Work is moving forward on the Watsonville City Plaza revitalization project that will preserve the historic hub of downtown for years to come.
On Tuesday crews from Selden & Son were joined by city officials to get an in-depth view of what the job entails. Crumbling brick work that is over 100 years old, faltering columns, damaged ornamentations and unsafe areas of the bandstand are among other items on the city’s to-do list.
Since the job got underway May 7, workers have installed a massive wood crib to hold up the existing metal roof to allow for column replacements. They cut a slice out of the bandstand floor to gain access to the innards of the structure. Meanwhile, workers explored the basement of the bandstand to get a better picture of strengthening the building from the ground up.
“The most important thing we’re doing is starting with the structural evaluation and repairs in order to preserve the historical elements of the building,” said project manager Hilda Peralta. “I was born and raised here so this is of great importance to me and our community.”
The project is expected to take about a year to complete in two phases, and includes repairs of the fountain and add new amenities such as a permanent stage, public art, seating areas and ADA-accessible pathways.
Phase 1 will focus on restoring the bandstand and fountain and upgrading electrical infrastructure and is expected to take five to six months. Phase 2 covers expanded seating and picnic areas, public art installations and other improvements designed to support the more than 20 annual events held at the plaza.
Peralta mentioned that the project is being headed up by three women: Sissy Selden, project manager from Selden & Son, Brianna Cox, SSA Landscape Architect and prime consultant, and herself.
“You don’t see this a lot with other projects,” Peralta said
The project received $3.35 million through California’s Proposition 68 Statewide Park Program grant, along with local funding through Watsonville’s Measure R parks initiative, officials said.
