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T om Canfield has no qualms with the ever changing look of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. As the executive vice president of the Santa Cruz Seaside Company, he knows progress is made through reinvestment and improvements. "We need to stick with what's worked for us all these years," said Canfield, whose grandfather began working at the Boardwalk in 1928. "That's continuing to reinvest in the Boardwalk. A lot of these seaside parks were basically milked for what they were worth and run into the ground." The new entrance and plaza at the entrance of the seaside amusement park is the latest investment by leaders. Just off of Beach Street is a new entrance with flags flying and a large sign proclaiming "Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk." While it was completed this year, the idea came about more than 10 years ago when the park came up on its 100th anniversary, Canfield said. It was slated to be named the Centennial Plaza. But it was delayed and put on the backburner until the time was right. Construction began on the main entrance just before Labor Day 2016 with a budget of $12 million. Most of the heavy lifting came during the offseason, though the winter storms that rolled through delayed parts of the remodel. The area opened for Memorial Day weekend but most of the work finished up around the Fourth of July weekend. Now a year and $14 million later, the entrance is an iconic spot for visitors to stop by for a photo. Planning for the new entrance was more than calling for a new design: It was also an exercise in finding the right balance between the Boardwalk's heritage and making it look contemporary. "We worked with a design group out of Ohio. We just gave them a little bit of our history and let them go and play with it and see what they came up with," Canfield said. Nostalgia is what he and others dabble in at the Boardwalk. So every move they make not only needs to fit into the amusement park's future, but also build the company's legacy. "We want to embrace our history but at the same time keep adding new and innovative attractions for our guests," he said. With the new construction came additional space for two more rides – bringing the total up to 38. The completion of the new entrance and plaza brought a new look to one of the oldest sections of the Boardwalk, without losing the quintessential Boardwalk feel. Since it opened in 1907, the Boardwalk has always lacked a traditional amusement park style front gate. With so many entry points onto the Boardwalk, the park has never had the grand sense of arrival guests typically feel at larger, gated parks. The main entrance provides the best of both worlds as guests are now greeted by a more traditional entrance without the park losing its unique free admission feel. "We are very proud of what we've accomplished with the project and all the other park improvements," Canfield said. "The Boardwalk is a labor of love for our family and our employees and projects like this one help ensure future generations will be able to enjoy the Boardwalk for another 110 years." A NEW WELCOME TO THE BOARDWALK BY CALVIN MEN Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Executive Vice President Tom Canfield shows off the Boardwalk's new entrance. SHMUEL THALER - SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL Hair flies as riders enjoy Shockwave, the Boardwalk's newest thrill ride. SHMUEL THALER - SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL DRIVE FOR SCHOOLS SEPTEMBER 12, 2017 11

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