Santa Cruz Changes 120: Workforce Housing on Swift St.

In what may signal a future trend in housing, the Santa Cruz Planning Commission approved a 100-unit  development on Swift Street in the Westside area. 

The unusual aspect of this proposal is that it's "workforce housing"; that is, residency will be limited to those who fit a defined employment profile. In this case, only employees of Santa Cruz City Schools are eligible for residency. Christopher Neely of Lookout Santa Cruz elaborates:

"The term 'workforce housing' is a sort of catch-all term for housing affordable to those making 80 to 120% of the area’s median income, which in 2024 ticked up to $132,800 for a four-person household in Santa Cruz County. The city has welcomed hundreds of workforce housing units over the past decade, but only twice has housing targeted specific segments of the workforce: this latest project, and the Tannery Arts Center, which rents only to artists.

Only Santa Cruz City Schools district educators, support staff and their families will be allowed to live in the development, proposed for 313 Swift St. The developer, Santa Cruz-based Bogard Construction, in conjunction with the district, will have to enter into an agreement with the city that ensures the housing is rented only to district employees."

Neely further notes that, because of state laws enacted in the past few years, City approval of the development is not optional. The proposal goes to the City Council in March. 

Santa Cruz Changes 119: On Ingalls Alley

Here's a big one I missed in 2024. A multi-building 161-unit housing project is now under construction to the west of Swift Street, to the rear of the Delaware Avenue development described in Changes 7, and next to the Rail Trail.

Santa Cruz Local has the details:

* Three four-story residential buildings 

* One two-story building with a leasing office and a fitness center 

* One single-story building with shops.

* 161 units, including 80 one-bedroom and 81 two-bedroom homes

* Seven low-income and 12 moderate-income units.

The biggest difference from other recent local multi-family projects is that these units are already entirely leased to UCSC, for use as off-campus university student/faculty/stall housing. The project will be much larger than UCSC's other off-campus housing location, the 52-unit University Town Center on Pacific Avenue. 

Santa Cruz Changes 117: History of the Forever 21 corner

 

The closing of the Forever 21 store at the corner of Pacific Avenue and Soquel Avenue, a consequence of the company's 2021 bankruptcy, is only the latest of many changes that have happened on that corner. 

The chain clothing retailer moved into that space 12 years ago, replacing another chain retailer that also went bankrupt - Borders Books. The Forever 21 move-in produced little controversy - much different than when Borders moved in.

Borders was the first retail tenant in the 1200 Pacific Avenue building that arose in 1999, after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged two 2-story unreinforced brick buildings that had occupied the prominent downtown corner since 1910. The news that Borders would be moving in was greeted by a local outcry of protest - why? Because it was thought that the presence of a major chain bookseller would endanger the beloved and locally-owned Bookshop Santa Cruz. 

Another local bookshop did close soon after - Plaza Books - but it's not clear how much Borders had to do with that. After a precarious couple of post-earthquake years in one of the temporary Pavilion tents, Bookshop Santa Cruz moved into expanded new quarters in the rebuilt neo-St. George building, where it thrived and remains today. Meanwhile, Borders followed other chain booksellers into bankruptcy.

Those who have been around Santa Cruz since before 1989 will remember the 1910 red brick Trust building and its similar-looking neighbor to the north, both of which were torn down after sustaining earthquake damage. The photo at left (SCPL) was taken shortly after the quake from the Soquel Avenue side. 

The similar-looking Pacific Avenue neighbor building is not visible from this angle.

Property owners proved unable or unwilling to renovate the two damaged buildings, while historic preservationists argued against demolition. The argument was settled some years later when a fire gutted the interior, making the remaining structure unsafe. The current building went up in 1999.

Another local history note: visible in this photo, at the right end of the ground-floor retail spaces, is the original Santa Cruz location of now-legendary Pizza My Heart. Now a long-time tenant on Pacific Avenue, the small chain of locally-owned pizza restaurants started in the tiny space on the Capitola Esplanade and remains today.

Santa Cruzans with even longer memories will remember that, before Pizza My Heart, that narrow retail space was home to Chef Tong's Szechuan kitchen. Francis Tong introduced Santa Cruz palates to Szechuan-style cooking.

