2020 N. Pacific Ave., Clocktower Center

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A proposal at 2020 N. Pacific Ave. includes 178 homes. (Workbench)

Last updated: June 2025

Project name: Clocktower Center

Location: 2020 N. Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz

The site is north of the Town Clock, near North Pacific Avenue and Water Street.

Status

On June 5, 2025, the Santa Cruz Planning Commission approved the project but rejected a waiver for larger balconies. Workbench developers said the denial was illegal. The developers could sue the city, seek Santa Cruz City Council approval or redesign the building with smaller overhangs.

Developer

Santa Cruz-based Workbench.

Project description

A February 2025 plan set submitted to the city calls for:

• An eight-story building with 178 housing units.
• Affordable units: 14 very low income, 4 low income and 12 moderate income units.
• Unit types: 79 studios and 99 “junior 1-bedrooms.”
• Height: 93 feet.
• Parking spaces: 100.
• Bike parking spaces: 239.
• Details: Includes shops on the ground floor and a central courtyard.

Project timeline

• March 4, 2024: Workbench submitted pre-applications for two potential versions of a project — one with 16 stories, and one with eight stories. 
• Oct. 23, 2024: Workbench submitted a full application for an eight-story, 221-unit version of the project.
• June 5 and June 26, 2024: Workbench held community meetings on the project.
• Dec. 16, 2024: Developers held a community meeting in which city staff said the proposed design required some revisions to be consistent with the downtown plan.
• Feb. 20, 2025: Developers submitted a revised plan set with eight stories and 178 units.
• June 5, 2025: The Santa Cruz Planning Commission approved the project, but rejected a waiver for balconies to protrude further into the public right of way than city rules allow. Workbench staff said they might sue the city over the issue. 

Frequently asked questions

Does the project meet city rules?

City planning staff said the design encroached into the public right of way, and that it did not include necessary commercial space around the parking garage. On June 5, 2025, the planning commission approved the project but rejected the waiver for balconies that protrude further into public space that city rules allow.

The Downtown Plan also dictates that the site can include buildings up to 50 feet tall, and cannot block buildings of Mission Hill. Because of the state density bonus, the building is allowed to bypass the height limit.

Gordin said the building won’t block views of the hill. But even if the building did block views, the rule is “pretty ambiguous” and may not apply to the project, he said.

Can Santa Cruz city leaders block the project? 

The city can only deny the project if the building does not meet the city’s objective design standards. City leaders cannot deny the project solely for its height.

The city cannot enforce any new rules on housing projects that were adopted after a developer submits a pre-application, according to state law. Any new housing rules adopted after Sept. 5, 2024 would not apply to the project.

Why were there two designs for 2020 Pacific Ave.?

Submitting two designs gave the developers flexibility to make the project larger or smaller depending on what is most financially feasible, said Tim Gordin, president of Santa Cruz-based developer Workbench. Buildings larger than six stories are generally more expensive to build. 

Workbench can submit another design for the building with a square footage within 20% of either of the proposed buildings without needing to start another application process, according to state laws. 

Why would a 16-story building be allowed?

The previously proposed building took advantage of state laws that allow developers to build higher than city restrictions if they include a certain amount of affordable homes. The extra height is known as a density bonus. Two new density bonus laws came into effect in January 2025, AB 2345 and AB 1287.

Combined, these laws allow projects with enough affordable housing to double the number of apartments in a project without restrictions on height. The average size of the apartments added as part of the density bonus must match the average size of the rest of the units.

An eight-story building is proposed next to the Town Clock. (Workbench)

The site is next to the Town Clock. (Workbench)

How to make your voice heard

Submit comments and questions on the City of Santa Cruz project pages for 2020 N. Pacific Ave.

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