Adam RollinsThe city of Santa Cruz, California, has approved a transformative expansion project for the downtown area, setting an ambitious plan in motion to develop affordable housing, public amenities and economic opportunities in the city.
The project is the culmination of years of effort to better connect the city’s downtown to the local beach and river. The 29-acre project site will create a minimum of 1,600 new housing units, with 20% slotted to be affordable housing below market rates. Once completed, the city intends to increase accessibility to local public amenities, establish a permanent sports arena, support local businesses and improve pedestrian features throughout the area.
Santa Cruz is focusing on making more efficient use of available real estate. Buildings will be limited to base heights of 85, 70 or 50 feet, except in cases of compliance with density bonus programs or provisions of law. There will also be room for future development, including additional housing units and commercial space.
The area will benefit from a new, permanent stadium for the Santa Cruz Warriors, replacing the existing temporary arena. The sports and entertainment arena will cover 180,000 square feet of space, including a main event court with 3,200 seats for basketball and about 4,000 seats for concerts and other performances. Features included in the facility’s design include:
- A practice facility with an additional court and training spaces.
- Concessions spaces.
- Retail areas.
- Administrative offices.
Mobility will be a cornerstone facet of the expansion. There will be a public plaza closed to vehicular traffic, providing a safe, pedestrian-friendly space for residents and visitors.
Removable barriers of bollards will be installed to accommodate emergency, maintenance and delivery vehicle access.
The city plans to create a circulation network, integrating the built environment and civic spaces to better connect city centers and amenities. Additional work includes realigning street connections to revamp the San Lorenzo Riverwalk and removing surface parking and public roadways north of the realigned section. A new roundabout and various pedestrian and bicycle improvements are included as part of the project’s vision.
Photo by Choose Santa Cruz via Wikimedia Commons
