed by voters set aside $20 million dollars for land purchase and redevelopment, so the money wouldn’t come from the district’s general fund budget.
