The Funk Zone block bordered by Yanonali, Santa Barbara, Mason, and Gray streets—where the mixed-use SOMOfunk project was in the works—has a new owner. Brian Kelly of Eastern Real Estate paid just over $19 million for the six lots. His plan for the block is unknown, but the word on the street is that he’s leaning away from a wholesale redevelopment like SOMOfunk. And given his respect for other old buildings in the area—he developed the nearby Acme Hospitality complex—there’s hope for adaptive reuse of the more distinctive architecture and perhaps even the sparing of the Dart Coffee Garden.
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I won’t hold my breath but this sounds like great news! Fingers crossed. Even the name SomoFunk was cringe. Hope this is the last we hear of it.
Yes, I’m wondering how it got the name SoMoFunk?
I don’t recall a street around this area starting w/ “MO” that this street is “SO” of? (As in NoHo/SoHo, SF)
South of Montecito Street.
These buildings are part of what makes the Funk Zone the Funk Zone. While they are certainly not the highest and best use of the land, they do create a place where people want to hang out and relax at. A high end hotel with insane prices for a room and high end restaurants are not going to be what attracts locals and visitors to come to the area. Hell if I want to go to some high end douchebag filled bar I can stay in my own town of San Luis Obispo for that.
The Zone abides, hopefully the new owner abides as well.
This is the best thing since sliced bread. I watched all of the meetings about this project, the Planning commission was absolutely ghoulish in their delight when they approved it on a 7-0 vote. Then chairperson Debra Schwartz stated, “In all my years on the Planning commission this was the best presentation I’ve ever seen.” At that point I was reaching down to pick up a shoe to chuck at the tv. Earlier in the meeting the person from the Cearnal Collective showed a series of renderings, the most notable was “the view from the 101.” (this is when I took off my shoes) I thought, who’s looking around while driving that section of the 101? And now I think we all know. . . that monster of a project on Gutierrez & State. Also a four story apartment building that is CLEARLY visible from the 101! Have we not learned that bigger is NOT better? And last week SIMA spokesman Jarret Gorin was at the city council with plans to build a multi-story hotel just a few blocks up State. . . Really??? So long to the Press Room. . . By coincidence current councilmember Mike Jordan was on the Planning commission back when they fell over themselves in approval of SOMO. . . when it went before the ABR there were 164 written letters submitted, all but two were against the project and those two in favor were from the Housing Authority. I don’t know anyone that was in favor of the SOMO project. (other than Mike Jordan) It was so big, way too big for the site. This news that the property has a new owner is welcome to me, like a sliced loaf of bread from Helena Bakery. Finally, maybe the owners of the Press Room can find a spot in the F. Zone for the building. Pick it up, put it on a huge flatbed trailer and bring to the FZ.
Good on Brian Kelly!!! Dart garden lives?
The Dart Garden May have a lease, but not a long one by commercial standards.
17M sale for the block – pretty sure that is a loss, the Dart Garden prop I recall sold for $3M about.
The plan was in all iterations poorly thought out, initially with a Schooner on top of one hotel building. I recall Cearnal was brought in later to salvage it, but too much silly remained. There were courtyards that would barely receive any sunlight. May all the proposed projects on the Eastern side of the Funk Zone be rational. Keeping as many of the parcels separate as possible could well set the foundation for that.
NIMBY’s stop your kvetching and realize that density is good for Santa Barbara. People living, working and finding entertainment within walking distance keeps them off the freeway and our city from becoming Irvine.
The density of Irvine is actually higher than that of SB.