What do you get when you cross arrogance, incompetence and greed? The Paseo Nuevo Mall Conversion. What a convoluted, screwed up mess! One thing should be abundantly clear…CCM Oscar Gutierrez, is a financial illiterate! Ya sure, let’s hand over millions in prime real estate to a group of people based on race, that can’t even prove their own lineage. Sounds like a similar “land scam” and give away, the Chumash Marine Sanctuary Act.
Especially depressing, is the thought of bulldozing millions of dollars in retail space and loss in sales tax revenues to a bunch of Gen Zr’s. so they can “hang out” downtown and the subsequent take over by the Housing Authority, removing it from the tax base.
I see the entire project as a lose-lose for the taxpayers.
B, so well done and so well said Re: Paseo. City staff did a 100 page deal memo and, while I’m not one who often relies on staff in a deal this complicated their “blessing” matters—they KNOW desperately need this. A mall with a 30 year encumbrance that ticks downward leaves fewer economic options with each passing day and a global behemoth like AB can EASILY allow the property to deteriorate. Hard Truth: We need them MUCH more than they need us. A mall without anchor stores is no mall at all and is the reason why interior stores, like Sephora, will continue to move and our sales tax revenue will continue to plummet. Healthy cities have 8% vacancy rates not 1.7% like SB so, YES, we need more SUPPLY to drive prices down. With 90k residents is the city going to shoot the deal down because it brings 60 less “affordable” units than the inclusionary rule requires? And what about the 200 desperately needed other units? Many local pundits were against this deal that would have brought much needed economic vibrancy to State street’s race to the bottom. It’s easy to criticize but not so easy to develop a vision or plan. As Kelly McAdoo recently said “THERE IS NO PLAN B”. To The Pundits and the Council: Be careful what you wish for! Thanks Bonnie.
1990 - City council installs term limits for city council, following state legislation for state offices
2015 - District elections imposed including two "majority minority" protected city district representatives out of six
2025 - five complete turnovers of city council members since 1990 when Paseo Nuevo was envisioned.
Zero institutional history on city council today, since 1990 term limits and 2015 district elections imposed on city. No one is around any longer when Paseo Nuevo was proposed and constructed, so no one needs to accept any responsibility for what happened to State Street and Paseo Nuevo, outside their own term limits and narrow district impacts....... the dark side of term limits.
*Is the female leadership model proving to be different from a male leadership model? More Female model Gaia drift and lassitude, compared to the more direct, get it done and accept risks and consequences male leadership model?
Paseo Nuevo was a bait and switch, when presenting their winning plans to the earlier city council, the mall was integrated into State Street downtown retail for each to flow into each other.
The developer then intentionally changed this original design presented to the city to make the mall a more inclusive experience and to take people off State Street.
He explained in public the first more integrated design was intended only to win the contract, but then changed this original expectations after construction began for reasons unknown - perhaps to create more value for intended future Paseo tenants.
A casino on the Paseo Nuevo site? Hell yes. Alcohol sales will explode on State St. We will be the gambling mecca on the West Coast. Eat your heart out Las Vegas.
Great article, Bonnie. If this beautiful tree is cut, then the limbs of the politicians should be cut and thrown in the wood cutter, too. What's wrong with them? With all the soaring costs in SB, it could eventually come crashing down. The only people being able to afford living in SB will be the very, very well to do with fulltime bodyguards and dogs to protect themselves from the thieves. The crooks will love SB because of all the homes with stuff worth stealing.
Way back when the Mall was being proposed I actually called up to Nordstrom's corporate offices in Seattle and spoke with one of the brothers. I told him Santa Barbara didn't need or want their store, that we would prefer locally owned and oriented commerce. He said "Well, then we will fail but we are committed to doing it." And they did fail.
The current boondoggle shows the level of incompetence in our excruciatingly highly paid Government employees. This property could anchor a renaissance of our failed downtown, but every time each of us drives on Chapala and has to dodge around big rigs parked in the turning lane because there was NO PLAN for a loading dock parking area in the initial proposal... well, that just reminds us of the incompetency and hubris of those who spend our money. Just like no turn lane for the parking lot off Anacapa into the parking lot for the Granada block.... are the people who make these errors fired? Oh no! They remain anonymous, and await their pension.
