The line snaked through the promenade between shops at La Cumbre Plaza on Wednesday night, Jan. 17, almost to the old Sears building, but people weren’t waiting to get into a going-out-of-business sale or an arts event. They were waiting to get into the open house for a new mixed-use development proposed for the Macy’s site and adjacent parking lot after the department store’s lease ends in 2028.
Proposed plans for “The Neighborhood at State & Hope” on the 8.7 acres owned by Jim and Matthew Taylor and MCP Santa Barbara LLC currently include 642 residential rental units, as well as shops, restaurants, and community space. The Taylors and architecture companies working on the plans hosted the open house at the Grace Fisher Foundation Inclusive Arts Clubhouse space at La Cumbre Plaza, south of the site being discussed.
During the open house, nearly 300 people signed in at the door for updates on the project, according to the open house organizers. Others didn’t sign in, but by the end of the two-hour event, there was no longer a line.
Like most housing issues, the story of this proposal isn’t as simplistic as “yes in my backyard” (YIMBY) versus “not in my backyard” (NIMBY) neighbors. And with construction not expected to start for at least four years, it’s going to be a long story.
People may have decided to show up for a variety of reasons, including to oppose or support the project, for the free food, to give their input, or to just to learn more. There will be more meetings, and plans will probably change after each one, but here’s a quick list of what I learned at the open house.
1. This proposal is only for the Macy’s building and parking lots, not all of La Cumbre Plaza.
La Cumbre Plaza is a total of 31 acres and has been included in the City of Santa Barbara’s 2023-2031 Housing Element plan in a list of suitable sites for new housing.
As I was standing in the Inclusive Arts Clubhouse space, I was imagining the sketches I was viewing of retail spaces, live-work lofts, restaurants, and residential rentals would be built on top of where I was standing. But then I saw the “you are here” map. Only the portion of La Cumbre Plaza with the Macy’s building (3805 State Street) and adjacent parking lots, an 8.7 acre site, is proposed for this “Neighborhood at State & Hope” mixed-use development.
The portion to the south of Macy’s, starting where Lure and Pottery Barn are now—including where we all were standing in the Inclusive Arts Clubhouse space—marks a long-term mall lease that doesn’t end until 2077, so it’s not part of this proposal.
Also important to note, another parcel to the south that includes the old Sears building is owned by Riviera Dairy and includes the old Sears building. Any proposed development there will be a separate project before the city.
2. This proposal isn’t new.
More than a year ago, in December 2022, the developers, Jim and Matthew Taylor, a father-son team from Santa Barbara, and MCP Santa Barbara LLC, submitted the first pre-application documents to the City of Santa Barbara, using a streamlined path made available under California Senate Bill (SB)-330, the Housing Crisis Act of 2019. MCP Santa Barbara LLC purchased 15 acres of the La Cumbre Plaza’s 31 acres about a year earlier in November 2021, but this proposal is only for 8.7 acres, as described in the section above. MCP is a partnership led by Jim and Matthew Taylor, backed by the Mandrake Capital Group.
The Taylors together have more than a 50-year history living in Santa Barbara with experience in hotel, commercial, and multifamily real estate development throughout South Santa Barbara County, California, and the Western United States. Jim Taylor was involved in the developments including Montecito Inn, Camino Real Marketplace, and Maravilla, and his son Matt joined him in the business in 2015.
In November 2023, the developers submitted updated preliminary application materials to the…
Read More: Six Things I Didn’t Know About the Proposed Housing at La Cumbre Plaza Until I