••• “Management of Paseo Nuevo Mall in Santa Barbara Considering Housing, Hotel for Nordstrom Building,” after the store closes this summer. Also: “The mall plans to open up the former Macy’s building [pictured at right]—one of its larger anchor spots that’s vacant—facing State Street. [General manager Kristen] Harms-Romo said there’s no timeline for the changes to what’s called the Ortega Building, but that the mall wants to open it up to Ortega Street and create a breezeway. ‘So you don’t have to walk around that whole building that takes up that entire block,’ Harms-Romo said. ‘And, whatever tenants end up occupying the Ortega building will then have more walk-by traffic as well.’ Paseo Nuevo management is looking to lease out the building to multiple tenants.” —Noozhawk
••• The L.A. Times checked out the newly car-less section of State Street and found that everyone loves it, even if a lot of people wish more masks were being worn.
••• Speaking of which: “California will require people to wear masks in most indoor settings and outdoors when distancing isn’t possible under a statewide order issued Thursday. […] The state’s news release didn’t say how it would enforce the order or what the penalty would be for people who don’t comply.” That’s because it’s unenforceable. —KEYT
••• “The embattled director of Santa Barbara’s Community Development Department [George Buell] announced his resignation Thursday, effective in mid-July.” —Noozhawk
••• “Goleta Council Votes to Keep Sales Tax Hike an Option for Ballot, But Final Decision Yet to Come […] The tax measure, which would call for a 1 percent increase, could generate an estimated $7 million annually to fund a variety of municipal services.” —Noozhawk
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