Plan to Restore Pagoda Symbolizes Oxnard’s Revitalization Campaign

It has become a haven for pigeons and termites, a breeding ground for rust and for rot.

But help is on the way for the turn-of-the-century pagoda at the center of Plaza Park in downtown Oxnard, one of the last remaining historic band pavilions in California and a county historic landmark since 1971.

City leaders and the Downtown Oxnard Merchants Assn. have put up more than $130,000 to restore the octagonal wood-and-concrete structure, a project conceived more than four years ago and scheduled to be completed in time for the city’s centennial celebration in 2003.

“I feel that this little building has sort of become invisible to many in our community,” said Gary Blum, an executive board member with the merchants association. “But it represents the very heart of the city . . . and is in essence a barometer of downtown’s future success.”

Indeed, the restoration project is part of a larger campaign to revitalize Oxnard’s business core. Since 1997, officials have poured millions of dollars into rehabilitating Plaza Park and revamping the city’s main downtown thoroughfare, which now boasts new sidewalks, light fixtures and landscaping.

Future plans call for construction of a multiplex movie theater, flanked by restaurants and a neon-lighted promenade.

“The timing of this restoration project is really wonderful,” said Maureen Hooper, the city’s redevelopment project manager. “We’ve got all of this good energy happening at the same time.”

Asian in its architectural style and appearance, the pagoda was built in 1910, at a cost of $1,215, to conceal the irrigation system for Plaza Park.

A year later, its two-tiered, Spanish-style roof was raised to accommodate a stage for band concerts and civic celebrations.

But over the years, the pagoda fell into disuse because of limited access to the platform. City leaders contemplated razing the structure in 1949 and eventually declared it unsafe and unusable.

Today, a bland beige-and-brown color scheme masks much of its architectural details.

But that is about to change.

The restoration will include a new roof, carpentry and electrical repairs and seismic upgrades. The bandstand deck will be strengthened and waterproofed. New lighting, window frames and a fresh coat of paint will finish off the face lift.

“The pagoda really is the center of downtown Oxnard,” said Betty Kennedy, who, along with her husband, Joe, runs a photography studio in the business core. “It’s exciting to see so many people interested in preserving it.”

Downtown merchants have raised $8,000 for the restoration. The Oxnard City Council has earmarked $50,000 this fiscal year plus another $75,000 in 2001-02 for the project, which is expected to get underway by spring.

Merchants and other community members hope to raise an additional $25,000 for maintenance and park improvements.

In addition to restoring the pagoda, Blum said the renovation is designed to make it usable again for concerts, speeches and other ceremonies. But he said it also is designed to help Oxnard honor its roots at a time when many communities are losing sight of their past in the name of progress.