Santa Cruz Changes 116: More big holes downtown

 

Changes to note this week are mostly negative. PacAve lost its only Michelin-rated restaurant when Alderwood Pacific closed its doors a few months ago. 

Now the original Alderwood on Cedar Street has also closed, leaving a high-end void in the local restaurant scene.

The closing of New Leaf Market last October left Trader Joe's as the only downtown grocery store, and it seems unlikely that the next tenant in that space will come from the grocery business. 

Meanwhile, there are three big departures in PacAve retail. The closure of chain-clothier Forever 21 has been expected since the 2021 bankruptcy announcement, but two other closings are more surprising. The downtown surf-style clothing shop of the local O'Neill company is shutting down, as is its competitor across Pacific, Rip Curl. A third surf-style store remains on that corner - Pacific Wave (pictured above). 

Those large retail and restaurant empty spaces join many others (some of them brand new) along PacAve and elsewhere downtown, and so may be hard to fill.

One bright spot: as PacAve stores selling new clothing close, a number of used-clothing stores have opened, including Freestyle Clothing Exchange, which opened last year in the same building that O'Neill is leaving.  

Santa Cruz Changes 115 - 2025 on the Santa Cruz Wharf

2025 could be a year of major changes for "Stubby" (aka Santa Cruz Wharf). Most of what remains will reopen to the public today at 7 am, with a ceremony at 10 am. Wharf businesses will presumably reopen as well. Beyond today, however, the wharf's future beyond the shortened status quo remains an open question.

Safety engineers confirmed that most of the wharf structure remains sound, except for the remainder of the narrow end section that broke away on December 23. So no more urgent fixes are needed for now.

The city's longer-term plans for rehabilitation and/or expansion are, however, far from settled. The 2014 version of a Wharf Master Plan was blocked by a citizens' lawsuit in 2022. 

A revised Master Plan was approved by the City Council in January, 2024, but implementation was delayed by a Coastal Commission decision that sought to protect under-wharf-nesting seabirds until 2024 hatchlings left the nests. The delay meant that deck and piling repairs needed to begin the Master Plan program were delayed until October, when the building formerly home to the Dolphin Restaurant was torn down. That work was continuing when the December 23 damage occurred.

Max Chun at Lookout Santa Cruz has more on this story.

Santa Cruz Changes 114: Looking ahead to 2025

A number of projects written about here have started or continued construction in 2024, and some are expected (hoping?) to reach completion in 2025. 

The photo above-right is a Dec. 25 view of La Bahia. Projects to watch include:

1.  La Bahia Hotel (Changes 35, "Beach Street", and Changes 51, "The Spring Has Sprung")
2.  Rail Trail segment from California Street to Pacific Avenue (Changes: 49 - Rail Trail 2022)

Others could be completed in 2025, but we'll see, including:

1. Pacific Station North (Changes 22)
2. 418-508 Front Street (Changes 9)
3. Capitola Avenue overpass [Highway 1] (Changes 84)
4. Kresge College, UCSC (Changes 106)
5. 111 Errett Circle housing (Changes 60)

No predictions on which of the many proposals still in the planning/permitting stages will actually break ground in 2025. Those events will be reported as they happen. 

Santa Cruz Changes 113: 2024 downtown commercial

It's been a trying year for businesses in downtown Santa Cruz, especially south of Cathcart Street. Street closures and other disruptions due to several major construction projects have made getting around more difficult, while the anticipated increase in foot traffic from all the new downtown residents is just beginning to arrive. Most of the retail/commercial spaces in those new buildings remain empty.

As promised in Changes 99, this 2024 roundup will focus on downton Santa Cruz businesses.

