Green Roofs for Stormwater Management
Feature Project: La Bahia Hotel
Santa Cruz, CA| Florasource, Ltd.

Some stories begin with a vision. Others begin with a problem.

The La Bahia Hotel in Santa Cruz begins with both—and a century of history rising from the coastline.

Where History Meets the High-Tide Line

Perched beside the famed Santa Cruz Boardwalk, the original La Bahia emerged in 1926 as a beacon of Spanish Colonial luxury: 50 elegant apartments and the neighboring 300-room Casa Del Rey Hotel. Its white stucco walls and red-tiled roofs stood as timeless symbols of California’s coastal identity.

But time has its way.

In the 1940s, the property shifted roles entirely, becoming a U.S. Navy convalescent hospital for soldiers returning from World War II. Later it returned to civilian life, serving as apartments for decades until deterioration outpaced repair. Ultimately, nearly all of the historic structure was lost—except the beloved bell tower, spared as a reminder of the hotel’s long and storied past.

Reimagining La Bahia took more than 20 years of community conversation, planning, and persistence. And when design finally began, one challenge emerged with crystal clarity:

How do you manage stormwater on a massive beachfront site with almost no ground left to absorb it?

A Coastal Challenge, a Living Solution

The redeveloped hotel occupies a 200,000-square-foot footprint with very limited perimeter landscaping. Traditional infiltration wasn’t an option—the soils, space, and shoreline constraints simply wouldn’t allow it.

So the design team went upward.

Spread across the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th levels, five green roof areas were envisioned not only as aesthetic and amenity spaces, but as functioning stormwater infrastructure. Four of these roofs would become gardens for guests; all would become tools for environmental resilience.

Enter the LiveRoof® System + RoofBlue® Retain

This project became the first in California to integrate the LiveRoof® RoofBlue® Retain accessory, paired with the LiveRoof® Maxx module (with 8″ soil depth).

Together, they provide 5.31 inches of stormwater retention—equal to 3.35 gallons per square foot.

In other words:

Every square foot of green roof is doing the work of a sponge, trapping and holding rainfall in a place where the ground itself cannot.

What began as a constraint became an opportunity. The stormwater challenge led to a new type of coastal stewardship—one written into the hotel’s architecture through living landscapes suspended in the ocean breeze.

A Tapestry of Coastal Planting

To ground the project in its regional context, the plant palette blends classic green roof performers with California natives:

  • Thyme
  • Three Sedum species
  • Sempervivum
  • Festuca rubra (native)
  • Juncus patens ‘Elk Blue’ (native)

These seven selections create texture, color, drought tolerance, and ecological identity across the interconnected roofscapes.

Project Snapshot

About the Grower Behind the Roof

Florasource Ltd., represented by Lindsey Jones in Northern California, has been part of the LiveRoof® family for 17 years. Lindsey’s years with the system reflect the company’s long-term commitment to environmental horticulture and a passion for elevating green roof design throughout the region.

Their philosophy is simple:

Grow with intention. Support with expertise. Deliver with integrity.

Why This Story Matters

Stormwater management is often thought of in pipes, basins, and underground systems. But the La Bahia Hotel reminds us that urban resilience can be beautiful. That history and innovation can coexist. And that sometimes, the best solutions aren’t found in the soil beneath our feet—but in the living landscapes we elevate above them.

About This Series

This article is the ninth installment in our Green Roofs for Stormwater Management series, where we explore how green infrastructure transforms the way communities handle water, climate, and sustainability challenges.

I’m Jodi Griffin, Business Development Manager for LiveRoof® Global.
Questions? Reach out anytime at jodi@liveroof.com.

Learn more about Florasource Ltd. HERE.