Town Center progressing; parcels being appraised

 
Eight months into a partnership with real estate development firm Property Development Centers, city officials are cautiously optimistic that the wheels are finally spinning for good on the long-delayed Town Center project.
Property Development Centers, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeway, entered into an exclusive negotiation agreement with the city in December 2012 to explore if the oft-delayed project — envisioned as a commercial, cultural and residential hub set in the middle of the city — would be beneficial to both parties.
With the calendar turning to August, Mayor Randy Johnson said that the agreement was working well and would likely be extended.
“They are still actively pursuing the project,” Johnson said. “The biggest priority is tying down the compilation of the land.”
He said that PDC is currently working to determine the costs of acquiring the multiple parcels of land for the Town Center that comprise the roughly 15 acres adjacent to Skypark.
The parcels of land involved, Johnson said, are owned by “five or six different owners” and include the city of Santa Cruz — dating back to the days of the airport, Amerigas, and the former Redevelopment Agency.
“All these entities have their acreage,” he said. “What the cost for these parcels will go for is going to depend on the appraisal.”
Johnson praised what he described as PDC’s proactive efforts to seek out appraisals on the parcels of land, and said that he hoped that a tentative plan would be able to be presented to the public after the holidays.
“I think both the city and PDC are hopeful to get out something by the end of the year,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of opinions, and were going to try and forge into something that makes the most people happy.”
Keith Turner, director of Public and Government Affairs for Safeway’s Northern California division confirmed that PDC is working with the city of Scotts Valley as well as other property owners in order to bring the Town Center project in Scotts Valley to fruition.
To comment, email reporter Joe Shreve at

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