Business changes include:

Businesses opened, closed and/or replaced.
* Mad Yolks breakfast restaurant opened next to Pleasure Pizza on Pacific. The adjacent spaces, formerly Peet's Coffee and Palace Arts, remain empty.
* Rosie McCann's Irish Pub & Restaurant reopened on Pacific Ave.
* Pretty Good Advice veggie/vegan cafe replaced Pacific Thai on Pacific.
* Gobi Mongolian BBQ opened in the former Marini's confectionery space on Pacific Ave.
* New Leaf Market closed on Pacific at Soquel Ave. (new River Street store to open in 2025, in former Ross clothing store space at Gateway Center).
* Rock 'n Roll Donut Bar closed on Pacific Avenue, after only 6 months in business.
* Alderwood on Pacific restaurant closed - the original Alderwood on Walnut at Cedar remains.
* Phō House Vietnamese restaurant replaced Hōm Korean Kitchen on Pacific.
* Soif Wine Bar on Walnut Avenue replaced by the new seafood-focused restaurant Hook & Line.
* Tarros Mexican Restaurant and Bar replaced Firefly Tavern, in the former 99 Bottles space on Walnut.
* GSC (formerly Cafe Gratitude) closed on Lincoln Street.
* Izzy's Ices opened on Lincoln Street.
* Mariposa Coffee Bar opened at SE corner of Pacific and Cathcart.
* Next door on Cathcart, Oyuki Sushi & Peruvian Cuisine opened.
* Münch cafe closed at SW corner of Pacific and Laurel.
* Bonesio Liquor closed at NW corner of Pacific and Laurel (the entire property is for sale, but Taqueria Jalapeños remains open).
* The Neighbor's Pub opened on Pacific south of Laurel.
* Motion Pacific dance studio closed on Front Street.
* Flower Bar closed on Cedar Street.
* A number of used clothing stores have recently opened on Pacific.

Next week, a look ahead to 2025.

Santa Cruz Changes 112 - Meetings This Week

Two City of Santa Cruz project proposals that have been discussed here previously have public meetings this week, one of them remote-only (thanks to Michael Lewis for the roundup).

1. Monday, Dec. 16, "Clocktower" proposal (Changes 94):

2. Wednesday, Dec. 19, Planning Commission meeting, 7:00 pm. 831 Water Street (Changes 19)

Santa Cruz Changes 111: 2450 Mattison Lane, Live Oak

 

This development was recommended for approval by the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission at its 12-11-2024 meeting. The site is a former chicken ranch in Live Oak. The subdivision will be accessed from the bend of Mattison Lane. It's the right half of the cleared land in the satellite view at right. Here's some of the  agenda description, followed by a detail from the developer's Site Plan (rotated 90 degrees):

2450 Mattison Lane, Santa Cruz , 95062         APNs: 029-391-01, -02, -03 & 029-061-19

  Proposal to demolish two existing residential dwellings and related outbuildings, subdivide the property into 25 residential parcels, and to construct 25 townhomes ranging from approximately 1,300 square feet to 2,100 square feet in size. The project includes a 40-percent Density Bonus in exchange for the provision of four affordable units. Requires the Planning Commission to adopt a Resolution, sending a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors regarding adoption of the Planned Unit Development Ordinance, and for approval of Application No. 221077 including a Subdivision, Residential Development Permit with Density Bonus, Roadway/Roadside Exception, and Preliminary Grading Review and regarding adoption of the Mitigated Negative Declaration per the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA),

Property located on the south side of Mattison Lane (2450 Mattison Lane) approximately 325 feet east of Maciel Avenue, and spans four contiguous Assessor's Parcels (APNs 029-391-01, 029-391-02, 029-391-03 & 029-061-19) in the Live Oak Planning Area.

APPLICANT: Ken Hart for Swift Consulting Services

OWNER: Claudio Locatelli

 

Santa Cruz Changes 110: Graham Hill housing

I try to write about new development proposals before the first public meeting, and was first made aware of this one back in September by a Santa Cruz Local article, but missed the meeting date until seeing a report after the fact (reported in Lookout Santa Cruz) . The image above, a view from the Graham Hill Road side, is from the developer. The site (currently a vacant horse pasture) is adjacent to both the Graham Hill Showgrounds and the Woods Cove housing development (51 luxury homes built in 2003-04). Details of "The Haven" proposal (as reported by Santa Cruz Local) include:

Project description

* Total units: 161.

* Affordable units: 26 townhomes for low-income applicants and seven townhomes for moderate-income applicants. Income limits are set annually by state and federal agencies.

* Height: Variable. Includes single-story homes and three-story townhomes.

* Parking: 691 spaces.