FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eileen Cross, Community Relations Specialist, 831.676.7090
SANTA CRUZ FARMERS’ MARKET ENTERS INTO AGREEMENT WITH CITY TO ESTABLISH
PERMANENT HOME
Santa Cruz (October 14, 2022) - The City of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Community Farmers Market announced today that they are jointly committed to identifying and securing a permanent home for the market in downtown Santa Cruz. The Farmers’ Market has unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the City, and the City announced that it has approved $1.775M to date to fund a permanent home and structure for a year-round Farmers’ Market.
The Farmers’ Market was originally established after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, during a time of significant change in Santa Cruz’s downtown. The market was “temporarily” located on a City-owned parking lot at the corner of Cathcart and Cedar Streets, where it has operated ever since. The City and the Farmers’ Market have long had a mutual interest in finding a permanent home for the market, with improved conditions for year-round operations. “The Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market is an integral part of the Santa Cruz community,” said Nesh Dhillon, Farmers’ Market Executive Director. “We know the community will support the market wherever we are located. It’s exciting to join the City in moving toward a permanent location that will allow us to provide both the community and our vendors with more amenities.”
The City has also expressed financial commitment to support a permanent home for the market. To date, $1.775M has been approved for facilities that will support year-round market operations. Amenities planned for a new market location include an all-weather pavilion; restrooms; hook-ups for food trucks and vendors; and picnic tables.
Just as it did after the earthquake, Santa Cruz’s downtown is undergoing significant post-pandemic change with several new housing and multi-use projects underway. Most of the City-owned lots downtown that currently serve as parking lots are slotted for multi-unit housing. These lots include “Lot 4”, current home of the Farmers’ Market, which has been approved by City Council for use for a new library and affordable housing complex. "The Downtown Farmer's Market has been an integral part of Downtown since its inception after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. This renewed partnership with the City recognizes our longstanding commitment with the Downtown today and into the future. As an original market founding member, and on behalf of the SCCFM Board of Directors, this partnership represents another critical milestone and a continuation of our work to reinvigorate the Downtown in partnership with the City through a permanent market presence with expanded operations," said Santa Cruz Community Farmers’ Market Board President Sandra Ward.
Several new locations for the downtown Farmers’ Market are under consideration. “The City-owned ‘Lot 7’, which currently serves as a parking lot two blocks from the market’s current location, has been considered as a possibility,” said City Manager Matt Huffaker, “but there are several other equally viable locations downtown. We look forward to continuing our work with the market to find the best fit for them.”
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