The State Street Promenade is an Utter Failure
By Bonnie Donovan
The State Street Promenade is an Utter Failure
…When Bonnie asks for a specific public records request, she should get exactly what she asks for.
Why?
Because every time I ask, and you say you can’t give me exactly what I asked for, or you say you need more time due to “sensitive” information you’re not allowed to share… You go on to black out information, etc. By doing so, you give me more information than I asked for.
Yes, it might be a different subject, one of which I received a couple years ago that I'm saving for the next Mayoral Election coming up.
My latest PRAR was for sales tax collected for the past ten years on State Street Promenade. I broke it up. Instead of each block, I lumped two blocks in each request, for example 100-200 blocks of State Street, 300-400 blocks, 500-600 up to the 1200 block.
I wanted to show the loss since they closed State Street…
Ten years would include before and after COVID (because we can’t really use the time when businesses were closed).
When they couldn’t do that due to privacy per business, okay no problem. What they did do is send me the Sales Tax for the whole city per district.
Beautiful.
I learned so much more and was still able to verify what I wanted.
State Street Promenade is the Central Business District
What the downtown/central business district is: State Street with three blocks included on each side. East of State adds Anacapa, Santa Barbara and Garden Street. The west side adds Chapala, De La Vina and Bath Streets. State Street from the freeway up to (around) Mission Street.
The city has eleven districts when breaking up Sales Tax Remitters: Upper State, Mid State, Central Business (State Street Promenade), Milpas, Westside, Waterfront, Coast Village Road, Funk Zone, Mesa, Airport, Balance of Jurisdiction.
Upper State Street is the highest revenue of sales tax, just the third quarter of 2024 bringing in one million six hundred fifty-two thousand and eight-three dollars. ($1,652,083.) That is just one quarter, out of four, for the year.
If you compare that to the Airport District with all the flights coming and going which generated two hundred five thousand one hundred eleven dollars ($205,111.00) for the quarter. Or the Waterfront generating three hundred seventy-three thousand seven hundred and seventy-five dollars. ($373,775.00)
They gave me the top 25 Sales Tax Remitters, and it blew me away to learn who was on top.
Write down now which business in Santa Barbara before you continue reading.
This is the proof in the pudding that brick-and-mortar isn’t as dead as they try to keep telling us it is.
Come on, guess who is number one! We all go to the grocery store, so is it one of them, such as Vons? No, Vons is number 25.
Is it Trader Joe’s? No, they are number 23.
OK, what about Gelson’s, Whole Foods, Smart and Final, Ralph’s, Albertson’s, or Vons-Pavilion. No, they didn’t make the list. Although Vons, Albertson’s, and Vons-Pavilion are the same company, maybe they should be considered with Vons at number 25.
Bristol Farms came in number 4 on the top 25, wow, I wouldn’t have guessed that.
So, we all go to the drug store/ pharmacy… Yep CVS is #9.
Remember CVS left the promenade. We still have one on the Mesa, Carrillo, and two on Upper State (the ones left all have free parking).
We only have a few places to shop for clothes in SB, Macy’s #14, Marshall’s #15, and Ross #17.
We all fill our cars up with gas unless you have a Tesla (dealership) #22.
Arco AM/PM #3
Chevron #5
Conserv Fuel #8
Union 76 #24
So, we have thirteen left in the top 25…
Obviously you have to consider the high cost of vehicles, so let’s list them: #6 Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat of Santa Barbara; #7 Coastal Chevrolet; #12 Jet Fleet International; I don’t know this company; #13 Lexus of Santa Barbara; #16 Perry Lincoln Mercury, #19; SB Auto Group Audi BMW Porsche.
Or you might rent a car and Enterprise Rent-A-Car comes in at #10.
You know that small Target on upper State at La Cumbre they come in at #21.
