SAND CITY >> About a year ago, the city of Sand City purchased a parcel that completed a square area in the West End district of this small Monterey Peninsula jurisdiction. Now that city-owned site is being considered for redevelopment of living, business and community purposes.

The “Art Park” is a city-owned property located at the corner of Contra Costa Street and Ortiz Avenue in the art district of Sand City. Made up of four parcels, the last of which was purchased in the last year, this city-owned site is about three-quarters of an acre.

“The Art Park is in the heart of the city’s West End District — which the city has for many years worked at energizing,” said Sand City City Manager Vibeke Norgaard. “The city prides itself as an artist’s enclave and is seeking ways to provide additional affordable housing and workspace for artists. The city has envisioned a way to provide much-needed housing while still maintaining the site as a community gathering space.”

In February 2024, city staff presented a number of ideas for the short-term, midterm, and long-term use of the Art Park site to City Council during an “Art Park Visioning Workshop.” Based on the options presented, the Council provided direction to staff to explore use of the Art Park site to provide affordable housing geared toward artists, retain an undeveloped park-like area to be used for community events and to provide food and beverage and art studio space.

Since receiving direction from the City Council in February of 2024, city staff have been working with ELS Architecture and Urban Design to develop a programmatic concept for the Art Park site that retains the open space Art Park plaza, provides affordable housing, provides art studio space and provides food and beverage space, according to city documents.

“The goal is to construct an art-focused mixed-use project that includes community event space, affordable housing, art workshop space, four artist live-work units with art gallery space and food and beverage space,” explained Norgaard.

The number of affordable residential units has not yet been determined. However, at least 16 of the units will be deed-restricted affordable — eight extremely-low income and eight low-income units — as required by Sand City’s 2023-2031 Housing Element.

As a city-owned site, the Art Park has the potential to serve city-identified community needs and to play an important part in Sand City’s efforts to catalyze development and build additional housing in the West End District.

In its current iteration, the Art Park is available for rent to be used as an event space and is the location of the monthly 831 Night Market and occasional drumming lessons, according to the city. While the Art Park does become lively once a month during the 831 Night Market, it is generally underutilized. Over the years, the city has identified a number of potential uses and priorities for the Art Park site. These have included parking, housing, food and beverage, and civic/community space.

At a recent Sand City City Council meeting, the council authorized a partnership with a developer to develop the site.

“That arrangement could take the form of a public-private partnership, a joint venture or a ground lease,” said Norgaard. “City staff will now determine the best way forward to ensure the project can be constructed.”

Norgaard said the next step is for Sand City to develop a plan to complete the project, such as creating a request for proposals to potential developers.