Edhat Staff
By edhat staff
Capitol Hardware announced the acquisition of Santa Barbara Plumbing Supplies, located at 621 N. Milpas Street, on Friday.
Established in 1984 by Gene and Kim Bantilan, Santa Barbara Plumbing is a well-known name in the local community, providing kitchen and bath fixtures to plumbers, builders, and homeowners. An unexpected illness led to Gene’s sudden passing in 2016.
Alan Bleecker, President of Capitol Hardware, had been looking to relocate his business in preparation for building work-force housing on their family property on Milpas Street. Capitol Hardware is currently located one block away at 711 N. Milpas Street.
“Acquiring Santa Barbara Plumbing makes sense for many reasons,” Bleecker said, “it allows us to continue Santa Barbara Plumbing’s rich tradition of locally owned plumbing material supply, allows us to better serve our customers in the building industry, and it gives us a great new location.”
Bleecker recalls that when he started in the business in 1986, a large portion of Capitol Hardware’s sales was plumbing related. When Santa Barbara Plumbing moved in just a half-block away, Bleecker and his father-in-law Gordon, decided to move away from the plumbing business and focus instead on hardware, doors, and building supplies.
“Although the path we went down served both companies well, we are excited about the opportunity to once again bring together hardware and plumbing fixtures,” Bleecker stated.
Capitol Hardware will continue daily operation of Santa Barbara Plumbing Supplies and plans to combine the two showrooms to 621 N. Milpas later this year. Until that time, Capitol Hardware will remain in its current location at 711 N. Milpas.
Congratulations to Mr. Bleecker on getting his housing project approved. New market rate housing will be awesome for the city. Too bad so sad for those who tried to stop the project.
what a great outcome
“It’s not about the money!” That’s what Evangelical Christian Pastors always say, but when it comes down to it, it is about the “MONEY!”
This is not a church it’s a building supply business.
Ha ha “workforce housing”. More like housing for students from China and workforce members making more than $100,000 per year.
Alan Bleecker, President of Capitol Hardware, started the business in 1986. As a long-time Eastside business owner, one would think he’d be motivated to do something good for the local community. According to this article, he was recently looking to relocate his business in preparation for building work-force housing on their 711 N. Milpas Street property. What exactly is work-force housing? One and two bedroom market-rate AUD units will be built. Does $2300-$3700 rent meet the definition of work-force housing for one or two bedroom units (?) as this is what the market-rate rents are at the nearby AUD development at 604 E. Cota Street. No affordable or moderate income rents are included in the plans for this development on Milpas. Edhat, please explain your word choice “work-force housing.”
Factotum, not my point at all, but okay. You don’t like subsidized, price fixed, affordable housing. You’re entitled to your opinion. Missing is “$2300-$3700 1-2 bedroom rents” for what end purpose? Who benefits, besides a narrow few that earn $100K+ …This must be the current workforce that is unable to find housing in Santa Barbara, right? No gamed lottery referenced here. My point: Why was Edhat’s choice of words “work-force housing?” This implies a lot of things, for example, supplying a current need for that mass of folks (at least one for each of the 76 units) waiting in line to spend $2300-$3700 in rent.