Hollister Village Breaks Ground In Goleta

Developers and Goleta officials broke ground Wednesday for the city’s next big project: Hollister Village, an apartment complex-meets-retail hub that spent several years obtaining approval while being championed by area business leaders and criticized by residents concerned about clogged roads and reduced mountain views.

The project, located on Hollister Avenue across from the Camino Real Marketplace and expected to open in 2015, will offer 266 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments alongside a shopping center that could house a drugstore, grocery store, and restaurants.

“We’re so happy you’re coming into the neighborhood,” said Tony Vallejo, the chair of the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors. Kristen Miller, the chamber’s president, echoed that sentiment, lauding the project for being “right in the heart of our city, right where we employ people.”

Mayor Roger Aceves also spoke at the ceremony, alluding to the site’s long history — after being purchased many years before, the plan was approved by the city council last October and finally cleared by the Design Review Board in July — and emphasizing its fit with the city’s General Plan. “This truly was a partnership in getting this project done,” he said.

Peter Koetting with Westar Associates, the project’s developer, likewise noted the “community effort” in getting the space to please a variety of interests. “We nailed it,” he said. “It wasn’t easy.”