Popular department store chain, Macy’s, takes yet another hit this year as the building that is home to one of the more iconic store locations could potentially be demolished once the current lease is up. A housing project is slated for the location after reports found that the building does not, in fact, hold any historical significance.
Closing down stores is not enough, they have to be demolished too it seems
The building in Santa Barbara, home to iconic Macy’s location, La Cumbre Plaza will be torn down in the coming years it seems. This potential development comes just after the department store chain announced it will be closing down close to seventy of its stores in the coming weeks. This Santa Barbara store was not on the list of stores that will be closed, however.
The building’s lease is dated through 2028, however, once the lease is up, the building could be demolished to make way for a 700-unit housing project.
In a report released this week, the city of Santa Barbara stated that the three-story Macy’s building, built in 1967, has no historical significance, either through architecture or era that it was built, nor is it associated with any substantive or prominent individual.
Research into the significance of this building comes as developers Matthew and Jim Taylor have proposed The Neighborhood, a nearly 700-unit housing project on part of La Cumbre Plaza, 3805 State St.
The Sears in the same plaza is set to be the next location of a separate housing project as well.
The report also states, “As a result of the lack of significant associations and architectural merit, 3805 State
Street is not eligible for designation in the National Register of Historic Places
(NRHP), California Register of Historical Resources (CRHR) or as a City Landmark or
Structure of Merit.”
History of the building
The historic resources report shares a rich, 26-page historical background on the mall, why it was built, and why a housing development can be built on it.
“Although associated with this national trend of suburban retail development for major retailers, it is not a unique or important example of this development pattern. As such, the subject property was not the first or last department store to open a suburban area during this period of development,” the report reasons.
Macy’s was previously known as Robinson’s, Robinson’s became Robinson’s-May 1993, and then Macy’s in 2005. Macy’s was designed by architect Gin Dan Wong and Max Reder Horwitz in the New Formalism style. According to the report, the elements reflect a postwar style of architecture, but it also is somewhat ubiquitous and can be seen throughout Southern California.
Housing development details
The plan to develop La Cumbre Plaza was submitted by the Taylors last June and there has since been a lot of back and forth with the city regarding revisions. One of the main issues with the project at the moment is affordability. The project consists of 94 studio, 381 one-bedroom units, 192 two-bedroom units and 17 three-bedroom units, a total of 856 parking spaces, 743 bicycle parking spaces and an open yard area.
The project is designed to house six separate buildings at varying heights from two to six stories with two levels of subterranean parking for residential use and two ground-level parking garages for commercial use, according to the city. The project proposes 39 units for very low-income residents.
Discussions and revisions are still ongoing and “city staff is still in discussions with the Taylors on how to improve the affordability component of the project and the additional community benefit items,” said City Councilman Eric Friedman.