Help Us Improve Cubberley

Introduction

Palo Alto’s Cubberley Community Center infrastructure is aging. Investing in our community centers, libraries, parks, and public safety facilities, while maintaining the City’s ability to fund basic services, will help ensure that Palo Alto remains a safe, beautiful, and vibrant place to live, work and raise a family. As basic costs rise, the City is committed to investing in safe, modern and accessible spaces for childcare, classes, and youth and adult recreation. A safe and updated Cubberley space to serve as a “resilience hub” for community members and first responders to gather during emergencies like earthquakes, wildfires, extreme heat, or floods is also a priority.

The City and the School District have reached a tentative agreement to purchase seven acres of property on and around the center for a total of 15 acres, upon passage of a voter approved tax or bond measure, to support a reimagined community center and advance school improvements.

The City is advancing a master plan, using the past community engagement as a foundation, to reimagine and prioritize a future Community Center.

On June 12, 2025, the City held the second community meeting for the Cubberley Community Center Master Plan. At the outset of the meeting, Concordia shared a revised Vision Statement based on community input gathered at the March 19 community meeting. The revised Vision Statement is: A vibrant, beloved, and adaptable destination that promotes learning, connections, joy, and wellbeing where all cultures and generations belong.

What's New

June 2025

On June 12, at the second Cubberley Community Meeting, Concordia discussed results from the first Cubberley Community Meeting and presented three concept designs to the community for feedback.

Frequently Asked Questions

Project Description

The City and the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) executed a memorandum of understanding outlining steps where the City will purchase seven acres of the PAUSD-owned Cubberley site for a new community center. Upon passage of a voter approved tax or bond measure, the City will purchase seven acres from PAUSD (including the area currently developed with permanent buildings) at the price of $65.5 million. PAUSD will use sale proceeds for school improvements throughout the district. Prior to placing a tax or bond measure on the November 2026 ballot, the City will develop its conceptual plan and community service goals for the community center and PAUSD will develop its school improvement plans.

Additional Background

The PAUSD Board initiated the process in 2023 with a letter inviting the City to make an offer to purchase additional acres at Cubberley. Both parties proceeded by creating Ad Hoc committees. The City’s committee was made up of Council Members Julie Lythcott-Haims (Chair), Pat Burt and Lydia Kou. Their counterparts from the PAUSD Board were Trustees Jennifer DiBrienza (Chair) and Shounak Dharap.

Use of Cubberley Site by City and PAUSD

The City has leased portions of Cubberley from PAUSD since the late 1980s. Currently, there are 23 tenants and 24 artists who sublease space at Cubberley from the City, along with dozens of individual groups who rent or use the theater, pavilion, classrooms, and athletic fields from the City. Combined, these groups provide the community with a range of valued programs that support health and wellness, childcare, education, recreation, and visual and performing arts.

The PAUSD uses their spaces for educational purposes, staff offices and has leases with some tenants that were previously leasing space from the City. The parking lot in the southeast corner of the property houses several portable trailers which function as a temporary site for Hoover Elementary School through the 2024-2025 academic year (unless construction time frames shift).

City Lease Extension with PAUSD

The City and PAUSD entered into a five-year lease continuing current use of the property, including playing fields and parking lots. The City will pay PAUSD $2 million a year as long as PAUSD uses a portion of the property and $2.5 million per year when PAUSD is no longer using the property. The City will assume responsibility for maintenance and associated costs for areas not used by PAUSD.

Project Timeline

Completed - February 18 - City Council Visioning Session
Completed - March 19 - Community Meeting 1 - Vision, Programming, & Placemaking
April 2025 - City Council review of Cubberley workplan and comunity outreach and engagement efforts
June 12, 2025 - Community Meeting 2 - Three Concept Options
September 17, 2025 - Community Meeting 3 - Program Organization, Circulation, & Greenspace
Fall/Winter 2025 - Community Presentation of Master Plan
March 2026 - City Council Consideration and Adoption of Master Plan and CEQA Analysis

Community Engagement

Thank you to all of the community members who applied to be community fellows. We appreciate the 24 fellows assisting with education and outreach to support the master planning effort. The master plan aspect of the project is expected to be completed by December 2025.

Archived Work on Cubberley

2019 Cubberley Concept Plan
Cubberley Concept Plan
Appendix A - Cubberley Concept Plan
Appendix B - Cubberley Concept Plan
Appendix C - Cubberley Concept Plan
Needs Assessment
Program Document

October 3, 2024 - News Release
City of Palo Alto and PAUSD Agree on Steps Towards Cubberley Purchase

October 7, 2024 - Council Action
Authorize Execution of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Palo Alto United School District for the Purchase and Lease of Land at 4000 Middlefield Road, Informally Known as the Cubberley Site; CEQA Status – Not a Project

December 2, 2024 - City Council Action
Master Plan for the Cubberley Site: (1) Approval of Professional Services Contract Number C25192924 with Concordia, LLC in an Amount Not to Exceed $631,966 for Development of a Revised Master Plan for the Cubberley Site for a Period of Two Years; (2) Approve Budget Amendments in the General Fund and Cubberley Infrastructure Fund; (3) Approve a Letter of Intent with the Friends of the Palo Alto Recreation Wellness Center; (4) Approve the Workplan for Pursuit of a Local Ballot Measure for the November 2026 General Election to fund the Purchase of Land and Development of a New Community Recreation and Resource Center at the Cubberley Site; CEQA Status - CEQA review will be conducted on the Master Plan.

December 6, 2024 - City Council Consent
Approval of the Second Amendment to Lease Agreement Between Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) and City of Palo Alto for a Portion of the Cubberley Site at 4000 Middlefield Road through December 31, 2029, Not-to-Exceed $2,500,000 in Rent per Year; CEQA Status—Not a Project

December 16, 2024 - City Council Conscent
Approval Of Professional Services Contract Number C25193087 With Rincon Consultants in an Amount Not To Exceed 202,322 Dollars for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Review of a Revised Master Plan for the Cubberley Site Over a Period of One Year, and Approval of Budget Amendments in the General Fund and Cubberley Infrastructure Fund

February 18, 2025 - City Council Visioning Session
Minutes, Recording, and Vision Statement Activity
The City Council approved the Vision Statement for the future of the Community Center:A vibrant and beloved destination with activities, amenities, and offerings that promote learning, joy, and wellbeing where all cultures and generations belong.

February 20, 2025 - Blog
5 Ways to Join the Cubberley Conversation

February 24, 2025 - City Council Action Item
Approval of the 2025 City Council Priority Objectives, as well as Committee Objectives and Workplans

March 19, 2025 - Community Meeting #1, Vision, Programming, and Place Making

The first Community Meeting advancing the Master Plan effort was March 19, focusing on the Community Center vision, programming, and place making. Over 120 community members and stakeholders participated in this conversation.Read the meeting recap here.

Meeting 1 Summary
Meeting 1 - Appendix - Data Collection

Cubberley Project, Community Meeting 1 presentation. An introduction of the project consultant team, Concordia. Followed by a brief history of the project and overview of how the project vision statement came to be.