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Help on the Way for Jimmy's Museum From S.B. City Loan |
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By Melissa Evans
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Thursday, May 03 2007 |
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Santa Barbara officials issued a loan this week to help transform Jimmy’s Oriental Gardens -- the last relic of the city's historic Chinatown -- into a museum that will pay tribute to early Asian American residents of the region.
The Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation bought the restaurant and property at 125 E. Canon Perdido for $3 million when it closed earlier this year.
 Patrons may be still be able to sip Mai Tai’s at the location of Jimmy’s. Photo by Melissa Evans / SBN
The trust is banking on the state of California buying the property and incorporating it into the historic El Presidio area within three years.
“There are a lot of layers of history in that neighborhood,” said Jared Brach, spokesman for the trust, referring to the 100 block of E. Canon Perdido near the Presidio. “We have a lot of artifacts and some ideas, but the main thing for now is buying the building.”
The community lamented the loss of Jimmy’s, one of the city’s most historic restaurants. Known for its Mai Tai’s and lively bar scene, Jimmy’s was a popular gathering place for locals and politicians throughout the years.
The late Jimmy Chung opened the restaurant in 1945 as part of the second wave of Chinese businesses to set up shop in Santa Barbara. The 1925 earthquake destroyed most of the original Chinatown.
Historians at UCSB plan to help piece together the history of Asian Americans in Santa Barbara. During a presentation Tuesday before the City Council, Xiaojian Zhao, chair of the Asian American studies department at UCSB, conceded that Santa Barbara is more known for its Spanish roots.
But Asian Americans, particularly at the turn of the 20th Century, were very much a part of the fabric of early Santa Barbara life -- and one of the most integrated cultures, she said.
 Asian Americans, particularly at the turn of the 20th Century, were very much a part of the fabric of early Santa Barbara life. Photo by Melissa Evans / SBN
This history will be part of a “master plan” being crafted now for the El Presidio by the trust, executive director Jarrell Jackman said. They are not yet at the stage of releasing concrete plans for the museum, but it will be a focal point for displaying the history of Asian culture.
In the meantime, residents may be still be able to sip Mai Tai’s at the location of Jimmy’s; the trust may turn the businesses back into a restaurant or bar to help make the monthly loan payments.
The trust also purchased three residential units -- two apartments that will be rented at low-income rates and one three-bedroom house -- that will generate income for the loan payments.
The trust borrowed money from the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Wood Claeyssens Foundation, the Outhwaite Trust, the Hutton Foundation and Montecito Bank & Trust. The interest-free city loan of $500,000 will lower the trust’s monthly interest payments by about $3,000.
Once the loans are paid and the state buys the land, the trust will start raising money for possible renovations and work to the museum, members said.
Members of the City Council unanimously approved the loan on Tuesday, saying they were pleased with the use of Jimmy’s restaurant.
“Whenever we get a chance to see some other period of history uncovered and interpreted, I certainly support that,” said Council member Iya Falcone. “There are so many different parts of Santa Barbara’s history that are deep and rich.”Contact Melissa Evans at
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