The Cultural Arts Village is planned to be located on a site known as Mission Paseo within an area encompassing the Ventura County Museum of History & Art and the historic San Buenaventura Mission. Fronting on the Figueroa corridor to the beach, with its pedestrian walkway and fountain, and across from Mission Park, the Village will be a powerful addition to the area's appeal. The Cultural Arts Village located here will combine with these other celebrated attractions to create a vital part of the heart of Ventura -- a strong sense of place that will draw locals and tourists alike to the riches of the Downtown Cultural District.

Tyson Cline of Growdon & Cline Architects Inc., volunteered to develop some preliminary "footprint" designs for the Cultural Arts Village on a "pro bono" basis.

The purpose is to begin forming a picture of the options available for creating a Village that will provide all of the facilities planned, on the area available in the City's Mission Paseo site. The final design will strive to create a strong sense of place, in a park-like atmosphere, that will draw locals and tourists alike to the compelling attractions of the Downtown Cultural District.

The final actual plan will be the result of the architect selection process at a future date. This will be based on a design competition or some other mutually agreeable architect selection process.

The vision shared by SBFA and the City is to create a one-of-a-kind Cultural Arts Village unique to Ventura. The Village will open the door to ALL of our community arts organizations. It will provide separate facilities for different arts disciplines to pursue their crafts in a vastly improved environment, and gathered together in one central location to form a critical cultural mass.

The concept calls for a 600-seat performing arts auditorium, and a separate Community Hall to be used by organizations for special events, meetings, lectures, etc., with the flexibility to be converted to a 200 - seat studio theater. In addition, a visual arts Galleria and exhibition space, arts education facilities, and artists residential studios will be included in the mix. The Village will act as a venue for local area arts organizations and visual artists - a hive of activity featuring authentic local programming rather than a stop on the road for touring companies.

The goal is to create this Village as an ultimate plan to improve access to the arts, attract Cultural tourists, and make Ventura an even more desirable community to live, work, raise a family and visit.

The City and SBFA have entered into a Memo of Understanding setting forth the terms and conditions for SBFA to proceed.

The three years during which the site will be set aside is a critical window of opportunity. SBFA will need to develop a business and fundraising plan, commission a preliminary design for the Center, and launch a major capital campaign to raise the funds needed. Certain deadlines along the way will have to be met in order for the site to remain designated for this purpose.