The City of Santa Cruz is happy to announce the re-opening of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on Saturday, January 4. This date marks the formal re-opening of the Wharf and many of its businesses to the public since its closure on Dec. 23, 2024, when the end of the Wharf collapsed into the ocean. Please note that the portion of the Wharf affected by the collapse will remain closed.
To celebrate this momentous occasion, the City will host a re-opening ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Wharf Stage Area (see attached map). The ceremony is open to the public and will feature statements from City of Santa Cruz leadership. Staff will be available after the ceremony to answer questions from the media. The ceremony will also be live-streamed on the City’s Facebook page.
The Wharf has been deemed safe to reopen based on a recently completed sonar and engineering assessment.”Wharf contractor Power Engineering Construction worked with Pioneer for an ocean sonar scan to locate their heavy equipment that fell into the ocean on December 23,” said Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker. “The three heavy equipment items have been successfully located. A skiff washed up on the beach and is secured, and the crane and a skid steer are currently in the ocean at a safe distance from the wharf and will be tagged tomorrow with a buoy to alert others of the locations.”
The U.S. Coast guard also reviewed the sonar scans and Pioneer’s findings. “This sonar scan shows the 35T RT crane, pile driving hammer, and leads,” said Marine Safety Specialist Response Francis Schiano, United States Coast Guard, Sector San Francisco Incident Management Division. “The crane was located approximately 160 feet southeast of the collapsed face of the Wharf, which is a safe distance away. The crane is stuck at this time and not moving around.”
The engineering assessment was completed by Moffatt and Nichol. “Moffat and Nichol did not observe any damage to the Wharf’s structural capacity beyond the area affected by storm damage and noted that it has the same strength it did before the storm,” said Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Director Tony Elliot. “Bents (substructures) 169, 170 and 171 do have some damage, and this is the narrower part that remains at the very end of the Wharf and is closed off.”
“The community’s response to the wharf collapse on Dec. 23 is a testament to our City’s perseverance and resilience,” said City Council Member Scott Newsome. “Seeing city staff, residents, and business owners come together to quickly recover from this incident is a beautiful example of what keeps Santa Cruz strong.”
The businesses along the wharf are ready to re-open and welcome the community back. “We understand that Wharf business owners are eager to resume operations for the public,” said City of Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley. “Please join us at the re-opening ceremony to support our local businesses during these challenging times. Together, let’s keep Santa Cruz businesses strong.”
Vehicle traffic will not be permitted to go beyond Marini’s Candies on Saturday, January 4, 2025. This means cars will turn around at the East Parking Lot. Access to Stagnaro’s will be pedestrian only.
As work continues on the wharf, the City will update the community to provide information on the project’s progress. For more information, follow the City of Santa Cruz on Facebook and Instagram.
•••
Municipal Wharf Debris
Recovery efforts, including the removal of disaster debris, are underway in response to the Dec. 23 collapse of the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. To help in this effort, the City of Santa Cruz is asking community members to report wharf-related debris sightings and information to [email protected]. Reports should be as detailed as possible and include debris location and photos, if available.
Residents are strongly urged to refrain from touching or disturbing any debris and to stay away from the areas surrounding it. Additionally, please do not play near debris or set it on fire, as these actions pose safety risks.
Please note that the debris reporting email address is ONLY for wharf-related debris. Requests to remove unrelated garbage or other household refuse will not be accepted. Regular trash removal services within the City will continue as scheduled.
If community members find any wharf-related commemorations, memorial benches, or memorabilia, please contact Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation at [email protected] or 831-420-5270.
As work continues on the wharf, the City will update the community to provide information on the project’s progress. For more information, follow the City of Santa Cruz on Facebook and Instagram.
TOP PHOTO: Sonar scan from Dec. 30, 2024, showing the location of the 35T RT crane in the ocean.