Quick Take
After 15,200 square feet was lost in the December 2024 collapse of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf, the city council moved to restore 1,100 square feet for now, while laying the path for additional work as funds become available.
The Santa Cruz City Council approved $1 million Tuesday to rebuild and repair southern sections of the municipal wharf that sustained damage from the partial collapse in December 2024. Construction is set to begin by November and to be completed by March 2026, the city estimated in its report, with bidding from construction firms to begin soon.
The plan partially restores the wharf, leaving open the possibility for additional restoration as funding becomes available. The current restoration will do two things. First, it will reinforce existing infrastructure that didn’t get knocked down in the storm. Second, it will partially extend a new platform from the current jagged edge left by the 2024 collapse. In total, about 1,100 square feet will be added back to the wharf; 15,200 square feet was lost in the powerful swells that hit the area on Dec. 23.
The city council accepted the recommendation of its three-person subcommittee, all of whom lauded the city staff’s swift action to get recovery efforts underway at the city council meeting Tuesday.
Vice Mayor Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson, who served on the subcommittee, said the approved plan was the one best suited to provide a quick, near-term solution while leaving options open for future rebuilding of the complete wharf. Councilmembers Renee Golder and Scott Newsome also served on the subcommittee.
Engineering firm Moffatt & Nichol had provided five options to consider, from as cheap as $310,000 to reinforce the wharf as is and rope off pedestrian access to the end, to a $11 million complete restoration to the original length of the wharf. Alternative 5, the chosen option, is estimated to cost $870,000. The council approved $1 million to make sure the costs were covered, since it won’t know the true costs until the project is bid on.
Director of Parks and Recreation Tony Elliot called the wharf recovery project an “appropriate and certainly worthwhile investment” for the city’s funds, citing the difficult-to-measure value the wharf brings in as a driver of the local economy, tourism and culture in Santa Cruz.
On Dec. 23, 2024, the southernmost section of the wharf collapsed during historically strong swells causing 180 feet of the platform, including a restroom building and construction equipment that had been used for ongoing maintenance, to plunge into the sea.
The rebuilding is financed from two sources: 75% of the funding is from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), while 25% will be covered by the city’s insurance proceeds. If more money comes in from Cal OES, then the city could consider a larger restoration project, Elliot said.
The council also approved a separate project to repair a sagging section of walkway in front of Gilda’s restaurant that is currently roped off for public safety. In the vote, the city allocated $500,000 staff to hire Power Engineering Construction for this project. This project was and is expected to begin imminently, as it’s an emergency repair, and is funded entirely by the city.
The wharf’s financial viability
The wharf subcommittee also addressed fundamental questions of wharf economic viability. It found that, despite increasing costs, the city hasn’t recently increased rent for businesses leasing space on the wharf and hasn’t increased parking rates.
The city council also approved the subcommittee’s recommendation to increase parking rates or fees and to “optimize” lease rates as agreements come up for renewal. The council did not approve specific new pricing for either.
The subcommittee’s solutions included increasing visitation to the wharf through new public amenities and targeted marketing, continuing to invest in the wharf’s maintenance to prevent further safety risks and adding new vending opportunities to appeal to diverse businesses.
The city council intends that these actions reduce the possible subsidy the city annually provides for the wharf. How much subsidy? That’s unclear. City Fund 104 helps subsidize the wharf, but also finances Santa Cruz’s beaches, parks and other public amenities, Elliot said. For the 2025 fiscal year, the city provided $2.5 million from its general fund to Fund 104, which Elliot said likely mostly went to supporting the beaches.
Elliot said the wharf’s accounting is muddled, given its multiple applications. He said the city is now looking into doing a “deep dive” to determine the true financial situation of the wharf, acting on one of the subcommittee’s recommendations.
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