One of Goleta’s most visible and well-traveled shopping centers is about to get a facelift.
The strip of restaurants and shops at 250, 260 and 270 Storke Road — Chipotle, Dune and Ca’ Dario — among others will soon have a new look and elevators.
“This building is really old, really dated, and really not pretty,” said Scott Branch, an architect with BBP Architecture, which is designing the project. “It is one of the most not-pretty buildings in that area.”
The project is called “The Grange” shopping center, and is owned by a partnership, Storke Road II, LP. It is scheduled to go to the Goleta Design Review Board on Feb. 9 for a preliminary review.
Several story poles that mark the changes to the building are visible to people traveling Storke Road.
The strip of buildings, near the new Target store, which has a separate ownership, has emerged as one of Goleta’s business hubs. The exterior of the buildings, however, have not kept up with the times.
“This is an important shopping center for people in Goleta, and any enhancements will help the continued revitalization of the area,” said Kristen Miller, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce.
An architect’s rendition show what The Grange shopping center on the 200 block of Storke Road in Goleta will look like when the project is complete. (Courtesy of BBP Architecture)
Plans call for the addition of two new elevator and star towers for the 250 and 270 Storke Road buildings; a new 42-foot-high tower on top of 270 Storke Road, exterior facade improvements, and the replacement of second-story balconies.
Developers plan several other back-of-the house changes, including new utilities and storage space, along with landscaping improvements in the parking lot.
The number of parking lot spaces will drop from 138 to 121 as part of the development, among other changes.
Branch said the project could be a year away from completion. Even though people are seeing the story poles now, it’s actually a project that has been in the works for a few years.
It’s time, he said, for the buildings to reflect the business activity happening.
“The scale is kind of going up on the kind of tenants going in there,” Branch said. “It is going to be a really nice addition to that area. It is going to be a much more pleasant design to be around. It is going to fit into the community really well, and it is going to bring life to that center.”
Goleta City Councilman Roger Aceves is supportive of the project.
“I am grateful that in the middle of a pandemic, we have a property owner who wants to improve his investment,” Aceves said. “This is exactly what we need as we look for a focused economic recovery.”
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
