"The heart of the city" is how Deputy City Manager Nick Calubaquib described City Plaza at the groundbreaking this past May, according to The Pajaronian. He noted that the plaza has hosted cultural celebrations, rallies, markets and community events for more than a century. In the same story, Georg Romero of the Pajaro Valley Historical Association put its role in Watsonville life at 166 years.
The fencing going up around the gazebo looks like a restoration, and part of it is. Most of the plan, though, is about making the plaza work better as a venue for the more than 20 events it hosts each year. The pieces that do the most for that goal are a permanent stage facing Main Street and new electrical service for performances and holiday lights. Both sit in the second phase, which starts later and whose final scope depends on the money that remains.
Phase 1 is the restoration
On March 24, 2026, the City Council awarded Phase 1 to Selden & Son for $1,180,800, plus a 10% contingency of $118,080. That work covers a seismic retrofit and cosmetic refurbishment of the bandstand, which most people call the gazebo, and the fountain. The city's staff report describes the goal as returning both "to their historic grandeur." According to the report, phasing the work this way let the city hire a contractor with experience on historic structures.
City leaders broke ground on Thursday, May 7. The Pajaronian reported that the first phase would take five to six months and would include upgrades to the electrical infrastructure. Counting from that groundbreaking, the five-to-six-month estimate runs out right about now, in October and early November 2026.
Once the gazebo and fountain are done, they will look like what was already there, made structurally sound. The bigger changes in how the plaza can be used come after that.
Phase 2 adds what the plaza's events need
The master plan describes a 30-inch-high permanent concrete stage facing out from the gazebo toward Main Street. In front of it would be an ADA-accessible spectator area paved with permeable pavers, plus a sloped ramp with guardrails up to the stage. The plan also includes new electrical service and infrastructure "to accommodate cultural performances, holiday lighting," and upgraded and expanded park lighting.
KSBW quoted Calubaquib on why the stage matters. "That's going to really help the city, along with other event organizers that hold annual events here, to be able to facilitate everything from music to dance performances and so forth, without the cost of bringing in a temporary stage," he said.
So the stage pays off every time a group puts on a folklórico performance, a concert or a holiday program, because organizers will no longer have to rent and set up a temporary one.
The rest of Phase 2 is built for the hours between events:
- A game table area south of the gazebo
- A picnic table area east of the gazebo
- Existing pathways repaved with brick accents
- A brick plaza, park benches and interpretive signage around the fountain
- A drinking fountain with a bottle-filling station
- A historic or art element on a pedestal at the corner of Main Street and East Beach Street
- The cannons moved to new spots along Main Street
The art is about the plaza's events too
Local artist Kathleen Crocetti is creating four interactive murals, one for each corner of the park. Each one represents a culture that is part of the Watsonville community, according to KSBW. She called the full piece "Pageantry and Performance."
"People come out in costume and dance traditional dances in traditional costume. It's a big celebratory place. And I wanted to reflect that in these four cultures," Crocetti told the station.
The stage itself will carry mosaic art selected by the community. KSBW reported that Crocetti was first chosen for that piece and stepped aside so other artists could take part. "There's enough of me here in the plaza. Let's open this up to other artists," she said. Back in February, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported that the city was asking the public for input on art designs for the stage.
What happens to the shade
Tree changes are what regulars are likely to notice first. Here is what the master plan specifies for the trees:
| Tree change | Count |
|---|---|
| Existing trees kept on site | 17, including 3 protected under the city's historical tree ordinance |
| Trees removed | 16, including 9 described as unhealthy |
| Trees relocated | 2 |
| New 15-gallon trees | 6 |
| New smaller ornamental trees | 14 |
| New large shade trees | 4 |
The plan removes 16 trees and plants 24. Most of the new ones are small or ornamental, so the plaza will probably have less shade for a few years while they grow.
The second half depends on the money left over
The phased schedule exists because of money. A later staff report on the plaza's design contract says the city decided to split the work into two phases "due to budget constraints," with the gazebo and fountain going first.
The main funding sources are a state Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program grant of about $3.35 million and a May 2025 council authorization to buy up to $3.5 million in bonds for the plaza. The Pajaronian also reported money from Watsonville's Measure R parks initiative. Reports of the total cost vary. The Sentinel described the remodel as approximately $6 million, and KSBW called it a $7 million project.
The March staff report says Phase 2 "will require a cost analysis for scope items that can be afforded given the remaining project budget." In plain terms, the stage, lighting, seating areas and other Phase 2 items described above come from the master plan. How much of that gets built depends on what is left after the gazebo and fountain work is paid for.
When the plaza closes, and for how long
In May, KSBW reported that the park would close temporarily when Phase 2 begins "later this fall." A later third amendment to the design contract with SSA Landscape Architects would add $231,061, bring the contract to a maximum of $945,977, and extend the term through June 30, 2028. The staff report for that item says Phase 2 construction was not expected to start until late fall 2026. It adds that the new consultant work covers construction administration, environmental compliance monitoring and construction management as Phase 2 moves into bidding and construction.
At the groundbreaking, officials described the project as taking "about a year." But the reported phase lengths, five to six months for the first and eight to nine for the second, add up to more than that. The Sentinel's February report expected the work to finish by summer 2027. If Phase 2 starts in late fall 2026 and runs eight to nine months, it would finish around the middle of 2027 or later. The city's current projects page is the place to check for a firm reopening date.
Downtown this fall
There are still events downtown while the work goes on. The Downtown Watsonville Candy Crawl is set for Saturday, Oct. 24, from 2 to 6 p.m. in Historic Downtown Watsonville, centered on Main Street and East Beach Street, according to Visit Santa Cruz County. The city's October calendar lists Día de los Muertos festivities on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Main Library.
For anything that normally takes place on the plaza, including the Friday farmers market, check with the organizer before heading downtown. The Phase 2 closure could start anytime this season.
Downtown is changing, and the plaza is a big part of what people see when they look at the homes around it. If you want to talk about what the City Plaza work could mean for a home near downtown Watsonville, or how a project like this fits into pricing a sale, Mario Tejeda is glad to talk it through in English or Spanish. Let's Connect.
