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)

SANTA CRUZ >> The end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf could reopen by spring 2026, according to plans from city staff. Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council is set to consider first steps of a $1 million plan for interim repairs approved in April that would partially reconstruct the end of the wharf and build one sea lion viewing hole.  The project would start construction in fall. 

The end of the wharf has been closed since high swells in December collapsed 180 feet of the structure.

In April, city staff said receiving the state and federal money for the wharf repairs would likely be a lengthy and uncertain process. The California Office of Emergency Services has committed to paying 75% of “eligible costs” for repair for storm damage, and the city still awaits Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements from prior winter storms. 

A separate $500,000 project would fix a sinking pedestrian walkway next to Gilda’s restaurant by September 2025. If the sinking worsens, Gilda’s may need to close during repairs, according to a city staff report.

Wharf rents, parking fees could rise

The Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday is also set to consider ordering a long-term plan that could hike wharf parking fees and business rents.

The proposed plan for the wharf aims to raise enough money to operate without taxpayer subsidy from the city’s General Fund.  The wharf has mostly operated in the red since 2015. The plan could include:

• A strategy for investment in buildings and the wharf structure.
• Raising rents for wharf businesses to market rates.
• Raising parking fees.
• Banning large trucks that cause wear on the wharf.
• Allowing new wharf vendors. 

The council is also set to consider:

• Directing city staff to complete a draft protocol for city actions before and during extreme coastal storms. The city faced criticism after the December swells knocked construction equipment and two workers into the ocean.
• Reorganizing city accounts to more accurately depict money spent on wharf operations and maintenance.

Read more

• Decades of Santa Cruz wharf repair backlog contributed to vulnerability (Jan. 10, 2025)

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