Big changes are coming to the Coast Village Plaza in Montecito, which is relocating some tenants and looking for new ones to move in when renovations are completed later this year.
The owners who bought the plaza at 1187 Cost Village Road in 2013 are giving the 38-year-old, two-story facility a major facelift, according to Francois DeJohn of Hayes Commercial Group, the lead broker on the listing.
Here’s the Scoop moved this week from the lower level — below ground level — to the upstairs next to Giovanni’s Pizza, the UPS store and others. Briefly closed, the shop had a soft re-opening Friday, DeJohn said.
A new color scheme, exterior lighting, roofing, signage, landscaping and expanded patios are in the works, along with a wider staircase to the lower level and driveway and parking lot improvements.
“All tenants upstairs will remain open during phases two and three,” DeJohn said. “Lower level tenants will be moving out.”
About 10 tenants renting small offices on the lower level of the property must vacate by May 1 to make way for the final two renovation phases, although DeJohn said they’ve all been invited to return after the renovation is complete.
Many have expressed interest in doing so, he said.
The project is awaiting final permits from the city of Santa Barbara to move forward, DeJohn said, but the hope is to start subsequent phases in May.
Phase two is lower office remodel, completely redoing the courtyard near the old Here’s the Scoop location as part of an overall effort to improve visibility and pedestrian traffic.
“They saw this property as a diamond in the rough,” DeJohn said of property owners and Montecito residents Hank Hurst and Richard Rosin of H&R Investments.
Renovations also include removing existing pine trees and planting several new trees on site as well as in the median.
Owners are looking for three new retail or restaurant tenants to round out the plaza.
Two retail spaces are available for lease near the old Here’s the Scoop space — maybe a food or restaurant use, DeJohn said — as well as a food/retail location that will boast a new dining deck on the far left-hand side of the property.
Maybe a coffee or wine bar could take advantage of that space, DeJohn said.
DeJohn and Michael Martz of Hayes Commercial Group are marketing for retail tenants now to move in once renovation is complete.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.