City Of Santa Cruz: City Awarded $29.6M In Funding For Pacific Station North

Press release from the City of Santa Cruz:

01/27/2022 1:51 PM

 SANTA CRUZ, CA – The City of Santa Cruz today announced it was awarded $29 million in funding for the 100 percent affordable Pacific Station North mixed-use project from the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program. The funding will provide $20 million for housing, $9.4 million for transportation and approximately $300,000 for programmatic elements of the project.

“The Pacific Station North development provides a rare opportunity to build much-needed affordable housing while achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The innovative site and building design is a model for future development as we work to support our low-income community members while still adapting to climate change,” said City Manager Matt Huffaker.

Expected to break ground in 2023, Pacific Station North will provide 95 one, two and three-bedroom units. The project will include 25 units for families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, two units for families in the Housing Authority’s Family Unification Program and two managers’ units. The remaining 66 units will be for families at or below 50-60 percent area median income, roughly $56,000-$69,000 for a family of four. The project will also include the redevelopment of Santa Cruz METRO’s bus transit station, enhancing the pedestrian experience of Maple Alley, retail and office space and a public bicycle hub. Program funds will support transit passes for residents and workforce development programs.

“In partnership with the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District and the affordable housing non-profit First Community Housing, the City will create a transformative, environmentally sustainable, transit-oriented development on Lower Pacific Avenue. It will provide a new state-of-the-art bus transit facility and centralize affordable housing and community services at the City’s downtown transit hub,” said Economic Development Director Bonnie Lipscomb.

The project also aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions along with several other proposed sustainability strategies to ensure environmental health, equity, and fiscal responsibility, including:

·      Net-positive energy production utilizing an estimated 1+ megawatt solar and battery system to produce more than enough PV energy to offset 100 percent of the project’s annual building energy use.

·      Heat island mitigation by providing shaded areas under the solar canopy with planned understory vegetation.

·      Carbon sequestration utilizing engineered mass-timber construction to minimize the use of carbon-intensive materials like steel and concrete.

·      Energy systems resilience via adaptive controls, energy storage, efficient water management, and a planned micro-grid island strategy will maintain critical services during grid power outages.

·      Sustainable Stormwater Management through green infrastructure and green roof elements.

·      All-electric construction that conforms with the Santa Cruz Municipal Code.

·      Stable Long-term Operating Costs by producing renewable energy on-site for building occupants. 

“Pacific Station North furthers the City’s goal is of providing affordable housing in the heart of the downtown with walkable access to all of the amenities and services it offers,” said Housing and Community Development Manager Jessica de Wit.

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This press release was produced by the City of Santa Cruz. The views expressed here are the author’s own.