A housing proposal at 530 Ocean St. would be six stories and include commercial space. (Workbench)
Last updated: May 2024
Project name: ArtHaus Ocean
Location: 530, 542, and 548 Ocean St., Santa Cruz
Status
- City planners in February 2024 received a pre-application for the project. The project needs permits for demolition, development, design, density bonus and lot-line adjustments.
- The developer held an online community meeting on May 20, 2024.
- It’s not yet clear when the Santa Cruz Planning Commission would consider the project. The developer said it hopes to start construction in December 2026 and finish roughly two years later.
Developer
Santa Cruz-based Workbench is the developer. Oakland-based Riaz Capital is also involved.
Project description
- Total units: 225.
- Affordable units: 40.
- Height: Six stories.
- Parking: 86 parking spaces and 283 bike parking spaces are anticipated.
- Details: Four commercial buildings would be demolished, according to city documents. About 1,400 square feet of ground-floor commercial space is expected. Because the lot is in the floodplain of Branciforte Creek, the developer has proposed to raise the elevation of the site to remove it from the floodplain.
- Area plan: New 15-foot-wide sidewalks and landscaping are proposed. A City of Santa Cruz vision for Ocean Street is for it to become “an attractive, pedestrian-friendly shopping district where local residents can fulfill many of their daily shopping needs without having to drive” by 2030.
- History: Workbench initially proposed 199 homes including 30 deed-restricted affordable homes in a pre-application in early 2024.
A six-story housing project is proposed at 530 Ocean St. (Workbench)
Ground-floor shops are expected at a housing proposal at 530 Ocean St. (Workbench)
Offices and shops are now at 530, 542 and 548 Ocean St. in Santa Cruz (Workbench)
A slide from the developer’s May 20, 2024 online meeting shows details of the proposal. (Workbench)
A City of Santa Cruz plan envisions a more walkable Ocean Street by the year 2030. (Workbench)
Read more
City of Santa Cruz’s project page for 530 Ocean St.
How to make your voice heard
- Submit comments and questions on the City of Santa Cruz’s project page for 530 Ocean St.
- Questions for the developer can be emailed to Chris Batson at [email protected]
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