The Louise Lowry Davis Center has served as a community recreation center since 1933. Built in 1923, the building was originally part of Santa Barbara’s first public high school. When the high school relocated in 1924, the building transitioned to serve as a junior high school. In 1933, the Board of Education granted permission for the Parks and Recreation Department to use the building as a community center, and it was remodeled for such use. The building was significantly refurbished in 1969, when Louise Lowry Davis, an outstanding recreation supervisor of women’s sports, donated money for the project. The building was named in her honor.
In 2015, the Parks and Recreation Department began the process of developing a full-scale renovation of the community center. In March 2021, construction began on exterior improvements to the building. During construction, the Department secured additional funding from Measure C funds to complete interior improvements as well.
In March 2024, renovation to the interior began. Renovations include:
- Reconfiguration for an open and flexible floor plan.
- Replacing the entry doors, kitchen shelves, and bathroom partitions.
- Adding LED lighting, air conditioning, double-pane windows, and new flooring.
- Repainting the interior walls.
Upon completion, the Louise Lowry Davis Center will return to its previous use as a community center and host a variety of senior programs once again. The cost for this phase of renovations totals to $955,972 funded by Measure C Funds.