Santa Clarita officials are set to discuss the future of Old Town Newhall, the city’s “premier” arts and entertainment district.

The Old Town Newhall Plan is on the agenda for the May 11 Arts Commission meeting — officials are scheduled to discuss several projects in Santa Clarita’s arts district.

“Santa Clarita is in the process of becoming more than a suburb of Los Angeles,” said the Arts Master Plan. “It is transforming into an exurban, regional place proclaiming its own distinct identity.”

Commissioners are set to discuss five projects including a ‘percent-for-art’ agreement on future spending, an outdoor amphitheater, public art selection process and community art center.

Percent-for-Art is a program, where a fee, usually some percentage of the project cost, is placed on large-scale development projects in order to fund and install public art, according to officials.

“There is a misconception that public art is located only in larger cities. In fact, the largest growth of public art programs has been in the small city, suburban, and town level,” according to Americans for the Arts Public Art Network (PAN).

Since 1959, local Percent-for-Art ordinances have been applied to publicly-funded capital
improvement projects, according to PAN.

Art Commissioners are also hearing updates on a proposed outdoor amphitheater and a community art center being considered by city staff, according to the item.

The city published an Arts Master Plan in 2016 to create a new, long-term roadmap for cultural development throughout the community.

“Santa Clarita is coming of age in cultural terms. Its tastes and the scope of its cultural interests have expanded. Its population has grown and diversified,” said the master plan. “The vision is not merely for more, but rather an evolution in the way arts and culture fit in the community.”

This plan addresses several areas of specific interest: public art, arts funding, the Newhall Arts District, arts facilities, and the creative economy, according to city documents.

Old Town Newhall, the City of Santa Clarita’s premier Arts and Entertainment District, is an eclectic shopping, dining, and entertainment destination that mixes rustic charm with a cosmopolitan appeal, said city officials.

The area is continuing to transform with new restaurants and businesses scheduled to open in the coming months.

Perhaps the most exciting and impactful project is the development of the City-owned block, which is located at Lyons Avenue, Main Street, 9th Street, and Railroad Avenue.

This block, often referred to as the “Redevelopment Block,” will include a parking structure, a Laemmle Theatre, and a mixed-use project called Newhall Crossings, according to the item.

The City broke ground on the City-owned parking structure, the first of the three projects slated for the block. The parking structure also includes a rooftop area that will be available for special events.

The construction of the parking structure is expected to take a year. In the coming months, construction on the Laemmle Theatre and Newhall Crossings will also begin, said city officials.

The Laemmle Theatre will be a seven-screen art house cinema with 2,300 square feet of retail/restaurant space and an outdoor event space, according to officials.

The arts are essential to Santa Clarita, the city is home to a vital collection of businesses in the creative industries as well as the creative professionals who work in this field, according to the Arts Master Plan.

Digital Media is one of the ‘clusters’ of industry that we try to target for Santa Clarita said Holly Schroeder, CEO of the Santa Clarita Valley Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC).

“Arts and the creative economy are very important to Santa Clarita,” added Schroeder. “The city does a great job of supporting this industry and community.”