Santa Cruz Changes 106: Kresge College, UCSC

The photo above shows the new academic center building at Kresge College, on the UCSC campus, as approached from the end of the long elevated bridge spanning a deep ravine.

Unlike the new East Meadow housing (Changes 95), much of the built environment of UCSC is hidden in the redwoods. So, for those Santa Cruzans who don't have regular business on campus, it's easy to lose track of what's going on up there. Kresge College - one of the original five - is in the middle of a major expansion and, at the same time, a major renovation of the existing campus, whose early-1970s construction has not proven robust enough to survive the passing years.

The project continues, as seen in the photo below:

   

Santa Cruz Changes 105: Another week, another public meeting

This upcoming week's meeting is on Monday, and concerns a proposed mixed-use development project in the 900 block of Water Street, between Branciforte Avenue and across from Branciforte School. The proposal is similar to many others we've seen recently, with one exception - the 105 residential units are all single-room-occupancy (SRO). 

A similar project proposal for this site was approved in 2022, so this meeting will present modifications to that proposal. Here's an excerpt copied from the City project webpage:

Below is a Google Street View image of the 900 block, seen from the Branciforte Avenue intersection.

p.s. Follow-up to post 104, about the Silver Spur property: Lookout Santa Cruz has a report on the meeting.

Santa Cruz Changes 104: Public meeting at Silver Spur

A new development is proposed for several parcels on Soquel Drive between Santa Cruz and Capitola, including the site of the venerable Silver Spur restaurant. The proposal is to be presented at a public meeting scheduled for Oct. 17, as reported by Wallace Baine for Lookout Santa Cruz:

"The community meeting to talk about the plans for the Silver Spur property takes place at the restaurant, 2650 Soquel Dr., on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. The public is invited. . . . 

     [Silver Spur’s owner, Daniel] Govea said that the project will feature 189 units of housing on a site that includes the Spur and some neighboring businesses and properties."

 

The image at right is a Google satellite view of the area. I have not yet seen plans showing the developer's proposal, so it's not yet clear which parcels are included.

 

Santa Cruz Changes 103: Mobile murals

In 2023 SCMTD began, with the help of several local artists, to transform a number of Santa Cruz public transit buses into rolling works of art. By the end of 2024, SCMTD expects to have 30 buses repainted with images from famed nature photographer Franz Lanting and others. And next year the buses will have a new transit center to park in.