Anonymous
(edhat file photo)
By an edhat reader
Apparently, the owners of the Sears building in the La Cumbre Plaza have listed it for sale and it might be developed with as many as 546 high-density housing units, according to The Independent.
What do edhat readers think should happen to the building and space? Do we need more high-density housing? Should it be repurposed and incorporated back into the La Cumbre Mall for shopping or other retail stores?
Assuming the rest of the mall would open practical stores to accommodate locals, I think it is a great idea. They did a nice job restoring that building and it does not get many shoppers. Having a live/work/shop development in SB is something I support. Of course, my opinion differs from all the naysayers so I expect plenty of disrespectful and unproductive commentary.
I dont think most of our traffic issues have to do with the people who live in SB or Goleta. The sheer volume of cars commuting into SB on any day dwarfs the number of locals using the roads. All you have to do is drive around town on a holiday or a Sunday, or after 7pm to see what a difference the commuters make on traffic. They are the ones clogging up the streets and highways. Maybe we need to create an entry toll on these folks as they’re not contributing equally to our local sales or property tax coffers, but are certainly impacting our infrastructure and our lifestyle.
Who owns the Sears Building? The CEO who drove Sears in to the ground???
I would rather see an IKEA in the Sears Building but not a movie theater as suggested previously
Considering the demographics the mall wants, the only thing under $1m would be the construction shed in the parking lot
Should be SBPD HQ and vehicle maintenance facility. Room enough for Fire Dept HQ and other emergency services, plus city Conference Rooms, etc. Might even be worth moving City Hall there, and then selling the downtown City Hall building to Google or Amazon.
I completely agree with YACHT ROCKED: Should be SBPD HQ and vehicle maintenance facility. Room enough for Fire Dept HQ and other emergency services. Freeway close, an obvious choice. We missed out on turning the old St Vincent’s Orphanage property at 101 and 154 into a hospital, that was another obviously good location for a worthy freeway-close emergency room but someone decided instead to gobble up the neighborhood around Cottage instead, slowly destroying traditional housing there. Watch the typical politics at work now, what would be best for the citizens will not be chosen.
Read the article, this entire idea is based on a single comment from the owners who are trying to sell the property. NO ONE has expressed interest in building or converting into condos. We’re just spinning our wheels here.
we get a little bit of rain and no one is considering the additional water usage all this housing would draw??
State laws are written only by those we elect to write those laws. We have a poor tract record electing those who quickly throw us under the bus. Let’s stop doing this to ourselves. Elect some independent locals whose first job is no longer to sell us out to outside interests. The state is us; it is not some foreign entity that demands we do its bidding.
We are not victims of “state” mandates – we elect those who write the laws that require these things from us. We have not been well served locally for decades by our own elected officials. Time to elect change; not more of the same old betrayals.
Your last comment basically says your opinion is best and everyone that disagrees with you is disrespect and unproductive…I’ll assume you are a PL so I understand.
One more time….the city does not have the money to buy Sears or any other large desirable parcel. Plus they have already picked their new spot….it had to be City owned since the only funds available are to build the new station. How ’bout quit beating a dead horse.
I appreciate constructive opposition. I just think, in general, we have lost the ability (or discipline) to do so without personal attack. Kind of like your reply. I’m not sure what part of my post lead you to the conclusion that my opinion is best. By the way, what is PL? Penny Lane?
P L ?
It’s not like 700 people are appearing out of this air. They are currently alive and using water somewhere and the majority of the residents most likely already live in SB or the surrounding areas. Shoot it would probably be better since they will be required to use water saving faucets, shower heads etc….
This is a preliminary idea at this point. But realistically speaking, densifying the neighborhood in this area makes a lot of sense. Close to shopping, medical facilities, and transportation corridors. If we are ever to achieve a city with fewer vehicles, this would help a lot.
IKEA! I’m there!
Build a wall… keep the commuters out. MSBGA, baby.
If possible of course new beautiful housing should be build there, and it should be market rate housing, not Section 8 housing. New market rate housing means new residents, who pay taxes and who start new businesses and who frequent local businesses. The city prospers. That’s real progress.
That was hilarious!
People that think the growth of housing and more humans is progress can’t also believe in global warming. We’re ruining the earth at an exponential rate yet you want more homes built and more people confined in a 40 sq. Mile space? But hey I drive a Tesla, attend earth day and use a low flush toilets so we’re gonna be ok right? smh.
