The California Zoroastrian Center (CZC) recently acquired a new cultural center – the historic building on Hornblend Street in Pacific Beach – a 3,600-square-foot building that is more than a century old, formerly occupied by the Pacific Beach Woman’s Club.

Spokesperson Farhad Kermani informed that one of the major donors for this acquisition was also Iran’s first female mayor, and a strong advocate of women’s rights in Iran. Initially, developer Ramin Karimi, the previous owner had planned on building condo units but was convinced into changing his mind to build a cultural center instead.

Kermani shared that the Zoroastrian culture in Southern California has been headquartered in Orange County, with almost 2,800 members, since 1979, and that CZC’s board of directors decided to acquire new buildings in Los Angeles and San Diego to serve the expanding membership. “Our main goal is serving the community… We are trying to pass the culture to the next generation,” he said.

The remodelling involves converting part of the parking lot into space for outside activities, repainting the building, and fortifying the fencing around the property for security. Inside the building lobby stands a prominently displayed donation tree. “The whole building was purchased by voluntary donations by our members, the root of our community,” shared Kermani.