$20 million grant to Santa Cruz provides affordable housing, metro station upgrade funds

PLANS TO ASK THE COURT TO SCHEDULE A HEARING TO CONSIDER THE SALE IN FEBRUARY## .# IN OTHER NEWS AROUND SANTA CRUZ COUNTY... THE STATE IS GIVING E TH CITY OF SANTA CRUZ A 20-MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FOR THE PACIFIC STATION PROJ EC IT INCLUDES A MAJOR FACELIFT FOR THE DNTOWOWN METRO BUS STATION. THAT PROJECT WILL BENEFIT TWO AFFORDLE AB HOUSING PROJECTS ON ADJACENT PROPERTIES. ACTION NEWS RTER EPOR PHIL GOMEZ IS LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ WITH DETAILS.### THIS MONEY AND PROJE CT REALLY HELPS TIE TOGETHE R TWO ADDITIONAL PROJECTS THAT PROMISE TO BRING MUCH NEEDED AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ. "IT REALLY SEEKS TO BRING TRANSIT ORIEEDNT DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN AND ALSO SEEKS TO BRING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUNG SI DOWNTOWN AND SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT." THE PACIFIC STATION IN DO WNTOWN SANTA CRUZ WILL RECEIVE A MAJOR FACELIFT NO LONGER WILL BUSES DRIVE IN AND OUT OF PACIFIC AVENUE.... "THERE WILL BE A BRAND NEW TARMAC AND ALL OF OUR BUSES IN THE FUTURE ENTER AND EXIT F OFOF FRONT STREET AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD A MUCH BETTER MORE EFFICIENT TARMAC FOR OUR CUSTOMERS. THE TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS WILL SUPPORT IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE BIKING, LIGHTING AND E TH WIDENING OF MAPLE ALLEY WHICH WILL EVENTUALL EXTEND TO THE RIVER WALK. IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED FOR TWO MAJOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS "IT'S AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE MUCH NEEDED INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SITE PREPARATION WORK TO BE ABLE TO BRING TOGETHER ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS DOWNTOWN." ALONG THE METRO SITE ARE TWO ADJACENT PROPERTIES--PACIFIC STATION NORTH WILL BECOME A SEVEN STORY BUILDING WITH 94 APARTMENTS AND OFFICE SPACE THE OTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING SITE IS CALLED PACIFIC STATION SOUTH...THAT IS A FIVE STORY MIXED USE PROJECT WITH LOW INCE OM APARTMENTS, COMMERCIAL SPACE AND A MEDICAL CLINIC ON LOWER PACIFIC AVENUE. 'IT MEANS, LITERAL LY HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE GOING TO HE AV AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE AND I MEAN, TRULLY AFFORDABLE. THIS IS THE KIND PROJECTS WHERE THE RENTS ARE REALLY SET AT W A LEVEL INTENTIONALLY TO MAKE IT WORKABLE FOR PEOPLE WITH LOWER INCOMES ." PEOPLE OBJECT TO THE FACT THAT THIS IS CHANGING THE FACE OF DOWNTOWN SANTA CRUZ, I DON'T THIK THERE'S ANY QUESTION THAT IT IS T BU WE NEED TO CHANGE THE FACE OF IT IT IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN THE FUTURE" THE SEARCH IS ON FOR A TEMPORARY SITE WHERE METRO RIDERS WILL BE ABLE TO GET ON AND OF

The state has given Santa Cruz a $20 million grant for the Pacific Station Project located in downtown Santa Cruz.It includes a major facelift for the Metro bus station and will also benefit two affordable housing projects on adjacent properties."It really seeks to bring transit-oriented development downtown and also seeks to bring more affordable housing downtown and so that's why this is so important," said Jessica de Wit, Santa Cruz affordable housing manager.The Pacific Station located in downtown Santa Cruz will receive a major facelift.No longer will buses drive in and out of Pacific Avenue when the project is completed."There will be a brand new tarmac and all of our buses in the future enter and exit off of Front Street and so we'll be able to build a much better more efficient tarmac for our customers," said, Alex Clifford, CEO for Santa Cruz Metro.The $20 million will support improved infrastructures like biking, lighting and the widening of Maple Alley which will eventually tie into the River Walk along the San Lorenzo River. And will provide the groundwork for two major affordable housing projects on Lower Pacific Avenue."It's an incredible opportunity to provide much-needed infrastructure for site preparation work to be able to bring together all of these elements downtown," de Wit said.Near the Metro site are two adjacent properties-Pacific Station North will become a seven-story building with 94 apartments and office space.The other affordable housing site is called, Pacific Station South that will become a five-story mixed-use project with low-income apartments, commercial space and a medical clinic."It means, literally hundreds of people in our community are going to have an affordable place to live and I mean, truly affordable. This is the kind of projects where the rents are really set at a low level intentionally to make it workable for people with lower incomes," said Don Lane, interim chair for Housing Santa Cruz County.People object to the fact that this is changing the face of downtown Santa Cruz, I don't think there's any question that it is but we need to change the face of it in order to accommodate what we're going to be in the future," said Steve Pleich, an affordable housing advocate.The search is on for a temporary site where riders can be loaded in and out of Metro buses when construction begins.

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. —

The state has given Santa Cruz a $20 million grant for the Pacific Station Project located in downtown Santa Cruz.

It includes a major facelift for the Metro bus station and will also benefit two affordable housing projects on adjacent properties.

"It really seeks to bring transit-oriented development downtown and also seeks to bring more affordable housing downtown and so that's why this is so important," said Jessica de Wit, Santa Cruz affordable housing manager.

The Pacific Station located in downtown Santa Cruz will receive a major facelift.

No longer will buses drive in and out of Pacific Avenue when the project is completed.

"There will be a brand new tarmac and all of our buses in the future enter and exit off of Front Street and so we'll be able to build a much better more efficient tarmac for our customers," said, Alex Clifford, CEO for Santa Cruz Metro.

The $20 million will support improved infrastructures like biking, lighting and the widening of Maple Alley which will eventually tie into the River Walk along the San Lorenzo River. And will provide the groundwork for two major affordable housing projects on Lower Pacific Avenue.

"It's an incredible opportunity to provide much-needed infrastructure for site preparation work to be able to bring together all of these elements downtown," de Wit said.

Near the Metro site are two adjacent properties-Pacific Station North will become a seven-story building with 94 apartments and office space.

The other affordable housing site is called, Pacific Station South that will become a five-story mixed-use project with low-income apartments, commercial space and a medical clinic.

"It means, literally hundreds of people in our community are going to have an affordable place to live and I mean, truly affordable. This is the kind of projects where the rents are really set at a low level intentionally to make it workable for people with lower incomes," said Don Lane, interim chair for Housing Santa Cruz County.

People object to the fact that this is changing the face of downtown Santa Cruz, I don't think there's any question that it is but we need to change the face of it in order to accommodate what we're going to be in the future," said Steve Pleich, an affordable housing advocate.

The search is on for a temporary site where riders can be loaded in and out of Metro buses when construction begins.

$20 million grant to Santa Cruz provides affordable housing, metro station upgrade funds

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