Santa Barbara Business Center Work Under Way

Ground has been broken for University Business Center, believed to be the largest research-and-development project ever undertaken in Santa Barbara County.

J. Bermand Development Co. of Santa Barbara and the Voit Cos. of Woodland Hills are joint-venture partners of the 274,000-square-foot project, expected to cost in excess of $20 million to build on the northwest corner of Los Carneros Road and Hollister Avenue, about a mile north of UC Santa Barbara.

Phase 1 will consist of three two-story buildings, expected to be completed early next year, and Phase 2 will include a pair of two-story buildings. About 70% of the building space will be devoted to offices, according to Grubb & Ellis Co., which is handling leasing.

Designed by Ware & Malcomb of Newport Beach, the buildings will be concrete tilt-up in style, with off-white walls and green-glass windows. Valley Construction Co. of Woodland Hills is the general contractor, and Castleberg & Associates of Santa Barbara is the landscape architect.