The reimagined Educational Cultural Complex will serve as a vibrant hub for learning, cultural expression and community connection.
National interdisciplinary design firm HGA has announced the groundbreaking for its revitalization of a storied theatre and related spaces within the San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE)’s Educational Cultural Complex (ECC). Located at 4343 Ocean View Boulevard in San Diego, California, the ECC is a cultural hub at the heart of the San Diego Community College District’s (SDCCD)’s College of Continuing Education campus. HGA and its partners—including PCL Construction—marked the start of construction encompassing 30,000 square feet of new and existing spaces in May 2025, with the project targeted for completion by the end of 2026.
HGA has reimagined the ECC Theatre as a dynamic campus center that will propel the public community college district into the future. As one of Southeastern San Diego’s only centers for education and arts—and the headquarters for the SDCCE—the renovation is intended to solidify the ECC’s role as an educational bridge and partner for the community at large. The $50 million dollar project is being funded through a $35 million state grant, supplemented by the recently passed Measure HH bond.
“The Educational Cultural Complex Theatre has been a cornerstone of arts and culture in the Southeastern San Diego community for nearly 50 years,” said SDCCE President, Dr. Tina M. King. “For generations, it has served as a vibrant hub where creativity, education, and community come together—uplifting voices, showcasing talent, and telling the stories that matter most to our diverse community. This renovation is not just about restoring a building; it’s about honoring a rich legacy and investing in a future where the arts continue to thrive and serve our community for decades.”
Nestled in a park-like campus within a historic residential fabric, the ECC has long stood at the intersection of education and activism. In addition to hosting luminaries and human rights champions since its establishment in 1972, the ECC Theatre also serves as home to one of the nation’s oldest and San Diego’s premiere Black theatre companies. Today, beyond events and performances in the theatre, the complex serves a diverse student body with free career and technical education offerings in emerging industries, with nearly half of all students over 50 years of age.
The project’s scope—shaped by extensive community engagement—includes the modernization of the historic theatre, including an addition of back-of-house spaces critical to the function of a modern performance venue; the conversion of a large, double-height space into a new community room and “Living Archive” cultural center to preserve and share the theatre’s legacy; the integration of a versatile Golden Age Gallery in the upper lobby; and miscellaneous upgrades to adjacent indoor and outdoor common areas, entries and foyers. Renovations and additions throughout are designed to meet current building codes as well as improve overall sustainability, accessibility and wayfinding to enhance an equitable and comfortable user experience.
The project’s core components are intermingled and connected by common spaces that bring fluidity between the larger volumes within the complex and create smaller, more adaptable program components for future flexibility and growth. As an additional point of connectivity, the complex is brought together with a “sky sleeve” design feature, a sculptural ceiling canopy that weaves throughout a majority of the building’s spaces.
“The sky sleeve is both symbolic and functional,” said Matt Austin, AIA, NCARB, design principal at HGA. “It’s symbolic in that it emphasizes the story and the history of the community through its continuity and adaptation to modern design, and functional in that it hides key performance infrastructure and introduces a sense of lightness to soften and complement the building’s rigid geometry, making it feel warm and welcoming to all community members.”
The sky sleeve folds and unfolds from an expansive and welcoming arrival area through to where it densifies in the historic theatre to form a warm, acoustically transparent shell that elevates performance and audience experiences. Enhancements to the 275-seat multi-purpose theatre hall include the modernization of acoustics, sound and lighting controls in addition to reimagined seating, sightlines and seamless access, creating a dynamic new heart for the center.
“It has been a privilege to collaborate with the San Diego Community College District and the College of Continuing Education to revitalize the ECC Theatre. This is a unique project that took a truly holistic approach to programming and design that was informed by input from the community. The revitalized space honors its deep-rooted history and empowers users to pursue educational goals and explore culture through the performing arts,” said Kevin Donaghey, principal at HGA.
HGA’s project collaborators include PCL Construction, construction manager; JUST Design, community engagement and exhibition consulting; The Shalleck Collaborative, theatrical design; and Beckmann Acoustics, acoustician. The HGA team managing the restoration from concept to construction includes Design Principal, Matt Austin; Principal, Kevin Donaghey; and Arts, Community, and Education Practice Group Leader, Christina Delgado.
Ground Breaking Photos
About HGA
HGA is a national interdisciplinary design firm committed to making a positive, lasting impact for our clients and communities through research-based, holistic solutions. We believe that great design requires a sense of curiosity—forming deep insight into our clients, their contexts, and the human condition. We are a collective of over 1,000 architects, engineers, interior designers, planners, researchers, and strategists. Our practice spans multiple markets, including education, science and technology, corporate, cultural, local and federal government, and healthcare. Visit HGA.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.
HGA Media Contact
Michelle Nelsen, Public Relations Director
mnelsen@hga.com