Federal government contributes $3 million to help fund Santa Cruz Wharf repairs

By John Ramos

The Santa Cruz Wharf has been undergoing construction ever since a Christmas Eve storm two years ago sheared off a section of it. But now, the federal government is contributing millions of dollars to help shore up the remaining structure.

Built in 1914, the half-mile-long Santa Cruz Wharf was considered an engineering marvel. It was the longest wooden wharf on the West Coast and it became a huge tourist draw that exists to this day.

“This wharf brings in two million visitors per year,” said Santa Cruz Congressmember Jimmy Panetta. “One in ten jobs in Santa Cruz are generated because of this wharf.”

But on Dec. 24, 2024, a huge storm rolled in that tore off 150 feet of the end of the wharf, sending debris and construction equipment into the sea. Since then, city officials have scrambled to examine the remaining structure and develop a plan for strengthening it. But the work isn’t cheap and on Tuesday, Panetta happily announced a $3.15 million federal grant to help fund the project.

“When that collapse happened, we realized it wasn’t just about repair, it was about retrofitting this wharf,” he said. “It wasn’t about fixing it for now. It’s about firming it up for the future.”

The problem for the wharf is what’s called “shear,” the force of waves hitting it from the side. The federal money will go toward adding a new landing on the eastern side that will allow large ships, such as research vessels, to tie up to the wharf. 

Mike Godsy, the city’s superintendent of parks, said the additional structure is expected to help strengthen the rest of the wharf.

“What we’ll see is a larger ramp coming down to a nice floating dock with some strong piles that stay in place,” he said. “And then boats will be able to come in and smoothly anchor and safely be here. And it’s going to be an amazing addition. So, as we think about the east-side resiliency project, that’s needed work. But it’s also ways that we can add additional lateral strength, and position the work to be standing much longer.”

How long will it stand had been a question for Jon Bombaci for decades before retiring as wharf supervisor in 2021. He said he had been warning the city for years that the structure was compromised by wood rot and rusted fittings. At the time, he had an idea for extending the deck out on both sides, adding new pilings to stabilize the existing structure.

“It needed to be widened,” he said, “because there was no way to take what was there and repair it well enough to where it would withstand the kind of forces that would seem to be…these storms seem to be coming with increasing frequency.”

The city disagrees and says its analysis shows 95% of the structure to be in good shape. The new end of the wharf is almost finished, although not as long as it once was.  They’ve been busy working to replace the rotten pilings that they have found.  

Godsy said they will be widening the public promenade on the side of the wharf, but they will do that by reducing the existing area for vehicle parking. It won’t add any new pilings, so it won’t be adding to the strength of the overall structure. But from a structural standpoint, the new landing, paid by the federal funds, should help. Bombaci agreed, even if they’re still not taking his recommendations.

“Yeah, I am feeling good,” he said. “I’m feeling good about ANYTHING moving forward there, to tell you the truth. I’m just absolutely heartbroken that we lost the end. That, in my mind, is something that never should have happened. Didn’t need to happen.”