Palmdale's Chimbole Center Is a Construction Site Until 2028. Here's What Still Fills the Calendar Around It
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
On Friday, Oct. 9, Mayor Eric Ohlsen, Councilmembers Laura Bettencourt and Richard J. Loa, and Rep. George Whitesides took turns hitting the front columns of the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center with a sledgehammer. The Antelope Valley Press reported the swings landed "to varying degrees of success." That was the groundbreaking. It kicked off an 18-month renovation of the building at 38350 Sierra Highway. When it's done, the Chimbole Center and the Palmdale City Library next door will share a single new entrance.
The project brings back a building that has been closed since 2022. It also changes how the whole block works. Until it finishes, which the Press expects in March 2028, the parts of the block you can still use are the library and Poncitlán Square. The city's larger gatherings are scheduled on Rancho Vista Boulevard, on East Avenue Q-9 and at the Palmdale Playhouse.
A fire damaged the center on Monday, Dec. 26, 2022. AV Daily News reported at the time that it would stay closed until further notice. City staff would start contacting everyone with a scheduled event beginning Jan. 3. Those events were the building's main use. Ohlsen listed them at the groundbreaking: "family celebrations, fundraisers that were close to their hearts, meeting where neighbors could come together, and that has been sorely missed in this community."
Repairs took a long time to get started. According to the Press, the City Council approved an engineering and design contract almost two years after the fire. Construction started this month, close to four years after the fire. The building is being renovated, not torn down. "It will be redone. It's not going to be torn down," Loa said at the ceremony. "So the old bones of this structure from 1980 will remain, but will be greatly enhanced by this project."
The City of Palmdale's announcement says the City Council gave the construction contract to Icon West, Inc., for about $26.7 million. A 15% contingency brings the authorized total to about $30.7 million. Funding comes from the General Fund, Measure AV, the American Rescue Plan Act and federal earmarks, including $2 million that Whitesides helped secure. The city says construction should take 360 working days from its Notice to Proceed. That fits the 18-month timeline in the Press.
The Press reports these changes for the finished building:
The city's announcement also lists a new roof, new heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing systems, movable partitions in the main ballroom, and improvements to parking and lighting. Bettencourt said the expansion is about scale. A ballroom that can host three groups at once means a quinceañera, a nonprofit dinner and a club meeting could all book the same Saturday. "More room means more opportunities to say, 'We can do that here in Palmdale,'" she said, as reported by the Press.
The shared entrance is the most important change. The library opened in 1977 as the city's first municipal building, and the two buildings have stood next to each other ever since. Loa described the new entrance as "a fresh, welcoming arrival, whether they're here for a library visit, a meeting or a celebration."
As of this week, the city's calendar lists programs at the Palmdale City Library, 700 East Palmdale Blvd., through the end of November. Construction is happening right next door, so check with the library about entrances and parking before you go. Here's the schedule from now through mid-November:
| Date | Program | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 24 | PCL Writing Group | 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. |
| Tue., Oct. 27 | Books and Barks | 3:30 to 5 p.m. |
| Tue., Oct. 27 | Volunteer Orientation | 6 to 7 p.m. |
| Wed., Oct. 28 | Family Storytime | 10 to 11 a.m. |
| Thu., Oct. 29 | Bilingual Storytime | 10 to 11 a.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | Docu-Series Saturday | 2 to 3:30 p.m. |
| Tue., Nov. 10 | Coffee & Coloring | 10 a.m. to noon |
| Tue., Nov. 17 | Little Learners | 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. |
Family Storytime runs on Wednesday mornings and Bilingual Storytime on Thursday mornings through November. Books and Barks, Volunteer Orientation and the writing group come back later in the month, on Nov. 24 and Nov. 28. The calendar also shows a Bilingual Storytime on Thursday, Nov. 26, which is Thanksgiving. Call the library before you plan around that one.
Poncitlán Square is newer than the building being renovated beside it. Loa told the Press that when he first visited the Chimbole Center for a regional Lions Club meeting, the square wasn't there yet, and that space held an apartment building that has since been razed.
The city calendar lists the Veterans Day Ceremony there on Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 11 a.m. to noon, at 38315 9th St. E. That puts this year's ceremony right next to an active job site. The square is one of the few parts of the Sierra Highway civic block that you can use as usual this fall.
Events that need a large room, a stage or open lawn are scheduled across town this season. Most are free, and the rest cost $10 to $30. In date order:
After that, the next big date is at the Palmdale Amphitheater, 2723 Rancho Vista Blvd. Jolly Holiday runs Saturday, Dec. 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's a free family event with snow tubing, snow play and holiday activities. DryTown Water Park, at 3850 E. Avenue S, has closed for the year. Its site currently says "Thank you for visiting us in 2026."
All of this means the city's public calendar for the next 17 months won't include the Sierra Highway hall. The library, Poncitlán Square, Marie Kerr Park, Legacy Commons and the Playhouse carry the schedule until the ballroom opens in March 2028.
If you've been waiting for the Chimbole Center to come back for your own event, or you're wondering what a rebuilt civic block on Sierra Highway might mean for nearby streets, Kristen and the team at 35 Oaks Property Group follow Palmdale projects like this one month by month. Book an appointment and we'll go over what's changing near you.
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