The contact at Public Works had this to say: "The project will be rebid, construction is anticipated in late spring/summer."
Go Team Taylor! Such a much needed and smart development plan. Fingers crossed for a swift approval process.
Huguette Clark’s will states that the Bellosguardo Foundation’s primary purpose is “fostering and promoting the arts, for the benefit of the public.” Now, after eight years of doing nothing, they’re offering those “lucky enough to snag a spot” a limited tour of the grounds for $100 a pop?
Her will also directs the foundation to make grants that support arts organizations. I’ve checked the last seven years of public filings, and the total amount of grants made is ZERO.
The late Ms. Clark would surely be unhappy with the leadership of her foundation. Until the current president and his cronies on the board are replaced, I won’t be supporting it.
I guess my source is worth keeping under my hat….Enjoy !
“…. consisting of a 1,582-net-square-foot second story addition and a 3,579-net-square-foot roof dec…”.
Are they going to add a well stocked bar, a la Mount Caramel? Because everyone really needs a luxurious roof deck to fully appreciate JC. All that and no taxes paid on their income; must be nice. We’re in the wrong business!
This surprises me. No shade meant to Macy’s, but I assumed they were on their way out of business (brick & mortar business, at least) like so many others have been or are going. If that were the case, I agree with many here, even though it makes me sad, that converting it to housing is an excellent idea.
Yeah, butter sounds like a lot. I’d still eat it, though, lol. Thanks!
Any word on start date if State Street underpass construction? First it was late summer then fall. I wrote Jeff on instagram and he had no clue and said it’s a public works project so only they know. Any chance we can get a update on the start time frame ?
Love the Jeff Shelton piece about the house on the Riviera. We have a small Shelton designed house that we were lucky enough to purchase 12 years ago and I just redid the kitchen floor using Jeff designed tile. Such a Santa Barbara treasure.
I find it interesting that they are proposing kicking out a functional Buisness as opposed to redeveloping the other areas that are dead. The Macys building is the one large retail Buisness that is fully occupied right now. Why tear down the one the actually is being used as opposed to redeveloping the vacant retail spaces? I went to the mall this evening and had to park near the old Sears building because the lot was full and there were lines of people trying to check out in Macys. It felt like it was 2007 again. Is Macy’s on a short term lease that can be terminated? The same can be said of the Restoration Hardware building downtown (which is also proposed for for housing), The managers say they are doing excellent Buisness, and they’ve mentioned that if they are kicked out they will find a new location in town, but it still seems inefficient.
Great start to an exciting an underutilized asset. Would be nice to have a park/green zone in the mix between what will inevitably be two massive developments at each end. Zap the retail to the edges perhaps and call it a Hope Central Park ?
I ordered a dozen and I am looking forward to picking them up! Plus I loved the great customer service - they called me and asked if I wanted some or all of them cooked, or not, etc. I'm sure they are going to be delicious.
Had the terms of the Clark gift to the city permitted the sale of Bellosguardo to the highest bidder the city could have avoided the work & expense of making the property compliant with a multitude of regulations and instead have established an arts endowment in perpetuity.
The rumors I’ve heard - and not sure if they’re factual - was that it was changed to be “Dutch” during WWII due to understandable at the time anti-German sentiment. Yes, the restaurant has been around that long! I would be curious if anyone can verify this.
Thanks for the great photos! I love going on house and garden tours, but I didn't want to support an organization that has made so little progress (and is so opaque) to meet the intentions of Huguette's will. I felt like I would be supporting the salary of that guy currently in charge instead of the skilled laborers need to restore the place.
I'm curious why it's called Dutch Gardens when all the pictured food seems to be German??
Love it! Woe to the NIMBYs and other assorted #haters, the future is beyond you
I think this is awesome. This is exactly the type of location where we should develop high density housing. Huge lots with empty parking lots and dead retail. Some of the architecture is drab but it’s a necessary evil to keep things affordable and it’s not exactly in a historic area or one with much redeeming architectural value anyway. It’s fine. State St. up there is a mess for pedestrians and bikers. Hopefully this will help fix that. I agree traffic is already bad there but what are you gonna do? Redeveloping elements of our failing urban core are exactly what we should focus on rather than razing historic areas and buildings for new hotels, or turning every SFH into a fourplex. This is progress I like.
It's that there would be 600+ cars from residents (plus guests visiting) looking to leave the community at some point. That's my only concern.
The exact same can be said of your house and the land it sits on.
I can only imagine what the previous owners, and indigenous groups before that, would think. Time marches on, I suppose.
$ 60.00 for a dozen tamales is not too much for the type of tamales Corazón Comedor makes. I have been all over East LA & tamale festivals looking for a tamale that isn't a " hockey puck " of masa. In Los Angles I like the pop up " Olmeca's " tamales. I swooned over CC's tamales ( the masa is light and fluffy ) and will happily pay the price . And CC's Posole is worth every penny ! I understand everyone likes the traditional tamales that the local grandmothers make... I just happen to like a different type that I first tasted in Santa Fe. :-)
Agreed. Adding more of an organic flow and nature (plants & water features) would not only honor it’s past, but also make this a more attractive & desirable place. The rectilinear buildings and pathways in these renderings have a generic corporate feel. The developers could take a clue from Sheldon’s Andaluz.
Seems like a solid start. As for traffic concerns, there was more traffic around both La Cumbre and Paseo Nuevo back when people actually went to those malls….Presumably people who lived in the new housing would just walk in for their shopping and dining, so I don’t see how that would add to traffic.
The pretzel was good! I wouldn't have minded a bit more chewiness, and I could've done without the butter melted all over it (especially in the context of a rich meal), but I'd still order it again. And I'm not sure whether this is clear from the photo, but the pretzel is huge.
I think it’s great but traffic would be a real concern. Anyone saying they would miss that Macys and empty parking lot sea over usage this needs to get their head checked
