Apple Barn Relocation Completed

Construction on Building 4 and Barn Rehabilitation Begin this Month

Barry Swenson Builder and Kelly Brothers House Movers have completed the relocation of the Hihn Apple Barn and are lowering the historic building to its new foundation in the heart of the future Aptos Village.

Depending on the weather, the next step is for crews to pour the second stem wall section for the barn.

Interior framing of the barn, one step in rehabilitating the historic structure that will become a New Leaf Community Market, also has begun.

The next phase of work at the site will be starting on the foundation of Building 4, a three-story mixed-use building adjoining the barn and opening onto the Village Green open space. Building 4 will provide additional space for New Leaf on the first floor, with offices on the second and third floors.

Crews also will begin working on roadways within the project site. Constructing a retaining wall to support Granite Way is the first roads project. Developing Aptos Village Way, a new street wholly within the project site, will follow.

Moving the barn began in late September. For the move, the 181-foot-long L-shaped building was divided into two sections where the first addition to the barn was made about 100 years ago. Relocating and rehabilitating the barn is a key element of the Aptos Village Project.

Although the exact date the Hihn Apple Barn was constructed is not known, the barn is historically significant. Part of the building appears to have been constructed c.1891-1899, with substantial additions in 1915 and c.1920, with the last bay (88 feet long by 36 feet wide) added in c.1929-1930.

The barn will become a New Leaf Community Market with doors that open into the Village Green common area, a new civic heart for Aptos.

Additionally, the Soquel Creek Water District’s unrelated project on the property to develop a new well near Granite Way and Trout Gulch Road has been completed. This is part of the District’s Well Master Plan.

Track the project’s progress online. Visit www.theaptosvillage.com/construction-updates and select “Aptos Village Project Schedule” on the right side of the page.

The Aptos Village Project was approved in 2012 after a decade of planning and community input. The redevelopment project features broad sidewalks, vibrant shops, affordable homes and generous civic space to promote a healthy community. Located at the entrance to the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park, this is an innovative and resource-efficient project that re-establishes Aptos Village as the civic heart of Aptos. The project is registered and in process for LEED ND certification, a distinction provided by the U.S. Green Building Council to projects that “successfully protect and enhance the overall health, natural environment and quality of life in our communities.”

For more information about the project visit www.theaptosvillage.com and sign up for email newsletter updates, or follow the project on Facebook: www.facebook.com/friendsofaptosvillage.

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For over 35 years, Barry Swenson Builder has been a dynamic partner in building the Monterey Bay Area. BSB’s Santa Cruz County team is located in downtown Santa Cruz, where BSB has invested over $80 million in historic renovations and new construction since the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. Learn more at www.barryswensonbuilder.com. Learn more about Barry Swenson Builder’s work in the community in this short video: http://tinyurl.com/bsbsantacruz.