Watsonville City Council discusses city plaza revitalization and future plans for the gazebo

WATSONVILLE, Calif. (KION-TV) - The City of Watsonville is once again exploring ways to revitalize the city’s plaza and enhance it for future generations.

Two of those aspects, were at the center of a city council discussion Tuesday night. The council providing guidance on what to do with the plaza’s gazebo and canons.

“We're looking at about a $6 million project, the additional work that we need to now do on the gazebo to bring it kind of aesthetically and seismically up to date, is another about $500,000," said Watsonville Parks and Community Services Director Nick Calubaquib.

According to the city, the project will be funded largely by an over $3 million state grant, as well as sales tax from Measure R. People at the plaza tell KION they have a special connection with the space and are looking forward to the upcoming changes.

“It's really fun to come during lunch. There's a lot of spots that you can walk around, sit down, especially during the plaza, live music, food. So, it's like a pretty big hangout for a lot of teenagers," said Watsonville student Aaliah Gonzalez.

People also brought up fond memories of the two canons. While many council members were in favor of keeping the historical canons, mayor Quiroz-Carter did bring up some concerns.

“I'd be in favor of keeping Old Betsy because I do see the significance of that. It wasn't used in war. I'm not super comfortable keeping the other cannon because it was used in war and it killed people, and that doesn't sit right with my spirit," said Watsonville mayor Vanessa Quiroz-Carter.

In terms of the next steps, the city will soon start working on the permitting process. They’re hoping to put the project out to bid beginning next year, construction beginning in May 2025, with the project completed by Mid-2026.