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SLO Council approves six-story building in downtown

August 19, 2020

The San Luis Obispo City Council on Tuesday night approved a planned 75-foot tall mixed-use development in Downtown SLO, which if constructed, will be the tallest building in the city.

Jamestown Properties owns the downtown SLO property located at 1144 Chorro Street, where the development is expected to be built. The real estate firm plans to construct a 65,752 square-foot building with 30,000 square feet of commercial and office space and 50 residential units.

Plans call for the first floor to house three retail suites, as well as accommodations for restaurant use, a residential lobby, a commercial office lobby and a small parking facility. The second and third floors will consist of commercial offices, while residential apartments will be on the fourth, fifth and sixth floors.

Thirteen of the residential units, or 25 percent, will be reserved for tenants with moderate incomes.

San Luis Obispo has a 50-foot limit in the downtown commercial zone, but the planning commission can award permission for a building to be as high as 75 feet if it meets at least three of the city’s policy objectives, which include affordable and workforce housing, historic preservation, pedestrian amenities and energy efficiency. The developers argued their project would meet the workforce housing requirement and several other policy objectives.

On Tuesday night, the city council voted 3-0 in favor of the project with Councilman Aaron Gomez and Councilwoman Andy Pease recusing themselves.

Previously, embattled developers Jeremy and Joshua Pemberton leased the downtown SLO property from Jamestown and planned to build a bowling alley and bar at the site. The Pemberton brothers have a history of alleged fraud, bankruptcy and unpaid bills and wages.

Jamestown sued the Pemberton brothers’ San Luis Obispo development firm in 2017, alleging at least $750,000 in unpaid rent. The two sides later reached a settlement.

Then this June, Jeremy Pemberton was arrested on charges of securities fraud, financial elder abuse and grand theft related to his attempt to attract investors for the entertainment venue project. Prosecutors allege Jeremy Pemberton fraudulently obtained more than $500,000 from one victim and more than $200,000 from another.


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grease Hell Its Called Money You Limit House Solar Setback Money ! WTF


-1

Why do you have to be so damned greedy, Tom and Jim? I don’t think you learned this from your Mother, did you? You gave us your hideous hotel which pretty much finished off SLO’s Chinatown.


Now you bring what someone else aptly calls “shit”, and it’s only because of greed. Just what’s up with you two? How much is enough? How much damage will you do to your hometown before you’ll finally cease? Shame on you both!


28

I wonder what they have planned for parking. Maybe a big underground parking lot.


11

A giant bike rack should handle it no problem in SLO right? The moderate income folks may only get one slot for their Huffy though .


14

Please remember the city council and mayor who brought you this monstrosity when you vote in November.


68

On a practical note does the fire department have the equipment to put out a fire at 75 feet? If not the properties in proximity are in danger.


17

LOL…you are kidding right? Have you not seen the ridiculous 100’ ladder truck that the SLO FD uses on each call? The City purchased that monstrosity 10 plus years ago just so they could some day have tall buildings downtown. In case anyone thought that the ladder truck was all pomp and circumstance, the City has been planning for taller downtown buildings for a long time.


23

Delete the commercial office lobby and second and third floors of commercial offices, thus limiting the project to four floors. You’ll be doing the developer a favor. Office space might not be in demand as in the past. Configure the retail spaces into small spaces thus increasing the per SF rent and diversifying pass through charges. Get ALL the funds to complete public improvements in advance, not in construction draws, not in a guarantee bond, but in cash.


36

Bye bye SLO American Pie, drove my Chevy to the Stenner but the Stenner was dry, SLO once was such a beautiful place, but then all the righteous voters went up and just died.


56

We don’t want this shit. We don’t need this shit. The city council should be ashamed of themselves for being sell outs.


102

I wonder how much grease this cost the developers? Shameful Tom and Jim, and whomever received your grease.


83
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