It’s been more than 15 months since the County of Santa Cruz shut the doors of the Veterans Memorial Building in downtown Santa Cruz, and the date for it to re-open is anyone’s guess.
The building as been closed since stucco falling from the 90-year-old structure in January 2010 prompted a closer look at its structural integrity by a county contractor that determined the building was structurally unsound in the event of an earthquake.
However, local veterans and veterans’ advocates from the United Veterans Council say the county’s assessment is not related to seismic activity and the damage is related to aging. They say the county should re-open the building — or, at the very least, close only the damaged portion of the building for repairs.
Bob Patton, a member of the United Veterans Council who is trying to get the building re-opened, said he fears the county is looking for a way to close it for good.
“We’re worried that they’re going to find so much wrong with the building that the building won’t be able to be saved,” Patton said.
The hall had been used as the office for the downtown Santa Cruz County branch of the Veterans Services Office — the place where military veterans, including those from the San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley, could go to navigate the complex world of Veterans Administration services. It was also the place where veterans groups could meet and many community events were held.
The county hired contractor Vanir Construction Management Inc. in March to estimate costs and prepare a timeline for construction. There is no hard estimate, but the cost appears to be in the millions if a full retrofit were needed. The estimate and accompanying reports are due to supervisors this month.
In November, a jury found the county negligent in providing adequate space for veterans following the closure, after it was sued by the United Veterans Council.
The Veterans Services office is now on the third floor of Building K at 1400 Emeline Ave., and the Veterans Council argues that it’s not an appropriate space. Just this week, Patton said, the Veterans Council has filed another suit for contempt of court because the Veterans Memorial Building has not been reopened.
“The concern is that it’s an expensive fix,” county Supervisor Mark Stone said.
Stone said no funding source has been identified for the project after the county missed out on money from the Community Development Block Grant Program.
Stone called re-opening the building “an obligation” for the county and said “the longer it takes, the higher priority it’s going to be.”
Not having a “storefront” office in downtown Santa Cruz has been a mixed bag for Veterans Services Officer Allan Moltzen, who has served veterans in the county for more than five years.
“There has, since we left (the Veterans Memorial Building), been an increase in the number we see,” Moltzen said. “As long as we are doing the work, people are going to come.”
The rise in numbers is partly attributed to increased VA coverage of Agent Orange-related illnesses, such as Parkinson’s disease and certain forms of heart disease and leukemia, and partly to vets making more appointments, lending itself to a more efficient system, Moltzen said.
“Some people are unhappy about it,” Moltzen said. “We were a storefront. But most people realize, it’s not the location, it’s the people. The staff here is good.”
Moltzen said he would prefer the office to be downtown, but his office’s productivity is about the same.
He also noted that the Palo Alto VA Medical Outreach Team, led by Dr. Ian Tong, has set up shop in empty space on the Emeline campus to help vets and direct them to the proper services — in a room larger than what was used at the Veterans building.
What has certainly been lost is the meeting space for local veterans groups and community groups. Terry McKinney, another member of the United Veteran’s Council, said there are volunteer Veterans Services Officers waiting in the wings, but no building for them to staff. He also noted that potential grant money is lost without a home base.
“The VA’s not going to come give us a grant if there’s not a building,” McKinney said.
Patton, for one, is tirelessly working to pressure the county to put up the money to fix the building.
“Anything to get the building back to the veterans and back to the public,” he said.
