County Partners with Santa Barbara Volleyball Club on Indoor Facility | Local News

A new four-court indoor volleyball facility is moving into the Goleta Valley.

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a 15-year lease for the facility with youth sports nonprofit Santa Barbara Volleyball Club. 

The agreement allows the club to demolish the current duplexes and storage sheds at 4550 Hollister Ave., adjacent to the Page Youth Center and Fire Station 13, to build the 18,400-square-foot steel facility.

Alongside the courts, there will be restrooms, reception, storage and 18 parking spots, one of which will be an ADA-compliant space, all funded through donations and community fundraising. 

SBVC’s lead on the demolition will save costs for the county, as it will not have to pay anything for this project. Additionally, the club will not pay rent during the lease in exchange for the facility’s construction.

Construction is expected to start in 2026 and will not be completed until 2027, according to Matt Riley, SBVC executive director.

“The new gym will address a long-standing shortage of indoor court space in the region and will allow SBVC to expand programming, reduce reliance on shared school facilities, and increase access for local families,” he said in a statement.

The site has been formerly used to house county departments that were in the process of relocating. 

However, the buildings are not suitable for county use, Kirk Lagerquist, general services director, wrote in a letter to the board. If SBVC did not propose to take over the space, the county would be responsible for abatement and demolition.

Instead, it will be transformed into a modern space for the community and local youths to promote health and wellness while reducing county liability with the unsafe structures, Lagerquist added in the letter.

The project still needs to acquire a conditional-use permit from the county Planning & Development Department.

“This project represents a major investment in the future of youth sports in Santa Barbara,” Riley said.