BUILDING A COMMUNity CenTer with heart
Transforming the Old McPhail Site to Enrich our Community
BUILDING A COMMUNity CenTer with heart
Transforming the Old McPhail Site to Enrich our Community
Transforming the Old McPhail Site to Enrich our Community
Transforming the Old McPhail Site to Enrich our Community
It happened! After two years of community advocacy and an extraordinary fundraising effort, Santa Venetia has won. In January 2026, San Rafael City Schools accepted a $6 million bid from Pazala Foundation to purchase the 10-acre former McPhail School campus on Vendola Drive, keeping this rare bayfront property in community hands forever. This remarkable outcome is what happens when a neighborhood refuses to give up and works together to get things done.

Santa Venetia Commons is more than an idea. It’s the future for families, students, artists, and dreamers. It’s a transformation of the abandoned McPhail School site into a community center and a cultural and recreational destination for Marin County. Edging the unique wetlands on San Pablo Bay, the center will enrich our community with multi-generational activities and spaces for the arts, music, events, youth programs, and learning. From creative studios and summer concerts to teen programs, senior socials, and wildlife education, Santa Venetia Commons will be anything but common.

We envision the site to be a community gathering, events, art, recreation, and entertainment space . Where neighbors, residents, students, and groups can connect, play, and embrace the beauty of the wetlands. Where families gather, seniors stay connected, and kids meet up for bike rides and wildlife walks. Where homage is made to the Miwoks. Where the community can find locally based services, arts, culture, education, and wellness programs.

Together, Pazala Foundation, Santa Venetia Community Center, and the Santa Venetia Neighborhood Association have ambitious ideas on how to transform the long-vacant property into a community center, park, and cultural destination. We will be ramping up our fundraising and volunteer efforts to take this project to its next phase. This will be a labor of love, a journey of many, and a true collaboration to see the McPhail site evolve into something exceptional.
We are actively seeking volunteers to help with the next phase of our journey. We are looking for volunteers to assist with grant writing, administration, accounting, legal assistance, community outreach, event planning, and more. Join our team and let's keep the momentum going!


Help make Santa Venetia Commons a reality as we begin planning for design and construction. Be part of a legacy that will change the way we build community with our hands and hearts. Your donation - big or small - will support our fundraising efforts.
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