Quick Take
The library and affordable housing project in Santa Cruz promises to be a generational shift in the look and feel of the city's downtown.
When the City of Santa Cruz finally closed on purchasing the downtown Toadal Fitness property last month, it marked a major milestone in the realization of one of the city’s marquee developments: the mixed-use downtown library and affordable housing project.
A panoramic view of the downtown Santa Cruz from Cedar Street. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / TenOver Studios 
The view from Cedar and Cathcart streets. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / TenOver Studios 
The view the downtown Santa Cruz library from above Cedar and Lincoln streets. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / TenOver Studios 
A rendering of the downtown library seen from Cedar and Lincoln streets at night. Credit: City of Santa Cruz 
A vision for the entry of the new downtown Santa Cruz library. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
The library’s roof deck. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
A vision for a community room inside the housing side development. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / TenOver Studios 
A view of the library entry’s main stairway. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
A rendering of the library’s children’s section. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
Another view in the library’s children’s section. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
A view inside the library’s second-floor atrium. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
A view into the northwest corner of the library’s second floor. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
The library’s envisioned teen area. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
The library’s special collections section. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture 
The library’s southern mezzanine. Credit: City of Santa Cruz / Jayson Architecture
The 124-unit affordable housing project, fused together with a more than 41,000-square-foot modern library, planned for the lot that hosts the Wednesday farmers market, promises to fundamentally change the physical feel of downtown Santa Cruz.
The project, which includes a 235-space parking garage and room for ground-floor commercial uses, initially drew some intense community criticism. The opposition snowballed into 2022’s Measure O, which, if passed, would have killed the existing vision for the mixed-use project. More than 59% of Santa Cruz voters rejected the ballot measure, clearing the way for the development.
On Tuesday, the city’s economic development team unveiled new renderings of the exterior and interior of the library, designed by San Francisco-based Jayson Architecture. The images were presented to the public during Tuesday’s meeting.
Brian Borguno, the city’s development manager, said construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2025.
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