- Tower Height (architectural): 89.00 m
- Floors (above ground): 22
- Construction Dates: 1986 – 1987
- Building Cost: $38,000,000
- Architect: Ebbe Videriksen
- Tower Height (architectural): 89.00 m
- Floors (above ground): 22
- Construction Dates: 1986 – 1987
- Building Cost: $38,000,000
- Architect: Ebbe Videriksen
Since 1987, the movers and shakers of Ventura County have sipped martinis and champagne from their privileged aerie atop the Pacific View Tower, viewing dazzling sunsets and watching as the 20th century made way for a new millennium. But it’s been more than just a luxurious room at the top with the breathtaking scenery of the Pacific Ocean and the community’s shrinking farmlands close enough to reach out and touch. While the rest of the world has gone through tumultuous times, Pacific View Tower remains an iconic landmark and an oasis of calm and elegance for Ventura County.
Pacific View Tower, then known as The Tower Club was born under the tutelage of larger-than-life Oxnard real estate developer Martin V. “Bud” Smith who long ago decided anything London, New York, or San Francisco could do, he could do better. Thus, the Tower Club evolved into an exclusive site for Ventura County’s “in crowd” rivaling the best of any club in the country. The Pacific View Tower of Oxnard has an ambiance and lifestyle reminiscent of the kind of private clubs one might find in Manhattan, London, or Rio de Janeiro.
As Ventura County began to hit its stride, it was the visionary real estate tycoon Smith who decided to open a stylish private club where he and other industry leaders could shoot the breeze, talk business, relax, and unwind. “My dad’s life revolved around his companies,” recalls Cindi Daley, one of Smith’s four daughters. “And his friendships through business were many. He wanted a city club and he wanted Ventura County to be first with the club.”
Smith was a native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but he had already seen the fantastic potential of Ventura County. Back in 1945, he began his real-life game of Monopoly. He snapped up cheap agricultural land and began his wildly successful journey. By the time of his death in 2001 at the age of 85, he held a portfolio of over 200 properties from Calabasas to Santa Maria including 11 hotels plus the historic Santa Maria Inn. He had even once swapped a bunch of old jukeboxes for a decrepit drive-in restaurant that he turned into the Colonial House at Wagon Wheel Junction. “He was one of the sharpest businessmen I’ve ever known,” recalls rancher Paul Leavens. “Everything he touched turned to gold. He started with nothing and ended up a very wealthy man. He epitomized the free enterprise system.” Smith’s crowning glory was the business district on Vineyard.
Smith was never sheepish, so he was not averse to putting the squeeze on some of his business associates and their pals to persuade them to cough up membership fees to the most exclusive club in town, recalls former Ventura County Supervisor Ralph “Hoot” Bennett. “Bud lived on the edge,” says Bennett. “His addiction was risk-taking. I remember many times when he was so heavily leveraged that he almost went broke. But in the end, he came away a big winner.” Bennett noted that Smith originally opened a restaurant on the ground floor of the Financial Center’s first office building; however, when the second taller skyscraper was completed, he swiftly moved “upstairs” to the 22nd floor.
Oxnard’s penthouse club has continued to be a pleasurable home away from home. It was under the stewardship of French-born Robert Lopez until 2015 when the community celebrated his retirement, hosting events transferred to the acclaimed event experts, Wedgewood Weddings & Events, who operate esteemed venues from coast to coast. Founded by John Zaruka and his wife Linda in 1986, the company has grown but never forgotten its Ventura County roots. In fact, the couple has been active tower club members for many years. As Robert Lopez says, “If these walls could talk, they would tell a fascinating story of life covering more than a quarter of a century in our wonderful community.” The Tower club will undoubtedly have many more stories to tell.
Nowadays the Pacific View Tower penthouse is available for full and partial event rentals for gatherings of all sizes. If you’ve never visited, we encourage you to book a tour and discover why this sky-high venue will continue to be the talk of the town for many years to come!