Menu
Montecito
Pac Premier
Giving Guide
Loading...
You are here:  Home  >  Columns  -  Page 202
Latest

Lack laments that Santa Barbara

By   /  Monday, October 12th, 2009  /  Columns  /  Comments Off on Lack laments that Santa Barbara

Measure B, the controversial height limit proposal on the city’s November ballot, will no doubt change the way buildings are erected in Santa Barbara, but contractor David Lack thinks there’s something more pressing at hand: making green builders feel welcome. “If someone like me bends over backward to meet the city requirements and goes to Read More →

Read More →
Latest

Green Coast gets ready for its close-up

By   /  Monday, October 12th, 2009  /  Columns  /  Comments Off on Green Coast gets ready for its close-up

Six months ago I wrote a column suggesting that we reinvent the tri-county economy as a “Green Coast” for energy research and innovation. Now there are signs this idea is becoming a reality. On Sept. 30, a broad-based coalition of business, government, major universities and nonprofit groups applied to the California Department of Housing and Read More →

Read More →
Latest

San Luis Obispo Kohl

By   /  Monday, October 5th, 2009  /  Columns  /  Comments Off on San Luis Obispo Kohl

The former Mervyn’s in San Luis Obispo opened its doors for the first time as a Kohl’s on Sept. 30. The grand opening comes as the company unveils 37 locations across the country. The 30 new California stores, including the San Luis Obispo location, are all refurbished Mervyn’s buildings. “We are situated in a great Read More →

Read More →
Latest

25-year view: Putting it all in perspective

By   /  Monday, October 5th, 2009  /  Columns  /  Comments Off on 25-year view: Putting it all in perspective

Twenty-five years ago, a recently retired New York banker stopped by a cabin in New Hampshire for a chat with a few friends. I was fortunate enough to have been present that day — as a relatively new reporter for a medium-sized newspaper in Massachusetts, I got a glimpse behind the scenes on Wall Street. Read More →

Read More →
Latest

Foundation puts cash to work in soft commercial real estate market

By   /  Monday, September 28th, 2009  /  Columns  /  Comments Off on Foundation puts cash to work in soft commercial real estate market

In a typical week, I get about a dozen real estate deals in my inbox. Most of them are pretty forgettable, and some are only buzzworthy because, well … there’s nothing else to buzz about. Leases are few and sales are far between. So you can imagine my surprise when I heard from Ron Gallo, Read More →

Read More →
Latest

Business tax violates Sol

By   /  Monday, September 28th, 2009  /  Columns  /  Comments Off on Business tax violates Sol

First, a disclosure. My late father, Sol Dubroff, spent much of his career as a tax systems architect, working for the U.S. Treasury and later for the IMF and other development agencies. He absolutely detested the value added tax, or VAT.  He accepted the fact that taxes are the price we pay for liberty and Read More →

Read More →
Latest

How to turns heads around here: Blue building, green construction

By   /  Monday, September 21st, 2009  /  Columns  /  Comments Off on How to turns heads around here: Blue building, green construction

Joe Campanelli has been doing construction in Santa Barbara for more than 30 years, but suddenly his phone has been ringing off the hook. When he slapped a splash of bright blue on his new project, the Gateway Building on Haley Street, people took notice.   “They all want to know how I got this Read More →

Read More →