The Watsonville Veterans Memorial Building serves as a meeting place for people who have served in the U.S. military and as a hub for medical, housing and social services.
But at 88 years old, the building is showing its age. The elevator is out of order, the kitchen needs upgrades, and the facility has a long list of deferred maintenance projects.
On Thursday, those improvements moved closer to reality when Rep. Zoe Lofgren presented a $1.2 million check, making the veterans building one of 13 community projects she submitted for the fiscal year 2026 congressional appropriations cycle.
The funding will support planned improvements to the historic memorial building aimed at increasing accessibility and mobility, ensuring it can continue serving veterans, their families and community events in South County.
“Obviously it’s an important building for seniors and veterans, but it needs some work,” Lofgren told a crowd of veterans, city officials and elected leaders during a brief ceremony. “It’s important for the veterans here. They should have a nice place. They should be able to use the second floor.”
Lofgren said members of Congress can select a limited number of projects in their districts for federal funding.
“I figured this was one of the overlooked projects, and I put it on my list for funding,” she said.
The appropriations package has been signed by the House and Senate and signed into law, she said.
“This funding has been signed into law,” Lofgren said. “If they drag their feet on the money, I want to know about it, because we’ll jump all over them and make sure that the money comes through.”
Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, a veteran, called the funding “a spectacular moment for everyone.”
“This is a proud moment for us veterans, but for the entire community as a whole as well,” he said.
Roland “Doc” Garza, who runs a weekly food pantry for veterans at the building, said local organizations serving veterans will eventually need the expanded space made possible by the upgrades.
“We’re going to eventually grow some more,” he said.
