STOCKTON, Calif. — An iconic piece of architectural history that has stood firm in the heart of downtown Stockton for nearly a century, has caught the attention of an involved community member that points out the building's need for restoration and modernization.
Built in honor of fallen soldiers after World War I, the Stockton Memorial Civic Auditorium was built in 1925 and opened to the public in 1926 under city management.
The 18,000 square foot structure was designed to host events that would accommodate from 100 to 2,800 guests, according to the city of Stockton.
Now, almost 100 years later, the event space continues to be used frequently for concerts, crab feeds, wedding receptions, quinceañeras, proms and more.
The auditorium is also occasionally used to host performances by the Stockton Symphony, another nearly 100-year-old asset to the city's historic character.
However, Stockton Symphony board member and former president Kathy Hart said she thinks the city should consider properly restoring the auditorium to accommodate public safety and convenience.
“We have been trying to use the Civic Auditorium for concerts, but there are various things wrong with it,” Hart said. “For anybody who has any kind of mobility problems, it's not a good place.”
Along with the need for modernization, Hart said there has not been enough done in the auditorium enough to consider the needs of the community.
The Stockton Civic Auditorium currently has several wheelchair accessible ramps outside that lead inside to the front entrance, but Hart said she is concerned with features inside the building.
“There are all sorts of things about it that just need to be upgraded; it's not ADA-compliant at all,” Hart said. “It has no railings, it has no elevator, it has no ADA-compliant bathrooms and all of those sorts of things.”
Hart said the supposed lack of ADA-compliance is a potential lawsuit waiting to happen for the city, fearing in that instance, the city would then not have enough funding to make the necessary repairs and have to tear it down.
“There's a lot of historical stuff down there, and it just would be a shame to end up tearing it down,” Hart said. “It was built in honor of the World War I veterans, and something like that just shouldn't be allowed to decay.”
City of Stockton spokeswoman Connie Cochran said she believes the essential areas needed for common use are compliant.
"The building on the 1st floor is accessible and that's where most events of the primary events that go on there," Cochran said. "We have identified the areas that are appropriate for use and the accessibility, and when somebody rents the facility, we walk through that with them."
Hart said she is also suggesting a number of overdue other features that would enhance safety and convenience in downtown.
“Another thing we'd like is to see a parking garage down there where people would feel safe to park and possibly a bridge that would go into the auditorium from the parking garage so people don't have to go to the street if they don't want to,” Hart said. "It would revive the downtown."
Downtown Stockton is known for its historic architecture, a lot of which have seen similar issues of vulnerability allegedly due to lack of preservation.
"The City of Stockton is an old city with lots of historic buildings," Cochran said. "We are actively working to update our ADA Transition and Self-Evaluation Plan and assessing all City-owned buildings for opportunities to make accessibility improvements."
Despite recognizing the potential need for updates, the main reason the auditorium, along with other historic buildings, in downtown are not met with restoration efforts comes down to funding, according to Cochran.
"The challenge is it is recognized as a historical landmark here within the city and any kind of renovation or any significant changes to the building would require a huge amount of capital," Cochran said. "That would be something that, at this time, we don't have either the financial resources or the capacity in terms of staffing to do."
Cochran said maintenance and inspection occur whenever necessary as the building is frequently used, but that the city does not have any plans for significant upgrades despite these reported concerns. She said that the city's efforts are focused on day-to-day operation and present needs.
"If the facility does not currently meet the needs of those seeking rental facilities, we can recommend other public or private rental facilities in the community," Cochran said.
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