The wharf reopened to visitors and merchants less than two weeks after a dangerous storm's crashing waves collapsed more than 100 feet of the pier into the ocean.

Saturday morning marked the reopening of the wharf in Santa Cruz after parts of it collapsed in a coastal storm days before Christmas.

Santa Cruz plans a reopening ceremony on Saturday, saying that the rest of the wharf is safe and that heavy machinery sunk by the collapse is far enough away not to be a risk.

More than a hundred community members gathered around the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf stage on a sunny and brisk Saturday morning to witness the reopening ceremony of the 110-year-old structure, which had been closed for a safety assessment following the collapse of its south end.

Mayor, while stressing the value of the wharf in the community, says rebuilding without serious discussions would be “irresponsible.”

Work to repair last year’s storm damage to the Santa Cruz wharf likely contributed to its partial collapse, raising questions about the pier’s future as climate change fuels more powerful waves.

After a structural assessment was completed of the Santa Cruz Wharf after about 150 feet of the structure’s south end fell into the ocean Dec. 23., the city of Santa Cruz announced Thursday

Two days before Christmas, the Santa Cruz area was hit by the biggest ocean swell in 30 years. The huge waves tore apart a portion of the city's municipal wharf and it has been closed to the public ever since.