Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown welcomes a huge crowd to the ribbon-cutting reopening of the newly rebuilt Capitola Wharf Wednesday (Tarmo Hannula/The Pajaronian)

Several thousand people showed up for the reopening ceremony of the Capitola Wharf on Wednesday, celebrating its survival after it was cleaved in two by heavy storms.

The wharf, founded in 1857, now boasts new lighting, side rails, benches, permanently mounted viewing scopes,  several art installations, a wider deck, restrooms, bait and gift shops and a boat rental facility. Around 150 new pilings were added for strength. 

Jessica Kahn, Public Works Director for the City of Capitola, said the $10 million project was “a huge investment for a city this size.”

“This project was a big team effort that  involved every department in our city,” she said. 

The renovation effort repaired damage from the 2023/24 storms and tidal surge.

Senator John Laird was on hand to present a proclamation of the rebuild achievement to Mayor Kristen Brown. He told the crowd that the work will bolster the wharf to survive future storms.

Live music, food trucks, information tables and dozens of people fishing from the wharf punctuated the sunny event.

Previous articleOpen Studios Art Tour brings art home
Next articlePVUSD board candidates grilled during forum
Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

2 COMMENTS

  1. Nick

    The Real Person!

    Author Nick acts as a real person and verified as not a bot.
    Passed all tests against spam bots. Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.

    The Real Person!

    Author Nick acts as a real person and verified as not a bot.
    Passed all tests against spam bots. Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.

    How is it that Capitola has 10 million to fix the wharf. But Watsonville/the County doesn’t have money to fix the roads. For example Green valley rd from pioneer up to Hazel Dell. That road has been hammered for 15 years.

    • Please sign me up for the newsletter - Yes
    • Amargado

      The Real Person!

      Author Amargado acts as a real person and verified as not a bot.
      Passed all tests against spam bots. Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.

      The Real Person!

      Author Amargado acts as a real person and verified as not a bot.
      Passed all tests against spam bots. Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.

      Bruh that’s because they are a white community. Them democrats don’t care about us peasants.

      • Please sign me up for the newsletter - No

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here