But try to put a roof on your porch or fence your yard and one of their inspectors will make your life Hell to justify their fat paycheck. Try to trim your tree on your own property, better do it on a weekend lest you be fined. But try to give input and demand that they save 36 trees in a fine habitat that anchors the Mesa ecosystem, or the Hope Ranch trail trees wiped out for an unnecessary bike path.... public "input" is not considered important.
Thanks Bonnie for our weekly dose of the pathetic state of the City. It is a reminder of how far from a democracy we have slipped. Few of us feel "represented" by those whose egos and tenacity have propelled them into power.
The problem now is the entanglement of dumb politicians constantly spinning webs of money-wasting projects ... it all has to blowup. Perhaps some kind of war between the city employees and the taxpayers will occur throughout the country. Too bad good physical appearance or the gift of gab doesn't always translate to knowing something <g>. You have to ask yourself how SB gets away by drowning everyone and the city in debt. Too bad one just can't string a lit fuse into the city buildings, and all the occupants start running across the country and all the city buildings which produce nothing are demolished.
Bonnie I did watch the council and it was another disheartening adventure in failure.
When Mayor Blum told Mr. Beaver ( who owned most of the land ) we don't want you and the city will own it, I knew it would fail.
But then again this council majority decided to do what the City of Los Angeles stated Vision Zero failed after 15 years of effort (thank you L.A. Times). They followed the failure called Santa Monica. Crush the ability to get in and out efficiently and then blame it on everyone else.
Keep the trees, get rid of the politicians.
Exactly!
Right on, Polly. That's the best solution yet!
Sounds like Santa Barbara could use some oil revenue.
What do you get when you cross arrogance, incompetence and greed? The Paseo Nuevo Mall Conversion. What a convoluted, screwed up mess! One thing should be abundantly clear…CCM Oscar Gutierrez, is a financial illiterate! Ya sure, let’s hand over millions in prime real estate to a group of people based on race, that can’t even prove their own lineage. Sounds like a similar “land scam” and give away, the Chumash Marine Sanctuary Act.
Especially depressing, is the thought of bulldozing millions of dollars in retail space and loss in sales tax revenues to a bunch of Gen Zr’s. so they can “hang out” downtown and the subsequent take over by the Housing Authority, removing it from the tax base.
I see the entire project as a lose-lose for the taxpayers.
"Sounds like a similar “land scam” and give away, the Chumash Marine Sanctuary Act." Hear-Hear!
Bonnie, please run for City Council!!!!!
I second that suggestion!
B, so well done and so well said Re: Paseo. City staff did a 100 page deal memo and, while I’m not one who often relies on staff in a deal this complicated their “blessing” matters—they KNOW desperately need this. A mall with a 30 year encumbrance that ticks downward leaves fewer economic options with each passing day and a global behemoth like AB can EASILY allow the property to deteriorate. Hard Truth: We need them MUCH more than they need us. A mall without anchor stores is no mall at all and is the reason why interior stores, like Sephora, will continue to move and our sales tax revenue will continue to plummet. Healthy cities have 8% vacancy rates not 1.7% like SB so, YES, we need more SUPPLY to drive prices down. With 90k residents is the city going to shoot the deal down because it brings 60 less “affordable” units than the inclusionary rule requires? And what about the 200 desperately needed other units? Many local pundits were against this deal that would have brought much needed economic vibrancy to State street’s race to the bottom. It’s easy to criticize but not so easy to develop a vision or plan. As Kelly McAdoo recently said “THERE IS NO PLAN B”. To The Pundits and the Council: Be careful what you wish for! Thanks Bonnie.
Rule thumb: do not build low value projects on high value land.
Thank you, Bonnie, for all the reporting and background information!
1990 - Paseo Nuevo envisioned
1990 - City council installs term limits for city council, following state legislation for state offices
2015 - District elections imposed including two "majority minority" protected city district representatives out of six
2025 - five complete turnovers of city council members since 1990 when Paseo Nuevo was envisioned.
