About Banning's Downtown Art District

A few of the Buildings in the Banning Downtown Art District are getting a makeover. Last year the City Council approved several buildings for a Facade Grant aimed at helping to renovate and revitalize the Downtown area. Building Owners applied for these Redevelopment Grants that were specifically geared towards improving the look of Downtown Banning.

Several Business's were approved and currently work is in progress. If you drive Downtown you will see the work, but specifically the Art District around N. San Gorgonio Ave. is and has undergone major transformations.

Ben Stephenson's building on the corner of San Gorgonio and Hays (the one with the big Mural) has really changed the feeling of the area. He chose to go with the Early Mission style. This Building was once uninhabitable, and it needed to be completely rehabbed including retrofitting.

It's so nice to see the improvements to the buildings in the area. Ben's building and the Hendon Building behind it both could have been torn down as they needed some major work. And a really great coup for the new Art District is the addition of the Dorothy Ramon Center (more later on this wondrful addition to the neighborhood) that bought the building across the street. They also bought some vacant lot(s) behind them, and are in the process of fundraising to pay for the transformation.

Upcoming events:

If you live in the area there are many different activities happening in this new Art District. And don't forget the Evenings in the Park Concert Series in Repplier Park. The series starts this coming Thursday August 7th at 7:00 PM, and as always is FREE for everyone. One of the Major Banning Art Groups is the Playhouse Bowl Association, Inc. that has put this Concert Series on forthe past 55 years.

For further information on the Concerts call: 951.922.3240

The Art District of Downtown Banning has been developing for several years now. It started with several different Groups including Pass Cultural Arts Foundation , Poetry Groups, Dance, Photography and a Summer Music Series in the Park .

A couple years ago I was on the General Plan Committee that met once every week for almost a year to redo the Cities General Plan. We talked about having an official Art District at that time, and a certain area was discussed. Another Art Group formed and this Group petitioned the City Council for funds saying they would bring business into the Downtown area helping to revitalize it.

This is important because this Group has had a couple successful Street Fairs centered around Art, and they also were instrumental in convincing the City Council within the past few months to purchase Paula Hills building on N. San Gorgonio Ave, in the Center of the Downtown Art District.

This two story building has been used as an Artists Co-op over the past several years, and now the city purchased it.

Watch for more news on the Art District and interviews with local Artists.

By: Kathy McGraw - CELLing Realty - Author of Caifornia Real Estate and Life Blog