Local Businesses Jump Ahead of State Street Master Plan with New Remodels
SANTA BARBARA, CALIF. (KEYT) - The recently released drawings of State Street that could be the guideline for the new master plan for downtown Santa Barbara is just one check on the long road to redesign.
It is said to be the centerpiece for the downtown economy and it has been struggling for several years.
To some analysts, it started a few years before the pandemic, due to some shifts in the buying habits of shoppers online.
Now there is a move for some investors and business owners to go forward even without a city plan. They see an opportunity and believe it will work.
The list is a cross section of retail, restaurants and the arts.
Oleksii Babenko with the Super Moss store says, "any small family owned or locally owned business that is something we can all get behind, we can promote." It has capture the eye of passersby. "People come in and have a lot of awe and wonder about this place even in Santa Barbara, it is still pretty new and interesting. It is not something you see in every corner. "
The store has moss creations, some as art work, and many other gifts. It also offers gardening classes.
His neighbor Ingrid Estrella at Game Seeker, "I I have a new neighbor who is an exciting new retailer and they are beautifully presented. We have the (McHurley) theatre next to me. This block is driving a lot of people to come but I want every block to be that way ." She says the Saturday Farmers Market generates a lot of people into the area creating new energy and interest in the retailers. "We really want the foot traffic we want people comfortable walking downtown and feel like there is a lot going on to walk to. "
The Game Seeker, which opened last year in a new site at 920 State Street, has used its interior for more games and also tables for customers to try some out.
Nearby The Music Academy of the West has plans to begin remodeling its new site at 901 State St. later this year and begin to make a performance and teaching center out of the former retail and banking location.
Sandbar closed last year and has remodeled the interior. It will be open in June and plans to capture local residents and hungry tourists where it is located in the gateway section to downtown.
At the Amazon building on Carrillo and State, the food plan near the front door will now include Silvergreens, Handlebar Coffee and Renaud's Patisserie & Bistro.
The closed Chase Restaurant, recovering from a fire has now reopened with inside and outside seating at the classic location in the 1000 block.
The Blue Owl on Canon Perdido St. says even though it had to remove its outside parklet due to new city rules, it is getting a new one designed and approved by the review agencies to go in as soon as possible. That will add about 25 more seats to the small restaurant which also has entertainment at night.
The former Starbucks on the corner of State and Victoria has had a for lease sign up, and now it is down, but the new tenant has not been announced.
The Antique Alley is showing a for sale sign on its building at State and Ortega St.
Across the street, Noozhawk reports the closed Macy's department store building is now being considered by Yardi Systems of Goleta as a new location. It is part of a moving planning process for the city to work with the owners on filling that vacant space and also the Nordstroms empty building on the Canon Perdido St. at Carrillo side of the Paseo Nuevo Mall, which may become housing units.
Estrella says she sees a lively and energetic future and has seen signs of it already on certain days, hoping for more.
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