HGA has been selected by the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) to lead the design and planning efforts for the restoration of the historic theatre at the San Diego College of Continuing Education’s Educational Cultural Complex (ECC), located at 4343 Ocean View Boulevard in San Diego, California. The renovation, estimated to be complete in 2024, will preserve and rehabilitate the iconic theatre to ensure its long-term viability. Furthermore, upgrades will enhance its role as a key component of the ECC, one of southeastern San Diego’s only centers for education and arts and the headquarters for the San Diego College of Continuing Education, serving as an educational bridge and partner for the community at large.
Enhancements to the 275-seat theatre will include modern acoustic panels, sound and lighting controls, updated entries, foyer areas and seating. New spaces that welcome public use from the surrounding community will be incorporated, such as updated exterior patio areas and a new large community room for theater overflow, public events and cultural preservation efforts. Plans also include converting an existing two-story volume classroom space into a kind of “living museum” that celebrates the ECC’s long history of civil rights advocacy and provides space for representation and community gathering. In total, the renovation will encompass approximately 10,000 square feet of new and existing spaces for ECC.
“We are excited to partner with both the San Diego Community College District and San Diego College of Continuing Education to bring this landmark of the community into a new era,” said Kevin Donaghey, principal and practice group leader at HGA. “We share in the District’s goal to revitalize the theatre’s design and amenities to match the rich historical tapestry of ECC, and showcase the stories that have established the ECC as a catalyst for cultural movement.”
Since its beginnings in 1972, ECC has been a symbol of community and African American arts, culture and activism. Coretta Scott King’s address at ECC in 1983 influenced the decision to sign the law creating Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In addition to establishing the federal observance, other momentous events have ties to ECC, including performances by human right champions Stevie Wonder, Maya Angelou, Shirley Caesar, James Meredith and Jesse Jackson. Representatives from SDCCD and the San Diego College of Continuing Education (SDCCE) are concurrently working with the city of San Diego and state officials to have ECC named as a Civil Rights Landmark Designation.
“We understand and appreciate the role the ECC has played as an important fixture of its community for the last 50 years, and we take seriously our role as the agents of its restoration,” said Terri Howard, director of equity at HGA. “Our team is looking forward to exploring all of the ways that we can optimize the space for generations to come through the lenses of equity and inclusivity.”
Howard joined HGA in January 2022 as the firm’s inaugural director of equity, driving equity initiatives, developing hands-on programming, organizing firmwide resources and building external partnerships. On the ECC project, she is ensuring an inclusive and equitable design approach that seeks to make a positive impact for all future users of the space.
In addition to Donaghey and Howard, the HGA team managing the restoration from concept to construction includes Matt Austin, project designer, and Christina Delgado, project manager. Project collaborators include JUST Design (community engagement) and Shalleck Collaborative (theatrical design).
HGA is known nationwide for its work in creating iconic, nationally recognized performing arts, educational and cultural facilities such as The Soraya at Cal State University, Northridge and Napa Valley College’s Performing Arts Center. Currently, the firm is involved in the design of two such projects in the San Diego region, San Diego Symphony’s Jacobs Music Center and San Diego State University’s Don Powell Theater.