Show Us the Money
After three years of COVID-inspired “emergency” closure of 10-plus blocks of State Street, a City Council approval of a three-year extension of that closure, and over a year of State Street Advisory Committee meetings, not a single word has been spoken of potential costs of the “promenade” project.
How much can the City of Santa Barbara expect to spend on this plan?
For guidance we can look at the 1986 remodel of the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. In 1986 projected Capital Expenses for the remodel of the three-block long Promenade were $10 million.
In today’s dollars that would be an approximately $27 million project — $9 million per block.
The 3rd Street Promenade is a quarter-mile long, 70 feet wide. The 1986 re-model costs today would be almost $300 per square foot.
At $300 per square foot, the current eight-block configuration of the State Street “promenade” would cost around $107 million. A 10-block configuration would cost about $134 million.
Considering that 3rd Street was already closed to traffic and that certain infrastructure supporting the pedestrian mall already existed, we can expect that Santa Barbara costs would be higher.
We can also look to Santa Barbara’s current State Street Underpass Project. Capital costs of around $10 million dollars are expected for this short stretch of State Street.
Annual continuing capital costs, maintenance, and staffing for a State Street Promenade would be significant. How significant? Why don’t we know this? Why is this not discussed?
A recent article in the Boulder Reporting Lab discussed the Boulder decision to re-open blocks of West Pearl Street that were closed during COVID. A city manager is quoted: “Every consequential decision regarding the mall, he said, started that way — with a deliberate process and funding. He said the planning for the Pearl Street Mall, for instance, took about 10 years of planning before it was built in 1977.
“‘It did not start with a street closure,’ he said. ‘It started with a plan and process with some money behind it. And that is what we would suggest any major decision in this community should start with.'”
If the public were aware of the projected costs and expenses of a 8-10 block pedestrian mall, would they still support it? Or would they ask how that $100-$150 million might be better spent?
How many other capital projects or neighborhood improvements would need to be suspended?
How many years of disruptive construction will be required?
What will happen to businesses in the blocks under construction?
And finally, how it will be paid for?
If the City Council and the community really want a pedestrian mall downtown on State Street it should be thoroughly planned.
They should be required to show us how much it will cost.
And then, they should be required to show us the money.