Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium - Santa Cruz CA "Debated for its location, its usefulness and its cost, the auditorium plan stalled and nearly died. But low interest rates and money available from the New Deal -- 80 percent funding if it was built by legitimately unemployed workers and 45 percent funding if professional builders were used -- allowed construction to begin. The Civic Auditorium was dedicated in 1939 to much fanfare (although the city had to ask for more federal funds after the builder, trying to shave costs, narrowed the stage from 29 to 20 feet -- not even big enough for the Santa Cruz...