The estimated 105,000-gallon oil spill that will ruin Memorial Day for thousands of visitors to Refugio State Beach in Santa Barbara County is a reminder of how much environmental issues have become economic stories. Santa Barbara County is so heavily dependent on hotel-related taxes that it literally can’t afford the kind of environmental disaster that Read More →
The Department of General Services, business manager for the state on the Central Coast, will consolidate a handful of offices into a renovated warehouse just outside of downtown San Luis Obispo. DGS recently signed a $15.4 million, 15-year lease for the former home of The Workshop Urban Wine Collective, a custom crush winery operation at Read More →
By Elijah Brumback / Friday, May 8th, 2015 / Columns, Real Estate / Comments Off on Global advisory firm invests with SB mixed-use project
SG, a Santa Barbara-based wealth adviser that lays claim to the largest insurance policy ever sold — $201 million to the unnamed CEO of a Silicon Valley public company — is investing its own capital at its current address. The company, working through agent John Donaldson, wants to demolish its current office building at 800 Read More →
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, May 8th, 2015 / Columns / Comments Off on Jack Welch cuts to the chase on economy, regulation, career paths
Retired General Electric Co. Chairman Jack Welch is back with a speaking tour, a rant about regulation and straight talk about the state of the U.S. economy and his former employer. Even down with a cold, the New England native and Red Sox fan makes clear he’s still a force to be reckoned with. In Read More →
In an update to the Business Times’ April 3 story on the trials and tribulations of the Santa Barbara Public Market, some tenant angst is starting to spill over. While a few tenants, including Rori’s Artisanal Ice Cream and Empty Bowl, are exceeding revenue expectations, at least one merchant feels misled by claims project developer Read More →
By Henry Dubroff / Friday, May 1st, 2015 / Columns, Latest news / Comments Off on The sudden awakening of antitrust regulators may be temporary
Just a few weeks ago, it looked like some of the crown jewels of tri-county commerce were about to change hands. Simon Property Group was mounting a hostile takeover of Macerich, looking to add The Oaks, Pacific View and La Cumbre to holdings that already include the Camarillo and Pismo Beach shopping outlet complexes. And Read More →
The Building, Design and Construction Cluster of the Economic Vitality Corp., a group of building industry professionals in San Luis Obispo County, wants Paso Robles to consider updating its permitting fees to reduce barriers to developing affordable housing. The group, part of the SLO Economic Strategy Project, recently submitted a letter to the city with Read More →
