Santa Cruz Changes 58: Downtown library/housing/parking

Following the November 2022 defeat of a referendum seeking to stop this city-proposed project, the Planning Commission (whose composition also changed after the November elections) seemed poised to move ahead with approval of the latest version of the project at its Feb. 23 meeting. The agenda packet includes this staff description of the project:

"The project proposes demolition of both the existing City surface parking lot at 119 Lincoln Street and the commercial building currently occupied by Toadal Fitness at 113 Lincoln Street, and encompasses construction of a new, approximately 273,194 square-foot, eight-story building integrating a three story, approximately 38,069 square-foot City library featuring two floors double heighted with elevated ceilings; three story parking garage with capacity of 243 parking spaces; five story, 100% affordable housing component comprising 124 residential units; three story, approximately 9,598 square-foot commercial tenant space; one story, approximately 1,231 square-foot. childcare facility and adjoining 674 square-foot outdoor play area; open-air roof deck; new landscaping, and associated improvements to the subject site and surrounding public right-of-way.  Development would span the entire block of Cedar Street between Lincoln and Cathcart streets."

An informative article by Christopher Neely in Lookout Santa Cruz gives a good summary of how we got here. The article includes a pair of elevation renderings showing the block-long building from both north and south along Cedar Street. Since its original conception by Public Works as simply another multi-level parking structure, the project morphed in 2019 to include a relocated main library. After receiving public input, the concept expanded again to include rental housing and other facilities. The latest iteration has expanded in size even further, to include the Toadal Fitness building site that faces Lincoln Street (the existing north-south alley remains). 

Objections to displacement of the Farmers Market that uses the existing surface parking lot have been addressed with a city proposal to create a permanent Farmers Market site on Front Street (a conceptual rendering is included in the agenda packet). Those plans are still at a very preliminary stage, but if carried forward will merit a separate post at some future date. 

Santa Cruz Changes 57: más paseos, por favor

Previous posts have called attention to a number of individual development projects now taking shape in downtown Santa Cruz. Several of them include one of my favorite wish-list features: wide pedestrian-only walkways between streets, and/or between Front Street and the Riverwalk. These "paseos" will make downtown much more pedestrian friendly and connected. Santa Barbara has a number of paseos providing pedestrian access from its main commercial street (State) to parallel streets. Carmel also has paseos.  

A recent article by Lili Belli in Lookout Santa Cruz, titled "Paseos to the future?", describes how three Riverwalk-adjacent projects along Front Street will create up to ten new restaurant spaces facing the river, connected to Front Street via steps on three wide new paseos. Excerpted above from that article is an artist's rendering of the paseo that will align with the end of Cathcart Street.

None of those projects have yet broken ground, however, so the first paseo we'll see - maybe before the end of 2023 - will be the one connecting Center and Cedar Streets along the south side of the 530 Center Street project that is now under construction. That paseo will connect the other end of Cathcart Street to Center Street. The rendering below, included in post 50, looks at the project from Cathcart, across Cedar Street. The paseo can be seen to the left of the building with the "Retail" signage. Previously, that walk was possible - through a parking lot.

   

Santa Cruz Changes 56: 126 Eucalyptus Ave

This project is proposed for the former Gateway School property, behind the St. Joseph Shrine property on W. Cliff Drive, with vehicle entry from Pelton Avenue. All on-site parking is accessed from the entry driveway.

The city planning description includes: "...demolish two existing school buildings (approx. 28,417 square feet) and construct a 76 unit (including 15 full dwelling units) senior housing facility..." (city webpage here)

The developer's renderings make it look up-scale, which would fit in with that neighborhood. 

Santa Cruz Changes 55: 119 Coral Street

The top image is a conceptual rendering of the finished project. Below it is a current view of the site. Both views are from where Highway 1 crosses the RR tracks. Below the images is an excerpt from a description included on the City of Santa Cruz project page. Plans, more renderings, and other info can be found there.