Word of mouth is spreading in Silicon Valley and starting to make an impact here – why fight SF traffic, prices and blight when there are very affordable fixer-uppers right next to the ocean in Santa Barbara. $150K salaries are looking for takers in this town as we speak. And that is not the taxpayer funded government offering those $150K jobs, it is the private sector. Learn to code is not bad advice.
Developer or Architect Troll. That is what you are. Market-rate for them is 200% ($159,200 family of 4)+ of the area medium income. They want only the highest income earners. Anyone not earning at least 160% ($127,360 family of 4) of the area medium income need not apply. They don’t want to create housing for our mechanics, doctors, police officers, nurses, teachers, accountants… Just look at the Marc. Those owners only wanted to serve the luxury apartment need. They even boosted before the building was sold that a huge percentage of renters had incomes well over $150,000.00. How many of us earn this and why can’t any units be sent aside for those people not on Section 8, but earn a decent amount? The City Council disgust me. They won’t make decisions that would help our disappearing Middle Class.
546?!?!?!
Unfortunately, it’s not up to us at all. We definitely do NOT need more housing, and certainly not 546 units jammed into that space. But, it’s all about the money and those who have it. Bummer.
Isn’t the state requiring cities to build housing? If so, this seems like a fine location–it won’t ruin any current residential neighborhoods, will it? I hope they retain/provide adequate parking. 546 does seem like a huge number.
It would SUCK to live there I used to work there.
Yes we need much more low income housing much more..
Isn’t the police department looking for a new headquarters? Would seem to be a good fit.
I’m agreeing with you here- the city totally needs more $1 Taco Tuesdays.
That would equate to at least 700 more vehicles… awesome.
I think the Police Department would be great there. And, if there’s a jail there, doesn’t that qualify as “housing”.
My understanding is that we are no longer allowed to complain about traffic (I’m being sarcastic). Of course the traffic would be horrible. Seems like the state doesn’t care; they are requiring cities to provide housing regardless of the wishes of local residents. I don’t like it, but I’d rather it be at Sears than crammed into formerly pleasant neighborhoods.
It’s the outskirts of the City, doesn’t make sense.
I think it would a very cool retail/residence structure. Imagine shops, restaurants on the first level, below ground parking for residences. Second and third higher residential units. Not more than 3 levels high. Very European.
It doesn’t matter that the police department would be on the outskirts of the city. What matters is where the police officers and police cars are.
There has been a law in CA since 1969 that cities must build to accommodate growing and anticipated population growth.
Per CA Department of Housing and Community Development:
“Since 1969, California has required that all local governments (cities and counties) adequately plan to meet the housing needs of everyone in the community. California’s local governments meet this requirement by adopting housing plans as part of their “general plan” (also required by the state). General plans serve as the local government’s “blueprint” for how the city and/or county will grow and develop and include seven elements: land use, transportation, conservation, noise, open space, safety, and housing. The law mandating that housing be included as an element of each jurisdiction’s general plan is known as “housing-element law.”
Short answer: Cities are mandated to keep building more housing, no matter what.
I think turning that location into housing actually seems to make sense. Walk to grocery, shopping, bus stop, etc.
Could put the dairy back. That’s what it was 50 or 60 years ago. . .
I shop at all the stores here, including Ralph’s, Nordstrom, Whole Foods, Von’s, etc.: we really could use a Walmart. Best Buy has a monopoly on television sales here, plus you can get everything from food to snow tires at a Walmart.
Since Osh and Sears are gone,We could Really use a Lowes.
I almost spit out my coffee reading the one comment below asking who owns the building, and the CEO who ran Sears into the ground owns it. Whaa? No, a CEO of a company doesn’t own the building. It’s just flabbergasting, no wonder why they don’t look to the general populace for input or answers. Sheesh.
ACE Home Improvement Center is great. Don’t overlook what we already have in town.
Outskirts of hte city?! lol. Just closer to Goleta, where many work. Yes, housing is a good idea. But it should be rent-limited. The people are already here. 500 units? I doubt that, aside from the whole idea being a rumor. People who own can’t frigging afford to downsize. Some common sense changes would free up some houses.
I hope you don’t have kids, and, if you’re male, that you are Certain of that.
WE NEED LOW-INCOME and middle class affordable HOUSING. If this is an option to convert the Sears space into living units, we absolutely should figure out how to make that happen!