What was once an empty department store in the heart of downtown Santa Maria is now at the center of a multi-million dollar transformation. On Thursday, the City of Santa Maria and The Vernon Group broke ground on the Heritage Walk Lofts, marking the first major project in a long-term downtown revitalization plan.

The 104-unit loft-style apartment complex will repurpose the old Mervyn’s/Fallas building at the Santa Maria Town Center West. For Brett Vernon, president of The Vernon Group, it’s the beginning of something bigger.

The Vernon Group

“We won the RFP for downtown, which is, we had a proposal to redevelop four parcels here. This is lot one. Lot two is across the street. Lot three is across the street by Bank of America, and lot four is right over here,” Vernon said.

“We started

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