Zero institutional history on city council today, since 1990 term limits and 2015 district elections imposed on city. No one is around any longer when Paseo Nuevo was proposed and constructed, so no one needs to accept any responsibility for what happened to State Street and Paseo Nuevo, outside their own term limits and narrow district impacts....... the dark side of term limits.
Mayors since 1990: Lodge*,... Conklin (1year) .... Miller*,..... Blum*, .....Schneider*,.... Murillo*.... Rowse (2 years)
*Is the female leadership model proving to be different from a male leadership model? More Female model Gaia drift and lassitude, compared to the more direct, get it done and accept risks and consequences male leadership model?
Paseo Nuevo was a bait and switch, when presenting their winning plans to the earlier city council, the mall was integrated into State Street downtown retail for each to flow into each other.
The developer then intentionally changed this original design presented to the city to make the mall a more inclusive experience and to take people off State Street.
He explained in public the first more integrated design was intended only to win the contract, but then changed this original expectations after construction began for reasons unknown - perhaps to create more value for intended future Paseo tenants.
A casino on the Paseo Nuevo site? Hell yes. Alcohol sales will explode on State St. We will be the gambling mecca on the West Coast. Eat your heart out Las Vegas.
Lou, not only a casino but a casino owned and operated by non-native investment group.
Did someone mention Warner?
After all the "other guys" own gambling joints all up and down the state and pay no taxes.
Great article, Bonnie. If this beautiful tree is cut, then the limbs of the politicians should be cut and thrown in the wood cutter, too. What's wrong with them? With all the soaring costs in SB, it could eventually come crashing down. The only people being able to afford living in SB will be the very, very well to do with fulltime bodyguards and dogs to protect themselves from the thieves. The crooks will love SB because of all the homes with stuff worth stealing.
Way back when the Mall was being proposed I actually called up to Nordstrom's corporate offices in Seattle and spoke with one of the brothers. I told him Santa Barbara didn't need or want their store, that we would prefer locally owned and oriented commerce. He said "Well, then we will fail but we are committed to doing it." And they did fail.
The current boondoggle shows the level of incompetence in our excruciatingly highly paid Government employees. This property could anchor a renaissance of our failed downtown, but every time each of us drives on Chapala and has to dodge around big rigs parked in the turning lane because there was NO PLAN for a loading dock parking area in the initial proposal... well, that just reminds us of the incompetency and hubris of those who spend our money. Just like no turn lane for the parking lot off Anacapa into the parking lot for the Granada block.... are the people who make these errors fired? Oh no! They remain anonymous, and await their pension.
But try to put a roof on your porch or fence your yard and one of their inspectors will make your life Hell to justify their fat paycheck. Try to trim your tree on your own property, better do it on a weekend lest you be fined. But try to give input and demand that they save 36 trees in a fine habitat that anchors the Mesa ecosystem, or the Hope Ranch trail trees wiped out for an unnecessary bike path.... public "input" is not considered important.
Thanks Bonnie for our weekly dose of the pathetic state of the City. It is a reminder of how far from a democracy we have slipped. Few of us feel "represented" by those whose egos and tenacity have propelled them into power.
The problem now is the entanglement of dumb politicians constantly spinning webs of money-wasting projects ... it all has to blowup. Perhaps some kind of war between the city employees and the taxpayers will occur throughout the country. Too bad good physical appearance or the gift of gab doesn't always translate to knowing something <g>. You have to ask yourself how SB gets away by drowning everyone and the city in debt. Too bad one just can't string a lit fuse into the city buildings, and all the occupants start running across the country and all the city buildings which produce nothing are demolished.
Bonnie I did watch the council and it was another disheartening adventure in failure.
When Mayor Blum told Mr. Beaver ( who owned most of the land ) we don't want you and the city will own it, I knew it would fail.
But then again this council majority decided to do what the City of Los Angeles stated Vision Zero failed after 15 years of effort (thank you L.A. Times). They followed the failure called Santa Monica. Crush the ability to get in and out efficiently and then blame it on everyone else.
Thanks for the article.