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Hospice of San Luis Obispo County will be moving their two biggest events- California Festival of Beers and Concours d'Elegance- to Madonna Inn's new outdoor event venue, the Madonna Meadows. The move has been made in order to grow both events. CA Festival of Beers, held Memorial Day weekend, is now the second largest beer festival on the West Coast. The event will grow from a two-day event into a three-day weekend and will now include a beer symposium on Sunday. The Concours event which was typically held in the fall will now be in June and in addition to featuring collectable cars will display rare motorcycles and bicycles. |
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The long anticipated Chinatown project is now officially approved to move forward in San Luis Obispo and will bring some much needed vitality to that area of downtown. City Council voted unanimously (Ashbaugh recused) during a special meeting on Tuesday Dec. 13, to approve a phased approach to the public-private partnership with Copeland Properties. Retrofit activity is expected to start in early 2012 on several historic properties, including the former Blackstone Hotel, Sauer Bakery and the former Muzio's building. The project includes a mixed-use development with residential units, office and retail space that will span much of the block that faces Monterey Street between Chorro and Morro streets. A 78-room hotel is anticipated for the property facing Palm Street at the corner of Morro Street. Recognizing the economic climate, the city agreed to allow the hotel development to come at a later date. Per the agreement with the city, Copeland Properties must submit building permit plans within seven years.
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Just four weeks after the San Luis Obispo City Council voted to move forward with downtown improvements in 2012, the Downtown Association has stepped forward to commit to raising more than $100,000 to pay for the lighting of 24 trees with LED lighting on Higuera Street stretching from Morro to Garden streets. After a spirited discussion during a Tuesday Dec. 13, meeting, the Downtown Association Board of Directors voted in favor of taking on the significant financial endeavor, which will enhance the ambiance, vitality and safety in the downtown area. The cost includes the engineering, underground infrastructure, lights and service fees. The initiative represents a public-private partnership in which the city is paying for the underground conduit needed for the project. The Downtown Association has secured a one-year line of credit that will convert to a loan and will be seeking sponsorships over the coming year to lower the principal amount. The organization is working on the project with Thoma Electric, PG&E and the City of SLO, with an anticipated completion date of mid to late spring. |
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San Luis Obispo citizens would renew the Measure Y half-cent sales tax increase if given the opportunity, according to a third-party survey. The survey recently asked city voters questions ranging from their awareness of the measure to their satisfaction with the city services provided through the funding. Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed said initially that they would definitely or probably vote yes on the measure if it was before them today. That number dropped by only 5 percent after voters heard negative comments about the funds. Measure Y was approved by voters in 2006 and is scheduled to sunset in 2014. Since enacted, $23.5 million has been collected and used to fund services ranging from the removal of debris from the city storm drain system to repaving streets. Survey results also show that people overwhelmingly support the idea of the measure being brought back to the ballot for a fixed amount of time and not proposed as a permanent tax. Also as part of the survey, it was no surprise that 97 percent of people surveyed consider San Luis Obispo an excellent or good place to live. |
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The Madonna Inn is expanding their services by converting an existing field into rentable event space. The land just north of the Madonna Inn, now called Madonna Meadows, will be used for large outdoor events and concerts. The field has hosted events in the past, however the branding will allow the area to be marketed as a venue and compete with other outdoor event spaces. Not many visible changes will occur. Currently underground conduits are being installed for power and lighting supplies. |
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Startup Weekends—a 54-hour event where developers, designers and marketers get together, share ideas and create businesses – is coming to San Luis Obispo on Jan. 20-22. Similar events have occurred in more than 150 locations worldwide since 2007 and typically yield a 35 percent success rate, success being calculated by businesses that have continued operating for several months after the event. In addition to SLO, events are being held this month in France, Malaysia, Russia, India, Thailand and Tunisia. The events are designed for entrepreneurs interested in receiving feedback on ideas, looking for co-founders or those wanting to test the entrepreneurial waters. The SLO event organizers, who are working in collaboration with the Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and count the SLO Chamber as a sponsor, will provide the food, space, power and network access to the anticipated 120 attendees. Those interested can find out more at slo.startupweekend.org. |
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Insiders report that the first tenant for the MIX @ Monterey, the new mixed-use development on the corner of Johnson and Monterey Streets, is in the works. A Japanese businessman is close to signing the deal for an authentic Asian restaurant in the new development. The MIX, designed by Garcia Architecture + Design, includes four retail/commercial spots and outdoor patio seating on the bottom level, office space on the second level and residential units on the top two levels. |
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Sports Authority, which has been prominently located in downtown since 2007, will soon be on the move. The national retailer has lost space over the years due to seismic retrofit changes and now needs a larger location. Insiders report that beginning in June 2012 the retailer will be moving into the old Borders location in the Madonna Shopping Plaza. In addition to the Borders space, they will occupy the adjoining mattress store and the All that Glitters Jewelry Store locations. The mattress store is expected to move into the recently vacated Blockbuster location. |
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With the recent election which successfully annexed the Orcutt Area into the city now behind us, the city’s Planning Department is already receiving initial inquiries for the long-anticipated development of the area. The Orcutt Area Specific Plan, which includes the property located at the southwestern edge of San Luis Obispo, includes a significant amount of workforce housing that the Chamber has advocated for. City officials expect applications to be submitted within the next few weeks for the property. The Orcutt Area Specific Plan, which City Council approved last year but has long been part of the city’s General Plan, includes 230 acres of land with plans for open space, trails, parks and housing development. The build-out potential in the area could range from 892-979 homes. |
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