University Town Center Groundbreaking

City officials, the developer, and UCSC administrators gathered on June 23 to celebrate the start of construction on a new building in downtown Santa Cruz. Dubbed "University Town Center," the building will house University Extension and approximately 100 UCSC and extension students. It will rise at the pictured site, the corner of Pacific Avenue and Cathcart Street and the former location of Ford’s Department Store. Ford’s was severely damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and was subsequently torn down. The five-story building is expected to be completed by fall 1999. It will feature University Extension offices, a computer lab, and classrooms on a portion of the second floor and apartments for extension foreign students and regularly enrolled UCSC students on the top two floors.

On hand for the ground breaking were (l-r) Santa Cruz City Councilman Michael Hernandez; Vice Mayor Scott Kennedy; developer Barry Swenson; Tom Vani, vice chancellor for Business and Administrative Services; Chancellor Greenwood; and Judith McCarrick, executive director of Summer Session and International Programs.

An artist’s rendering of the project was on display at the official ground-breaking ceremony.

Construction workers enjoyed a lunch break during the ground-breaking ceremony.