Frequently Asked Questions
We are breaking ground on January 22, 2023, and that the project will then take 18-24 months to complete. We anticipate reopening in early 2025.
All events, services, and life cycle events will be temporarily relocated off campus for the duration of construction except for the preschool and some Jewish Learning Programs, which will remain fully operational and running on campus.
Most religious services, including weekly Friday night and Saturday morning services (including B’mitzvah services) and oneg/kiddush, Saturday morning Torah Study and Choir rehearsals, will take place at Trinity Lutheran Church located at the corner of La Cumbre and Foothill. Trinity’s facilities are beautiful and include a large Sanctuary, Small Chapel and Social Hall with a commercial kitchen.
If the timeline for relocating events, services, and life cycle events back to campus changes, we will inform the Congregation.
Professional staff and clergy offices will be relocated to our Fairview Campus (420 South Fairview, Suite #102, Goleta) throughout construction. The office suite has two conference rooms and additional meeting spaces. Adult education classes (ie. Melton, Fundamentals of Judaism, Adult Hebrew, Short Story and Book Groups) and other meetings and small programs will also be accommodated here.
For our occasional large program needs, we will be venturing around town – you might find us at SB Hillel, local parks and beaches or other rental locations. We will communicate these locations on the CBB calendar and in our weekly eNews. Stay tuned!
BHY Preschool will remain in full operation on the CBB campus. In order to accommodate construction on the upper campus, the play yard is being temporarily relocated to the lower campus and outdoor chapel. A safe, dedicated path of travel is being built from the dirt parking lot to the preschool building. Some CBB full time staff will remain on campus to support our Youth Education programs.
We know there will be a period of disruption, noise, and dust. At the same time, we have learned during the pandemic that we can adapt to disruption and continue to function effectively. We hope this project will actually bring our community closer as we look forward to the time the changes are complete, and we have a reimagined and refreshed campus.
Jewish Learning Programs (Sunday School, Netivot, Gesher, Mechina, including mid-week Hebrew and HIP) will continue to take place on the CBB Campus and additional space at our neighboring Community of Christ Church
One of the major elements of the Building Dreams project is the Center for Jewish Learning. This completely remodeled building will feature classrooms, learning studios, a teaching kitchen and art studio, and a bright new Multi-Purpose Sacred Space/Library, which will accommodate family services, school assemblies, adult education classes, films, performances, dance and yoga classes. Our current educational facilities are woefully out of date, and do not create a healthy environment for study and learning. The new Center for Jewish Learning is designed to fulfill our commitment to Jewish education for students of all ages. During the pandemic, our Education staff worked creatively to adapt our Jewish Learning Programs to our changing circumstances. We are confident that we will be able to do so again during the construction of the Building Dreams project. We will share our plans with you as they develop.
We will seek to maximize our existing facilities for as long as we can while still functioning safely and efficiently. We will be creative in using those parts of our campus which are not impacted, potential temporary relocation, and technology. At the same time, we recognize that disruption in our daily lives is difficult for all of us, especially children. In the same way that we learned to function and connect electronically during the pandemic, we will adapt our practices to function as the project progresses.
This is an important aspect of our Campus Renewal plans. All areas of the property will be accessible:
- The Arrival Plaza will include new drop areas, a safer path of travel and a gently sloping ramp integrated into the design of the new Arrival Plaza.
- An elevator will be installed in the new Center for Jewish Learning to allow access from the preschool playground to the Outdoor Pavilion.
- New ramps will be installed from the Social Hall to the new Outdoor Pavilion, from the Leadership Hub to the Promenade, and from the lower parking area to the Promenade.
- There will also be an accessible path along the east side of the Main Building that will run from the parking lot to the pre-school playground. Making our renewed campus accessible to all members of our community is an important goal of the project.
This is being closely addressed. Because of the sensitivity around matters of security, we will not be disclosing detailed plans in a public forum.
Sustainability, energy efficiency and being good stewards of our environment are all important CBB values. Blackbird Architects share our values and are part of the American Institute of Architects 2030 pledge to achieve carbon-neutrality in new buildings and major renovations. Equally our contractor, Schipper Construction, has extensive experience in green building construction techniques.
Our project will be exceeding California green building standards, and includes a sophisticated storm water retention system, additions and renovations will all meet stringent energy efficiency guidelines and our landscape will maximize water tolerant and native species. As we move forward we will work with our architects to continue to achieve our goals of environmentally friendly design, cost effectiveness and quality.
We look forward to sharing with you more details as the project progresses. Since the synagogue is located in a High Fire Hazard Area, it is subject to strict development standards intended to reduce wildfire risk and vulnerability. We will strictly comply with each of those standards. Several safety improvements are part of the project including fire sprinklers in the Center for Jewish Learning and in the Leadership Hub. All materials being used will be fire rated, and all areas of the campus will experience improved lighting and better path of travel for pedestrians and cars.
