La Cumbre Plaza Redevelopment

The owner of the 8.7-acre Macy’s Site (3805 State Street) at the north end of the shopping center submitted a formal planning application for redevelopment of the site on June 6, 2024. More information on this project is available on the  Neighborhood at State & Hope page.  

The owner of the 9.5-acre former Sears Site (3845 State Street) on the south end of the shopping center submitted a formal planning application for redevelopment of the site on May 14, 2025. More information on this project is available on the La Cumbre South Homes page. 

There are several ways to stay informed:

1 ) You can submit your email address under the “Stay Informed” section on the left side of this webpage to be added to the City’s La Cumbre Plaza Redevelopment e-subscription.  The City will send updates via email as projects progress through the permitting process and if new proposals are submitted.

2) If you would like to be listed as an interested party and receive mailed notices for hearings for a specific project, email CDAdmin@SantaBarbaraCA.gov with the following information:

Your Name
Email Address
Mailing Address
Project Case Number (PLN2024-00227 for Macy’s (3805 State Street) site; PLN2025-00238 for former Sear’s (3845 State Street) site)

Per the city’s noticing procedures, you will receive mailed notice of the first hearing before each hearing body (e.g., Architectural Board of Review, Staff Hearing Officer, etc.) and notices related to environmental review of the project pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).  Please note that notices are not sent out if a project is continued by a hearing body for subsequent hearings.  It is up to you to follow the project to stay informed about continued hearings.
 
3) You can also check this webpage and the 3805 State Street and 3845 State Street webpages for updates and additional information about proposed projects.

The 8.7-acre Macy’s Site (3805 State Street) is located on the north end of La Cumbre Plaza.

The property owner submitted a formal Planning Application for the project on June 6, 2024. The proposed project includes demolition of the Macy’s building and associated parking and construction of a 680-unit mixed-use rental housing project under the Average Unit-Size Density (AUD) Incentive Program and State Density Bonus law.  It includes moderate- and very low-income affordable units, market rate units, and a variety of retail, dining, commercial and public spaces.

Additional project information can be found on the Neighborhood at State & Hope page.

The owner of the 9.5-acre former Sears Site (3845 State Street) on the south end of the shopping center submitted a formal Planning Application for redevelopment of the site on May 14, 2025. The proposed project includes a 443-unit rental housing project under the Average Unit-Size Density (AUD) Incentive Program.  It includes moderate-income affordable units and market rate units.

Additional project information can be found on the La Cumbre South Homes page. 

The City’s Land Use Element includes a Possible Implementation Action (LG 15.2) that calls for preparation of an initial framework for a future La Cumbre Plaza Specific Plan, envisioning redevelopment of the site as a mixed commercial and residential village.  The 2023-2031 Housing Element also calls for a planning document to be prepared for the La Cumbre Plaza Planning Area that facilitates the full residential development potential of the site (Program HE-2).

Applicants who propose redevelopment at La Cumbre Plaza that is consistent with existing zoning are not required to prepare a specific plan.  However, they will be required to demonstrate how their development proposals relate to the surrounding area, both in the context of the current shopping center use and the anticipated future redevelopment of the remainder of the shopping center. 

The 2023-2031 Housing Element identifies La Cumbre Plaza in its Suitable Sites Inventory and estimates the development capacity of these sites based on existing allowed density.  La Cumbre Plaza is in the City’s Priority Housing Overlay, which allows densities of 37-63 units/acre depending on unit size.  

The Housing Element table below lists the estimated capacity of various portions of La Cumbre Plaza.  These are estimates only and do not reflect the exact number of units that may ultimately be built on these sites. 

On June 30, 2025, California Assembly Bill (AB) 130 was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom and became effective immediately.  AB 130 makes significant changes to California’s housing and environmental laws, for projects that meet specific criteria, AB 130 provides a statutory CEQA exemption. The legislation is designed to promote housing construction in existing urban areas on previously developed or substantially urbanized land. City staff are evaluating the proposed projects to determine whether they qualify for the AB 130 CEQA exemption.