Quick Take

In this week's roundup, Jessica M. Pasko has updates on leadership and construction of the beachfront luxury La Bahia Hotel & Spa and on accommodations proposed for 41st Avenue, plus comings and goings and numbers and dates to know in Santa Cruz County business.

Each week, we’re taking a closer look at the movers and shakers, the growth of industries, and what’s really driving the Santa Cruz County economy. I’ll be spotlighting some of the biggest areas for opportunity, updates on local development and all things underpinning the regional business scene, each Wednesday.

Got ideas? Send them my way to news@lookoutlocal.com with “Business News” in the subject line.

New GM announced for La Bahia in Santa Cruz as hotel and resort eyes 2025 opening

As construction and renovation continues at what will be the new La Bahia Hotel & Spa near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the hotel’s parent company is already building its new executive team.

Markus Krebs, the general manager of the in-progress La Bahia Hotel & Spa. Credit: Ensemble Hospitality

Ensemble Hospitality, which is working with the Santa Cruz Seaside Company on the project, has named Markus Krebs as general manager of La Bahia. Krebs brings 35 years of experience in hospitality to the new role, including previous experience as general manager at the Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort in Hawaii. Ensemble, headquartered in Long Beach, also owns the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz.

The La Bahia project broke ground in September 2022 and was originally slated to open this fall; now, Ensemble executives say the new luxury hotel and resort will open in the spring of 2025. When it does, it will include 155 guest rooms, an expansive spa and four restaurants, including a poolside bar and grill. Executives are positioning it as what they say is the first of its kind in the area due to its emphasis on luxury and high-end facilities, with a goal of making it a premier tourist destination in Santa Cruz. 

The former La Bahia Apartments on Beach Street sat in disrepair for decades after years of bureaucratic and development delays held up plans to renovate the former landmark, as Wallace Baine previously reported. 

Stay tuned for my story about this project later this week.

Proposed hotel in Pleasure Point moves closer to becoming reality

In other local hotel news, plans to construct a seven-unit hotel/short-term rental facility on a vacant lot on 41st Avenue are moving forward following approval by the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission last week. The new hotel would be at 880 41st Ave., between Canton Restaurant and the now-shuttered Chill Out Cafe.

The application submitted by architect Dennis Anderson and Palisade Builders calls for the construction of two buildings: one 6,025-square-foot, three-story building with five units and a 2,180-square-foot, three-story building with two units and a manager’s office. 

The planning commission greenlighted the plans, with minor modifications. It’s now subject to a 14-day local appeal period followed by a 10-day California Coastal Commission appeal period. After that, the application process for building permits can begin, according to Tiffany Martinez, a spokesperson for the county planning commission. 

ICYMI: Santa Cruz County housing market takes another leap as summer draws closer

The local housing market continues to heat up, with sales and prices up in April compared to March. Homes are remaining on the market for less time than they were last year, and countywide, there were 24% more home sales in April than March. The hottest areas for home sales? Aptos, Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Read Max Chun’s piece here.

Ch-ch-changes: Openings, closings and other developments

  • Bay Federal Credit Union names new assistant vice president: David Torres has been promoted to assistant vice president of home loan sales at Bay Federal Credit Union. Torres, a Santa Cruz resident, joined the credit union in 2014 as a home loan consultant and has served as the home loans manager since 2019. In his new role, he’ll lead the credit union’s team of home loan consultants and drive further efforts to help members finance homes. 
Taqueria Los Pericos’ new location in the Rancho Del Mar Shopping Center in Aptos. Credit: Kevin Painchaud / Lookout Santa Cruz
  • New taqueria for Aptos: Popular downtown Santa Cruz taqueria Los Pericos has opened a new location in the Rancho Del Mar shopping plaza, as Lily Belli reported last week.
  • Board game cafe to take over downtown coffeehouse: Game lovers, rejoice. A new board game-centric cafe is coming to the former Tabby Cat (and before that, Caffe Bene) location at 1101 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. Wallace Baine has more here.
  • Downtown taproom and restaurant marks a decade: Lupulo Craft Beer House on Cathcart Street is marking 10 years in business with an all-out celebration on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. In addition to specialty beers and menu items, there will be live music. 
  • Deadline extended for Downtown Pops! space on Front Street: The City of Santa Cruz is seeking a tenant for 701 Front St., between Cooper Street and Soquel Avenue, which is part of its Downtown Pops! program that aims to help business owners get into brick-and-mortar spaces. The 2,360-square-foot space previously housed Front Street Vintage; prior to that, it was home to Botanic & Luxe before that store moved to Cooper Street. Applications will be accepted through June 14. Details here.

Got hires, promotions, or departures to report? Send them to news@lookoutlocal.com with the subject line “Career changes.”

Looking at the numbers

  • 727: Think your job hazards are bad? California leads the nation for dog bite incidents involving postal workers, with 727 reported in 2023. That’s up from 675 the year prior. At No. 2 was Texas with 411 reported bites. Los Angeles took the slot for individual cities, with 65 dog-on-postal carrier attacks, according to the U.S. Postal Service.

Save the date

  • Wednesday, June 5: Santa Cruz city officials are hosting a virtual community meeting via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. to hear public feedback on a proposed multistory residential building behind the clock tower. Details here.
  • Thursday, June 20: The downtown branch of the Santa Cruz Public Library is hosting Tenant Sanctuary, a tenants’ rights education service, for a special panel discussion focused on LGBTQ+ issues in housing in alignment with Pride Month. Attendees can learn about their rights as a renter, get their questions answered and sign up for a one-on-one conversation with a lawyer. Details here.
  • Saturday, July 27: The Pajaro Valley Chamber of Commerce hosts its 2024 awards dinner and auction at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville. Details and registration here.
  • Wednesday, Aug. 7: The Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce will host a women’s networking mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. outside the Dientes and Santa Cruz Community Health clinics on Capitola Road. Details here.

Add your business or networking events to Lookout’s free public calendar, BOLO. Click here to add your event.

Business news worth reading

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Jessica M. Pasko has been writing professionally for almost two decades. She cut her teeth in journalism as a reporter for the Associated Press in her native Albany, New York, where she covered everything...