Walls are going up on what will be the Enos Ranch Park and Cultural Center in Santa Maria.
City officials say the cultural center located north of Betteravia Road between South College Drive and South Bradley Road should be ready to open by the end of the year.
Spanning over 10,000 square feet, it will feature a lobby, multi-use area, historical displays, restrooms, a kitchen, and a storage-custodial area.
The city envisions the center as a year-round recreational destination for cultural events. It will be designed in the style of a barn as a tribute to the early Japanese agricultural pioneers who settled in Santa Maria and established the agricultural economy.
Work on the park is expected to begin sometime next spring. It will be just over six acres and will feature a native plant garden, a spacious lawn, a water retention basin, a parking lot, a walking path, trees, and landscaping to reflect the local area.
While the relocated Enos House is also nearby, a volunteer has helped add new paint to the exterior recently. The City says funding will determine when additional work takes place on the inside, which remains bare.
