Scotts Valley celebrates financial milestone with new Town Center
Jeanette Bent
SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (KION-TV) — Scotts Valley Mayor Derek Timm opened the press conference Tuesday announcing the new Town Center with a story about a well-known four-star general asking where the city’s downtown location is.
“I went out driving today and I went looking for Scotts Valley,” he said the general told him. “Where is your city? I can’t find it.”
The general was referencing an issue that the City of Scotts Valley has been battling for close to 30 years: the lack of a downtown or community town center.
The city celebrating its long-awaited town center reaching a significant milestone after 19th District U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta presented the council with a check for close to $1 million in federal funding.
“Obviously we’re proud that the federal government was able to play its part for such a meaningful and impactful project like a town center by providing close to a million dollars in federal investment to help this project,” said Panetta. “A project that’s really going to bring this community together.”
The location in question is the vacant lot that sits next to the city’s popular Sky Park.
It was a former airport that closed in 1983 with no real plans for development until some recent financial progress was made with the project.
“You’re going to have a great little downtown retail core plus open spaces… a splash pad… all of these fun things that the community can enjoy,” said Scotts Valley Mayor Derek Timm.
The city also hoping that the development will house 300 new homes, 75 of which are designated to be “affordable housing.”
“You’re going to see not only market-rate housing and affordable housing, it’s all going to be together in that downtown area,” said Timm.
The project is expected to be between 20,000 to 40,000 square feet of retail and dining space, with an additional two community plazas for gatherings and events.
The city of Scotts Valley saying that they are currently shopping for a developer, but are excited to welcome the community to a groundbreaking ceremony once one is chosen.
People interested in weighing in on the future of Scotts Valley’s Town Center are encouraged to attend public meetings scheduled for the fall, stay up-to-date with council agenda items and visit ScottsValley.gov/TownCenter for updates.