When the end of the Santa Cruz Municipal wharf was smashed by surging waves during storms in December 2024, representatives from Congressman Jimmy Panetta’s office called the city’s Parks and Recreation director Tony Elliot to offer help within about an hour.
Elliot said the speed of the offer was a pleasant surprise as he worked to manage the disaster.
“That’s unheard of,” Elliot said, standing alongside Panetta during a press conference on the wharf Tuesday, as the congressman announced he has secured $3.15 million to help with the ongoing Santa Cruz Wharf Resilience and Rehabilitation Project.
Panetta called the wharf the “heart of the 19th Congressional District,” which boasts 20 businesses employing 400 people, brings in $30 million per year in sales and creates one in 10 jobs in Santa Cruz.
“We’re seeing the federal government actually step up and play its part with this $3.15 million grant, almost a third of the project,” Panetta said.
The funding comes despite a tumultuous federal administration, Panetta said, including a president increasingly hostile to Democratic states.
“I will always fight back against anybody who threatens the values and the people here in the 19th Congressional District,” he said. “But at the same time, I will always work with anybody who helps me propel the people and our values of the 19th Congressional District.”
Santa Cruz City Council Member Scott Newsome said that the funding will help with the construction of a new south landing, which allows boats to access the wharf such as recreational fishing companies, sunset cruises and research vessels from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.
The money will also go towards retrofitting the wharf for expected climate change and earthquakes, and supporting the existing businesses.
The project, he added, will be one of the greatest infusions of capital into the wharf in its 110-year history.
“The funding secured by Congressman Panetta will go a long way towards ensuring the wharf remains a cherished community asset for future generations,” Newsom said.
