The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday will consider ways in which the bandstand in the center of Watsonville Plaza could be renovated, and what to do with the antique cannons.
Built in 1906 by architect William Weeks, the bandstand is both a part of Watsonville’s cityscape and an inextricable part of its lore.
The council members will decide on four options, each of which carry a different price tag.
Option 1—the least expensive—is a simple cosmetic upgrade for $350,000. This would afford no public access and would not allow use of the basement, but would allow the city to stay within its budget. This option would include relocating the electric box.
Option 2 is $550,000 and includes the items from option 1, as well as removing the roof and decommissioning the basement.
Option 3, costing $880,000, would be a full renovation and major structural repairs. It would mean the gazebo could be used for public use and special events, and would come with an upgraded electrical system in the basement. But it would be $500,000 over budget.
Option 4 is the most extreme change proposed, a complete removal of the gazebo to allow an expansion of the stage. This $550,000 change would bring an ADA-compliant performance venue for public use, and would include new utilities, sound system and lighting.
But it would radically transform the downtown Watsonville plaza, and it is not clear how such a change would sit with the council and the public.
Also up for discussion is either relocating or removing the historic cannons located in the plaza.
While removing them would cost little, it would remove historic features from the Plaza. Relocating them would require making new concrete pads, and would cost $30,000.
The redesign is part of broader efforts to revitalize the plaza.The discussion is scheduled for 5pm Tuesday in the City Council Chambers at 275 Main Street. For information, visit bit.ly/4cF4ZhS
Leave the Plaza alone. WTF is the city council doing. First, they talk about getting rid of one of our runways at the airport, they also talk of taking Main St down to two lanes, and now destroy our precious plaza. Time to vote out our current council and elect members who will keep our city safe from insane ideas. I have often wondered why the city doesn’t have a planning design commission that protects all our old beautiful historic homes with a team that stops contractors from destroying the character of old homes when they fix them up like other cities do. There is a house on Lincoln Street that just had all of the character of a 100-year-old Craftsman style home removed so it now looks just like an ugly box style home. The city of Watsonville is failing our community. There should be a design review that protects our historical homes and instead, city council is talking about destroying our Plaza.
Lived in Watsonville 31 years before moving to Salinas but every time , which is often I see the Plaza less and less attractive and it historical look with it Cannon should stand! You held many workshop and events there and I don’t see what different it would make. Keep your flowers, trees, bushes , fountain attractive and please keep your restroom clean every day because I been there and it so filthy ! You paid so much for it keep it clean. Put more flowers and surround it with protection so kids don’t step on them. If the plaza needs something is a stage to dance instead of putting boards on the grass. You might say I don’t live there no more but I still go to your events and farmer market. Thank you