In the pantheon of roadblocks that have slowed down efforts to resurrect Guadalupe’s shuttered Royal Theater, asbestos is the latest hiccup keeping the $13 million project at a temporary standstill.
Two weeks after local organizers and elected officials held a formal groundbreaking to celebrate the reboot reaching its construction phase (to transform the vacant venue into a multi-faceted performing arts center by March 2027), Project Manager Tom Brandeberry put the work on hold.
Before construction could begin, subcontractors needed to remove asbestos, mold, and lead from inside of the theater, he explained. Workers began collecting samples of hazardous materials at the site about six months ago as part of the mitigation process.
“While the reports were done showing where the hazards were, the company that did the testing sent their samples to a testing lab that has since closed for business,” Brandeberry told the Sun. “That third party testing lab has gone bankrupt. They don’t exist anymore. So, the [Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District] says they can’t accept these tests.”
Brandeberry said he has the necessary paperwork for contractors to schedule a second site visit with the Air Pollution Control District, which he’s confident will give the go-ahead to move forward with mitigation before the end of the year.
“Like all construction projects, issues pop up,” he said. “With that said, everyone adjusts—put one task down while the issue is resolved and do one of the thousands of other tasks.”
Among the project’s biggest tasks is to secure the $3 million needed to complete its $13 million budget. In January, Brandeberry plans to present the Guadalupe City Council with ideas he brainstormed with a team of eight volunteers to help ramp up fundraising efforts.
“At the second [City Council] meeting of January, our volunteer team will have a full idea of what the campaign will be doing,” Brandeberry said. “For example, right now, we’re working on some kind of a plaque behind each of the chairs.”
Donors who give a certain amount could have their name engraved on one of the plaques or on a special donor board Brandeberry’s team will also propose. In the meantime, anyone interested in donating directly to the Royal Theater’s renovation project can do so online at guadalupecac.org.
Brandeberry said he wants to hear City Council input in January before kick-starting the plaque offering and other fundraising ideas.
January will also mark the City Council’s first opportunity to appoint a new five-member Brown Act board, created to oversee the remainder of the Royal Theater project with opportunities for the public to weigh in on its progress.
During the council’s last meeting of December, city staff said that six applicants threw their names in to be considered.
However, staff also suggested that the council postpone enacting the Brown Act board.
“Just because there has been movement in city staff, and it will cause an influx in staff reports. And we’re already falling behind on things,” Interim City Administrator David Trujillo said during the Dec. 9 meeting, which marked his first hearing since taking on the new role Dec. 1.
“The other option would be to professionally outsource it,” he said. “That would be like the worst-case scenario, I guess, because it will cost money for the city.”
Councilmember Whitney Furness was the first to respond to Trujillo’s request.
“Didn’t we already decide that we wanted to move forward with that though as a council?” Furness said, referring to council’s September vote to create the oversight committee.
“We can move forward with the appointment process,” City Attorney Philip Sinco said.
“So we’re going to move forward with what we already decided in a previous meeting, is that correct? Sounds great,” Furness said. “Thank you.”
It wasn’t the first time Furness vouched for increased city oversight of the Royal Theater project. In May, she scrutinized Project Manager Brandeberry’s summary of soft cost estimates that listed $2.9 million as its final total, while simultaneously including line items that added up to about $2.2 million.
At the council’s Dec. 9 meeting, Interim City Administrator Trujillo said that Brandeberry has been working on “a lot of reconciliation, with all his invoices and the past invoices for the theater.”
In an email interview, Furness told the Sun that her goal “has always been to ask the necessary questions and advocate for processes that will help ensure this project serves our community well for many years to come.”
“Asking these questions is part of my responsibility as a council member,” Furness said. “I have heard from residents who are unsure about where the project stands, and others who have expressed concerns about the consistency and professionalism of communications related to the project.”
Furness described herself as “a big cheerleader” for the theater’s revival, even before she was elected to serve on the council in 2024.
“My dad grew up in Guadalupe and told me that he used to go to the Royal Theater on Sundays. I remember driving by it and wishing it were open, always wondering what was inside,” she said about the venue, closed since 1991. “I first learned it would be renovated in 2020, … and I was very excited. I even posted about it on my Facebook at the time.
“When I applied for the open position on the council, I spoke about wanting to help support the project and that I was a strong proponent of seeing it move forward,” Furness said. “It felt like a rare opportunity to help bring something back that so many people remember.”
Reach Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood at cwiseblood@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Dec 25, 2025 – Jan 1, 2026.