Elements of the Plan
History
In January 2004, the St. Monica Catholic Community began a long series of workshops, brainstorming sessions and needs analysis and resource meetings to determine the future needs of its campus. Hundreds of volunteers from nearly every part of the community – the parish, the St. Monica Catholic High School, and the St. Monica Elementary School – participated. The result of that extensive process was first introduced to the St. Monica Catholic Community in Spring 2008.
In consultation with the parish and the two schools; the City of Santa Monica; construction experts; and team leadership, the plan was further developed into the St. Monica Village concept as you see here.
The St. Monica Village
Community Center Facility
A new Community Center – to be shared by the parish and both schools – will be bright and open, with expanded space for the parish’s ministries and lay leadership; for the parish administration; and for school meetings as necessary. The building will have a more welcoming entrance from California Avenue, and its new bookstore and coffee café (with outdoor seating) will also open onto California.St. Monica already has a significant outreach to the poor and hurting, here in Santa Monica and in the Third World. The new Community Center will have dedicated space for Hope at the Door and St. Monica’s ministries.
Bookstore and Coffee Café
A dramatic and spiritually welcoming element at the very important corner of California and Lincoln Boulevard will include architectural glass, housing a beautiful new chapel. Also on the first floor, there will be new reception areas for guests, and a dedicated space for Hope at the Door, where those in need can be welcomed in dignity.
The second floor will feature an open plan for administration offices, and still more meeting space.
Reception / Assembly Facility and Grand Patio
A great new multipurpose building – dividable into five separate rooms – will usher in new life at St. Monica. Equipped with a robust catering kitchen, the new building will host receptions (including wedding receptions for some of the more than 150 weddings performed annually at St. Monica), school graduations, large assemblies and ministry meetings, and just a large variety of events that St. Monica cannot accommodate at all now.
The Reception and Assembly Facility opens up into the Grand Patio, situated between that building and the back of the Community Center. This patio will host any number of events, or be just an area of repose during the busy day.
Cars don’t have souls, but they can bring souls to worship. St. Monica will address its chronic and serious parking problems with a two-level subterranean parking garage, under the new Community Center.
Carol G. Simon Child and Student Center
A beautiful and functional new building will provide for the formation of our preschool and Elementary School students before, during and after the school day. This building, designed to complement the Duval Center across the way, will provide an all-in-one solution for safeguarding the children.
Gymnasium and Athletic Center
As funds permit, the Gymnasium – which at present is inadequate for the many school teams that require its use, and for school assembly -- will be renovated with a new floor, crisp and beautiful acoustics and aesthetics, and modern physical education space underneath, including renovated locker and weight rooms, varsity rooms, coaches offices, and a physical education classroom.