After storm surf ripped off about 150 feet of the end of the Santa Cruz wharf in December, the Santa Cruz City Council in April agreed to rebuild part of it by early 2026. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)

On Dec. 23, storm surf collapsed the end of the wharf, plunging the site of the former Dolphin restaurant and a bathroom building into the bay. Two sea-lion viewing holes also were destroyed.

Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council approved $100,000 to create designs for a $1 million repair to the wharf. It would rebuild one sea-lion viewing hole and part of the destroyed parking lot by early 2026.

The California Office of Emergency Services has committed to paying 75% of “eligible costs” for repair, which exclude some wages for city staff working on the project. Eligible costs include reconstruction of the wharf and removing debris from the ocean and beaches.

But first, the state must approve the city’s plans for the repairs. Once submitted, the review “could take a year, could take a month,” Albert said. “Nothing is guaranteed at this time.”

The state won’t pay for any improvements to the wharf — only to rebuild as it was before the collapse.

Before the most recent damage, the wharf was still recovering from prior winter storms. Those were federally-declared disasters for which the city is still seeking Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements. 

The construction work made the wharf more vulnerable to damage, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley and Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Director Tony Elliot have said. That could complicate the conversation with the state even more.

“Disentangling those costs and who’s going to pay for what is the furthest thing from a slam dunk,” Albert said. And with federal changes to FEMA, “the cost recovery process has never been less certain,” she said.

The end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf is fenced off Dec. 24, a day after large surf tore off an area under repair. (Tom Gigliotti)

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