An arena for the Santa Cruz Warriors basketball team could also host community events. (Santa Cruz Warriors)
Last updated: June 2025
Location: Spruce Street, Santa Cruz
Two locations are proposed for a permanent Santa Cruz Warriors arena: At its current location at 140 Front St. and on Spruce Street between Pacific Avenue and Front Street.
Status
- Warriors staff are considering potential arena locations, designs and funding in coordination with residential developers, Santa Cruz Warriors Chief Executive Officer Chris Murphy said in May 2025.
- Concepts for a Warriors arena were presented at a May 13, 2025 city council meeting during consideration of the downtown expansion plan. The council approved the downtown plan.
Developer
The Santa Cruz Warriors have not chosen a developer for the project, Murphy said. Potential developers include the 201 Front St. project developer Lincoln Property Co. and the Seaside Co. , which owns both potential lots for a permanent arena.
Murphy said they were working with developers “to master plan a cohesive vision for how all of it will come together” including a new arena, the 201 Front St. housing proposal and developments at neighboring blocks.
Project description
- Size: City staff said a new arena likely would be larger than the 30,000 square feet temporary Kaiser Permanente Arena.
- Amenities: The project could include permanent Warriors office space, locker rooms and upgraded practice facilities. Seating capacity would also be larger than the roughly 2,500 capacity of the current arena.
- Design: The facility would be designed with multi-purpose use in mind, including better acoustics for large events.
- Funding: The project could be partially funded by developers seeking to increase the profits of nearby residential developments. “It is anticipated that the residential developers will contribute funding towards the arena development, as the uses will support one another,” wrote City of Santa Cruz Community Relations Specialist Siouxsie Oki, in an email. Murphy said the Warriors were in conversation with nearby residential developer Lincoln Property Co. and others to help fund the project.
More information
The development scenarios both contain new civic spaces. If the building is sited between Front Street and Pacific Avenue, the connecting part of Spruce Street could be closed to vehicular traffic and turned into a civic plaza with space for thousands of people.
Once an application is submitted, it will be assigned to a city planner and go through the same development process as other facilities like it, including holding a community meeting and obtaining planning commission approval for necessary permits.
Santa Cruz Economic Development staff wrote in March 2021 that the city “must be clear about its interest in retaining the Santa Cruz Warriors as well as its commitment to work in partnership toward the development of a permanent facility.”
“The vision isn’t just the basketball arena,” Murphy said. “We envision there being more concert shows, comedy shows. There’ll be more non-basketball events than there are basketball events annually.”
A walkable Spruce Street closed to traffic is described in the downtown expansion plan. (Santa Cruz Warriors)
The arena could be south of Spruce Street between Pacific Avenue and the San Lorenzo River levee. (Santa Cruz Warriors)
Read more
- Santa Cruz council to consider taller buildings, new Warriors arena downtown — May 12, 2025
- Santa Cruz Warriors explore new arena project with housing — February 1, 2022
- Inside the plan to expand Downtown Santa Cruz — June 14, 2024
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