It’s a sunny afternoon in a Santa Barbara park just a few hundred feet from West Beach.
Jim McBride is one of hundreds of people sitting in a lawn chair, listening to music. He’s excited, because it’s the first concert for the Plaza del Mar Park’s just renovated 105 year old band shell.
"I have appreciated the history of this band shell, and was waiting for the day it would be renovated," said McBride.
He admits he was skeptical that it would happen.
"I think the thing that's exciting is that not only did they artistically recreate and restore it, but the audio projection coming off of that shell is amazing," he said.
The Plaza del Mar Band Shell was built in 1919, as a concert venue for the nearly five acre park.
"It was designed by Winsor Soule, who was a really big architect at that time in the Mission Revival style," said Historian Patty Beresford.
She said it replaced a makeshift bandstand, and people had sought something much nicer for a long time.
Beresford said at the time, they finished the band shell, but didn't have money for musicians to perform concerts.
"For about the first three or four years, they didn't have a municipal band. And then Max Fleischmann (a noted Santa Barbara leader) in 1924 and 1925 funded a municipal band," said Beresford.
It hosted concerts for decades. But, time caught up with it. By 2020, it was in such bad shape, it had to be shut down, and fenced in because it had become a safety hazard.
"It was falling down, and it was really sad," said
Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department Director Jill Zachary. But she, and some other community leaders were determined to save the city landmark.
They pieced together nearly $1.5 million in funding, including $800,000 from the federal government, $275,000 from the city, $177,000 from the state, and more than $50,000 from community foundations.
"We needed a new roof, we needed structural improvements, we needed to paint it, we needed to put in an accessible ramp, so people can access the stage, and we restored and enhanced the lighting system," said Zachary.
They also added electricity. In the past, a generator had to be used for night events.
Architect Barry Winick teamed up with the Architectural Resources Group in San Francisco on the restoration, and renovation project.
"Overall, it's a joy," said Winick. "Challenging, though. There's unexpected conditions you find in a old building. The city has been really, really supportive."
The results are stunning. The shell maintains its historic look, but it’s beautiful, especially as the new lights around the stage pop on for the public to see for the first time.
"It's fantastic," said Zachary. "You know, I never thought I would be renovating this band shell. It's always been this structure we wish could update."
Money was always the problem, but during the pandemic, they were able to push the project and make it happen.
Santa Barbara’s Prime Time Band, made up of community volunteers, played at the rededication event. The Parks and Recreation Department is hoping to set up a program so there can be a regular series of concerts at bandstand facilities.
