As 2025 morphs into 2026, Santa Cruz’s downtown is still deep in the middle of a major transformation. A new proposal for The Catalyst building has many up in arms, while fans of the new library quietly wait for 2028. Here’s an overview of where all the projects stand.
The future of downtown Santa Cruz
A Lookout series on the business and politics of development in downtown Santa Cruz.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
What The Catalyst means to Santa Cruz’s music scene, its culture and its sense of itself
With The Catalyst in the news as the possible site of a new downtown housing development, maybe it’s time for a reminder of just how influential and central this performance venue has been to Santa Cruz’s musical subcultures.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Holiday pop-ups breathe new life into long-vacant Logos and Palace Art spaces downtown
Two local event companies are bringing new life to two long-vacant downtown Santa Cruz buildings this holiday season. Collective Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Mountains Makers Market will host holiday markets at the former Logos Books & Records and Palace Art spaces, respectively, featuring dozens of local artists and food vendors. City officials hope the pop-ups will enliven challenging storefronts, which have sat empty for several years.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Five years after the closure of the Nickelodeon, is indie film culture in Santa Cruz dead, or merely in hibernation?
The Nickelodeon Theatre in downtown Santa Cruz has been closed for more than five years, bringing up questions not only about the viability of independent film, but whether the once robust subculture of arthouse cinema in Santa Cruz will ever come back.
Posted inFood & Drink
Sweet news for downtown: Ashby Confections set to open Pacific Avenue shop
Ashby Confections, a local candy and chocolate maker, is moving into a long-vacant storefront in downtown Santa Cruz, transforming the former Joe’s Pizza and Subs into a production kitchen and retail shop. Owner Jennifer Ashby expects the new space to open by Easter.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County homeless services dealt double blow as MHCAN, Downtown Streets Team abruptly shutter
Santa Cruz’s homeless services network faces new uncertainty as the Mental Health Client Advocacy Network abruptly closed “until further notice” and Downtown Streets Team announced plans to shut down statewide this fall.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
How rising costs and red tape squeeze small businesses out of downtown Santa Cruz
A mix of rising rents, construction hurdles and slow city permitting is prompting some small businesses to reconsider opening in downtown Santa Cruz. Business owners say they want to be part of downtown’s future but feel the financial and bureaucratic barriers are stacked too high — especially for those trying to open in aging buildings. While the city is rolling out reforms, including a new permitting system and faster approvals, some worry it’s not happening fast enough to keep the heart of downtown vibrant and local.
Posted inHousing & Development
As downtown Santa Cruz changes, longtime residents fear soaring rents and loss of community
As rapid development reshapes downtown Santa Cruz, longtime residents worry about rising rents, lost convenience, strained affordability and preserving their neighborhood’s deep community ties.
Posted inHousing & Development
Why Santa Cruz builds rentals, not condos — and what it means for first-time homebuyers
Santa Cruz is building more housing than ever — but almost none of it is for sale. Sky-high home prices and a state law meant to protect buyers are discouraging developers from building condos, closing off a key path to ownership.
Posted inWestside / Downtown
Santa Cruz Warriors’ sleek new arena gets downtown neighbors talking
Lookout took to the streets of downtown Santa Cruz this week to get community feedback on the conceptual drawings of the new Warriors arena.