Santa Maria City Council approves five-story mixed-use development next to Town Center mall
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The Santa Maria City Council on Tuesday night voted 4-1 in favor of approving a five-story mixed-use development that is planned next to the Santa Maria Town Center mall.
Councilman Carlos Escobedo was the only dissenting vote in entering into a disposition and development agreement with Santa Barbara-based Vernon Property Group for city surplus land on the site that is located on the corner of Broadway and Main Street.
The developer proposed a mixed-use building that includes 6,700 square feet of commercial space on the ground floor along with 88 residential apartment units. The proposal also included 50 studio apartments, 28 one-bedroom apartments, and 10 two-bedroom apartments.
The agreement is part of an implementation plan to revitalize the downtown area, as the mixed-use building would add more housing along with retail and dining.
The project still needs to pass other hurdles before final clearance to start construction, and both the city and Vernon said it will most likely take at least a year before final approval can be obtained, and then another two or three years of construction before the development is completed.
