The Montecito hotel project that LA developer Rick Caruso (The Grove, Americana at Brand) has been planning for years is pushing forward and has revealed its latest designs, reports the LA Times. The new plan for the Miramar Beach Resort and Bungalows, which awaits approval from Santa Barbara County planners, will offer 170 rooms (instead of 186), a restaurant on the beach, a private club, and public beach access.
The property, technically located in Montecito, once housed the Miramar Hotel, which dated back to the 1880s. The owners sold it in the 1990s, but it had been vacant since 2000; Caruso bought it in 2007 and has been trying to get the development off the group since then, demolishing the buildings on-site last year. Surprisingly, the community seems happy that the project's in motion. Said a rep for the local historical preservation society, "I think people are glad that we are moving forward with it. I think they know it will never be the same, but at least it will be done." It's hoped that the resort complex will open in 2017.
· Rick Caruso unveils plans for long-vacant Montecito beach property [LAT]
· Santa Barbara County Approves Scaled-Down Caruso Plan for Miramar [Curbed LA]
Loading comments...