Only one restaurant is on the list even though we closed State Street to save the restaurants and none of the State Street restaurants made the list. The one that did is Santa Barbara Fish House (FisHouse) on Cabrillo Blvd. #18
So, we have four businesses left pulling in the top sales tax…
#20 SONOS, didn’t they just leave the Central District?
Long time Santa Barbara business Hayward Lumber at #11
#2 Apple Store.
Drum Roll our Number One Business bringing in the most sales tax is a long time staple with free parking and great customer service. Open seven days a week and never had a parklet.
Number one sales tax remitter to the city of Santa Barbara is…
Ace Hardware #1
I shared the information I received from my PRAR with eight smart business/financial people simply asking, “What do you see?”
The following responses came in by my deadline for this column.
Here is what I think.
1. Upper State Street has accessible, ample, free, parking, at the points of need.
2. Upper State Street has at least three pharmacies that draw customers for prescriptions and in addition, other shopping, at the same time.
3. There are several supermarkets in upper State Street that draw shoppers frequently to the area and provide easy access for non-grocery shopping.
4. There are several gas stations and car washes on upper State Street that draw regular traffic.
5. Upper State Street provides easy, ample access for the regular needs of everyday life, whereas lower State Street does not.
6. Lower State Street does have the advantage of more restaurants, but the current condition of lower State Street does not encourage locals to patronize them, except on theater nights. Plus, restaurants are much more expensive in the price of meals and the demands for higher tips.
7. On the other hand, the shopping areas in Goleta, from observation, appear to be doing quite well.
Second Response
Just looking at a few years’ shows, the Downtown/Central Business area is down 20%, Funk Zone down 18%, Waterfront up 7% and Coast Village Road up 5%.
These figures are inflation-adjusted dollars.
Back to the top 25
That’s exactly how media works nowadays…
The top twenty-five Sales Tax remitters were listed in alphabetical order, and I told everyone that was their ranking.
So, when you read or listen to the news, or our elected officials do your own research. Try to find or see the truth.
More to come on the figures
Our Finance Director, Keith DeMartini and his team provided graphs and figures in their response to my PRAR that I will be sharing with you soon.
Thank you Keith and team!
#1 Hardware (Home Improvement Center) faced competition from big box Home Depot and what did they do?
They doubled up on fantastic and knowledgeable personal service, more inventory depth, and ease of ready and direct access to one's shopping needs. Personnel with specialized knowledge who go out of their way to help each customer without attitude or indifference, goes a long way to guarantee shopper loyalty. Even though it is a chain, ACE feels local, homey and welcoming.
Bravo ACE hardware- Home Improvement Center. Thank you Bonnie Donovan for your in-depth research and showcasing this great local institution. Fantastic article.
Great report Bonnie.
What do you have in Down Town Old Town Santa Barbara?
Intentional shutting down and constricting of auto use and the customers that drive them!!!
Paseo Nuevo is blocks away from 1 freeway access (yes it is called Carillo St.) and its underground parking is difficult at best. When built it had open State St. access, Chapala was not narrowed as now, De la Vina flowed and there was still some vestige of on street parking. As Bonnie states lower State has more restaurants BUT the narrowing of State, the Bulbout Hell on many of the feeder streets, make access difficult at best. To quote the now disgraced Rob Dayton when asked by former (and dedicated anti car) City Councilman Gregg Hart how the destruction of street auto use was working to promote walking "you cannot get people to walk 5 minutes." (finance committee meeting)
What has driven this Council Majority for a minimum of 10 years? They have kissed the ring of the failed Vision Zero, intentionally used a now massive failure of an Emergency Ordinance that short circuited the HLC. The Move/bike boys have failed, and the dangerous Electric Motorcycles are attracting kids who ride/drive in a chaotic fashion all over the City.
CAB loves your Public Records requests.
It is clear after decades; tourist are not interested in walking up and down the city, locals want clear and open access and as they age want cars to get around. In the past decade there has not been and never was "demand" pedal bike use on the streets. Bus use numbers were declining for that decade.
Nicely done Bonnie.