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 →
Move-in day at Cal Poly Tech Park, ATA waits for roommates
The Cal Poly Technology Park officially has its first tenant. Applied Technologies Associates, an Albuquerque-based firm that designs and manufactures products for the oil industry, signed a lease for 3,000 square feet in the on-campus park at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The firm, which has major technical operations in Paso Robles, will maintain Read More →
Goldman mess spotlights crisis in executive suite
Look around at the economic wreckage of the past couple of years and one thing is obvious — we have witnessed the most colossal failure of management in the history of the modern corporation. For all the talk about government intervention, TARP and the need to rewrite financial regulation to prevent another meltdown, the actual Read More →
Ambitious Evergreen Village project takes root in Santa Maria
Evergreen Village is the latest addition to Santa Maria’s portfolio of ambitious projects. The 52,421-square-foot center, which will be located along Highway 135 between Santa Maria and Orcutt, will replace the 50-year-old Evergreen Center with five new office and retail buildings. The development broke ground on its first phase in November and is well under Read More →