WATSONVILLE—The County of Santa Cruz announced Wednesday it has closed escrow on the purchase of the former West Marine building at 500 Westridge Drive in Watsonville.
In a press release, the County called the purchase “a major step forward in improving the delivery of services for South County residents.”
After further investment and renovations, the 121,000-square-foot building will allow the consolidation of existing and additional South County services into one location “to better support the health, safety and well-being of South County residents,” County spokesperson Jason Hoppin said in the release.
Those upgrades and improvements are expected to begin soon, Hoppin said.
Completion of the entire project is expected to take up to three years, with existing County leases expected to be maintained through 2023. Medical and behavioral health services are expected to remain at their current location at the Freedom Boulevard campus.
South County services are currently spread across numerous buildings. The County’s Long-Range Facilities Plan calls for the consolidation and co-location of services to improve customer experience and provide a more efficient service delivery model.
The County Board of Supervisors approved the purchase in June.
