Quick Take
The Capitola Wharf is set to reopen to the public on Sept. 25 following a yearlong renovation project. The community has invested heavily in the rebuild, raising $425,000 for additional features and participating in an art installation for the wharf’s gate.
The restored Capitola Wharf will have its grand reopening after an $8 million reconstruction from damage caused by a January 2023 storm, including destruction of a large middle section. Festivities on Wednesday, Sept. 25, will also unveil a number of extra features for the local landmark made possible by a supplemental community fundraising effort.
The event is set to kick off at 2:30 p.m. with remarks from Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown, city officials and community leaders. It will also include live music from local band the Joint Chiefs, a variety of food and dessert trucks and a beer garden.
Structural repairs on the wharf were completed in July, said Jessica Kahn, City of Capitola public works director. Final touches, including new public restrooms and an upgraded fish-cleaning station, have been added since. New light poles will be installed on the wharf in the weeks following the reopening.
A glass mosaic piece created with the help of the community, led by local artist Kathleen Crocetti, will greet wharf visitors, said Gerry Jensen, chair of the Capitola Wharf Enhancement Project community group. The art project will be installed at the wharf’s entry gate, he said.
Seeing the community contribute to the renovations, via donations or participating in the recent work day party, has been very special, said Jensen.
“The Capitola Village and the wharf, it’s really the heartbeat of the whole area,” Jensen said. “To see the community assembling all the items is really showing this vibrant community coming together.”
This project has been the easiest Jensen has been involved in from a fundraising standpoint, he said, because everybody had a memory at the wharf and wanted to create a place for the next generation to create similar memories.
The City of Capitola signed an $8 million contract, funded by a mix of federal, state and local tax dollars, with Southern California-based Cushman Contracting Corp. last year to repair storm damages and address pre-existing issues.
The Capitola Wharf Enhancement Project set a fundraising target of $250,000 for additional features for the wharf and exceeded that goal, raising $425,000.
Kahn said it’s been amazing to see the support the project has received, not only locally but also internationally.
“People have a real attachment to it. Everyone was really excited to get the project started,” she said. “And we’re really excited to have something that is refreshed to share with the public.”
The wharf had a soft reopening in August and has been open to the public at certain times, depending on construction, said Kahn. The city plans to have three more closure days after the reopening to address any remaining renovations.
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