Swenson, Barry

Developer Barry Swenson, though not a local resident, has been one of the most consequential figures in shaping Santa Cruz, especially since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.

• Swenson's company rebuilt the demolished St. George Hotel as single-room-occupancy apartments.
  • The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023), Chapter Five, item (46), page 160-163
• The Swenson-built multi-use project at 1547 Pacific Avenue filled the last downtown hole created by the earthquake's destruction in 2020.
  • The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023), Chapter Five, item (3), page 134
• Swenson and the Seaside Company finally won a decades-long fight to get approval for a large hotel to replace the "La Bahia" apartments on Beach Street, and that project is under construction in 2023.
  • The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023), Chapter One, item (39), page 26