Atascadero might not be big enough for both theater projects
A theater showdown may soon be coming to a small city near you. Atascadero has two development teams battling to fill the void in the currently theater-less city, but the City Council is concerned that two movie theatres may be one too many for its little town. On May 11, the City Council voted 5-0 Read More →
Recession taking its toll as builders file for bankruptcy
Well-known Santa Barbara contractor David Lack has filed for both business and personal bankruptcy, listing a total of $2.6 million in debts for his firm and $3.1 million for himself. But Lack’s is just one in a flurry of filings that have rushed through the region’s bankruptcy court in recent months — many smaller construction Read More →
Greening the coast, world at UCSB
If it’s spring it must be summit season at UC Santa Barbara. Two recent events put on by UCSB underscore how important a player the campus has become in the convergence of energy and the environment now being called “sustainability.” Both the Corporate Partners Summit at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and Read More →
Retail market heats up again in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo counties
The Tri-Counties are finally seeing some retail leasing action again, with everybody from large national chains to local mom-and-pop shops penning deals on spaces. It’s an encouraging sign that the economy is truly on the upswing. In Santa Barbara, national clothing retailer Love Culture announced that it has signed a 10-year lease on 7,000 square Read More →
A new deal for a new banking era
Every financial crisis breeds its own solutions. In the case of Pacific Capital Bancorp, the region’s largest financial institution, that solution is something called a “recapitalization.” As befits the era of the hybrid, the proposed $500 million cash injection by Dallas-based Ford Financial Group is part sale and part workout, all done with a wink Read More →
Summerland
If you’re in the market for a big, yellow fixer-upper, you can grab one for a steal these days. The iconic but dilapidated Summerland property known as The Big Yellow House is back on the market after sitting vacant for more than five years — and this time it’s listed at just over half its Read More →
Three people to watch as recession ends
During the past 10 years, we’ve come to rely on a select group of leaders to guide major enterprises in the Tri-Counties. Although there have been changes from time to time, that leadership has been remarkably stable. But there are signs of a changing of the guard in leadership in business, and politics as Read More →
