Loreto Plaza getting major facelift

BY ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

Orange construction barriers, chain link fences and plywood are already stacked up in the Loreto Plaza parking lot in Santa Barbara, early indications of an estimated two-year remodel that will completely change the face of the shopping center.

Construction crews will strip the facade and rebuild the overhang, windows, doors and roof in the Spanish Colonial style popular throughout Santa Barbara. A courtyard and fountain will be built in front of Harry’s Plaza Cafe, a tower will go up over Carlson Wagonlit Travel, and new signs will be installed for each store.
“Some [businesses] are being good sports about it,” said Bill De Loreto, whose family owns the shopping center. “Some are pretty upset about it.”
Shops at Loreto Plaza, located at the southwest corner of State Street and Las Positas Road, will remain open during construction. A shielding wall is being built three feet into each store and scaffolding and tunnels outside will protect customers from falling debris. On Monday, many businesses already had the front of their stores cleared in anticipation of the protective walling.
About 15 to 20 parking spots will also be unavailable during the building effort, Ed De Loreto, Bill’s brother, said, and several parking spots parallel to State Street will be permanently replaced by a wider sidewalk and more landscaping.
The shopping center, which features popular and long-standing businesses such as Harry’s Plaza Cafe, Danny’s Custom Styling and Chaucer’s Books, hasn’t changed since the 1960s. This remodel effort will cost over $5 million, Bill said, and is slated to be finished by the end of next year.
The first phase of building will take place on the northern end of the shops, from Danny’s to Federal Drug Company, and the De Loretos said it should be completed by Thanksgiving. After taking a break for the holiday season, construction will resume on the remaining shops.
During the remodel, businesses will doubtlessly experience a negative impact, Bill said. A manager at Red Wing Shoes agreed, saying many of his customers are “just devastated” and keep asking him how they will be able to get into the stores. The De Loreto brothers said they will be offering rent reductions and increasing advertising in coming months to remind shoppers that the Loreto Plaza is still open for business.
The De Loretos began considering a remodel two years ago, and hope the changes will bring more people to the shopping center. Ed De Loreto said a new bakery is going in near Harry’s, and he hopes they will enjoy the new courtyard once it is built.
“I think the courtyard will be much more attractive to sit in,” he said.
In 1947, the De Loreto family purchased the plot of land -- when it featured lemon groves rather than restaurants and shops -- and it has remained in their care since.