April 22, 2026
Tag: 101 Garden Street
Large Furniture Store Opening on State Street
Plus: The new stoplight on Coast Village Road; Beck to play the Santa Barbara Bowl; the Carpinteria outpost of The Shopkeepers appears to have closed; new boutique in Kismet's former space in the Upper Village; Blue Man Group at the Granada Theatre; Funk Zone–ish hotel to be two Marriott brands; another Funk Zone fitness studio; State Street's reliance on resale; "Where in Santa Barbara...?" answer. 33
November 21, 2024
250-Room Funk Zone Hotel Gets the Go-Ahead
Plus: Biltmore renovation allowed to proceed; city to help remove Las Alturas landslide house; the county Planning Commission rejected a cannabis project for the first time; Cost Plus World Market could be around for three years; Tunnel Trail reopened; the history of Goleta's Encina Royale neighborhood; Milpas Street improvements likely. 2
October 3, 2024
Debate Rages Over the 250-Room Garden Street Hotel
Other recent news: Debunked rumor that the Bidens bought in the Santa Ynez Valley; District 1 candidate forum recap; Funk Zone art gallery closed; city councilmember Alejandra Gutierrez's poor attendance; criticism for cannabis stink abatement plan; Goleta library to close for up to two years; Mission Creek restoration; Cottage Health to create employee housing; what's next for Andersen's Pea Soup in Buellton. 3
February 29, 2024
Santa Barbara Water Rates to Go Way Up
Other recent news: Proposed Garden Street hotel will only have 60 employees; Santa Barbara–based Jackpocket acquired for $750 million; a Wells Fargo branch has closed; the reinvented River Lodge motel outside Paso Robles has opened; the tree of the month; sewage spills affect Goleta Beach and Miramar Beach. 3
February 26, 2024
New Company Offers Helicopter Tours of Santa Barbara
Plus: Lemons washing up on local beaches; 16-passenger bikes are back in the Funk Zone; road to Ojai closed because of a rock slide; Kings of Leon and Rebelution to play the Santa Barbara Bowl; updates on Vuori and RH; an amusing hat from a new brand called Santa Ynez Country Club; another look at the 250-room hotel proposed for Garden Street. 9
August 11, 2023
Another Step Forward for the Revamp of De La Guerra Plaza
Other recent news: the Planning Commission puts the screws to the 101 Garden Street hotel; more on Ocean Fathoms's misbehavior; the Santa Barbara News-Press's list of creditors; proposed improvements to Stow Grove Park in Goleta; the Santa Barbara Zoo's new red panda. 2
April 30, 2023
April 14, 2023
MarBorg’s Non-Curbside Rate Hike Is Coming to Santa Barbara
Other recent news: The Santa Barbara City Council can't make up its mind about State Street parklet fees; Carpinteria Salt Marsh trails and beach access closed till June; park turtles to be relocated; Santa Claus Lane upgrade moves forward; recap of the debate over the proposed hotel at 101 Garden Street; Carrizo Plain superbloom photos. 7
April 8, 2023
Oprah Winfrey’s Creek Construction Makes Downstream Neighbors Nervous
Other recent news: Santa Barbara County tightened the eviction code; city Planning Commission waffles on 101 Garden Street hotel; update on the county's ambulance services contract; library plaza should be done by October; Elings Park improvements; opposition to fish farms in the Santa Barbara Channel; 72-room hotel in Carpinteria moves forward. 8
April 6, 2023
A New Chapter for the Sacred Space in Summerland
Plus: No nonstop flights between Santa Barbara and Chicago this summer; update on the Santa Ynez Valley zipline park; Goop rumored to be expanding in Montecito; office building/chapel on Chapala sells; story poles are up for the 250-room hotel in the Funk Zone; Robert Cray Band to play the Lobero; answer to last week's "Where in Santa Barbara...?" 2
Burning Questions
- Why Are the Railroad Tracks Being Expanded Along Padaro Lane?
- Will You Explain the Plan to Adapt the Waterfront for Climate Change?
- Why Did the Rosewood Miramar Beach Install Gates?
- How Long Will This Big Pipe Be at East Beach?
- Is Cabrillo Boulevard Going to Be Widened Under Highway 101?
- Was There a Fisherman Inn in Downtown Santa Barbara?
- What Are Those Old Buildings at the Corner of Castillo and Montecito Streets?
Recent Comments
It is kind of complex to tease out who bears the risks and benefits in these projects that have public and private parties involved. I… — SBradley
Very interesting. If Yardi is paying anywhere near $120M + $35M + $5.7M for almost 250k empty square feet, this is going to take a… — NuemanJ
I think some folks who would consider this is a windfall for Yardi may be overlooking two things: 1)The cost to Yardi to buyout AB's… — StanThompson
Just realizing I did not address your first point. The buildings on the property have been up for sale, and their value is also depressed… — SBradley
I think that the city's representation of this land as having ‘zero value’ is confusing because it sums together the value of 2 distinct things… — SBradley
No idea whether this is a good deal for Yardi or not. Paseo Nuevo has been available for sale since 2020 with no buyers -… — NuemanJ
I wish this same logic worked for Thrifty ice cream! According to the BLS inflation calculator, something that cost 5 cents in 1970 should cost… — Doug B
I'm unclear how bike lanes are related to maga. For that matter please explain how freeways and rail lines are remotely maga in a state… — Bettye Jones
Worth knowing about the Paseo Nuevo deal: the city is skipping the required competitive bidding process for this public land transfer by using the state-approved… — SBradley
This write up is such a biased take that sides with a handful of people. I imagine the people groaning about this project have a… — Yesenia G.