The landmark Santa Monica Civic Auditorium opened in 1958 as a public gathering place for cultural, educational, and community events. Designed by noted architect Welton Beckett, the classic Streamline Modern building is the architectural focal point for the southern sector of Santa Monica's Civic Center. Regular operation of the Civic Auditorium was suspended in June 2013, due to the loss of redevelopment funds needed to rehabilitate the facility.
The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday approved execution of an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with development team Revitalization Partners Group, to renovate, operate and program the shuttered Civic Auditorium.
An Exclusive Negotiating Agreement, or ENA, provides a specified period during which involved parties can conduct due diligence to evaluate the feasibility of a project and negotiate terms for a final agreement, which in this case would be a Disposition and Development Agreement.
Under the ENA, the city agrees to negotiate solely with Revitalization Partners Group, or RPG, to determine the feasibility for redeveloping the Civic Auditorium site. The ENA also sets forth agreed upon timelines and performance schedules, creates financial responsibilities and outlines future discussions.
The term of the agreement is six months.
The next step includes the city coordinating with RPG to complete various site analyses to understand the feasibility of redevelopment and renovation. As part of the ENA, RPG will submit a cost recovery deposit of $250,000 to cover staff and consultant costs for analysis of the Civic project.
“As a city we are pursuing multiple strategies to bolster our economic recovery,” Director of Community Development Arminé Chaparyan said. “From streamlining permitting processes to advancing revitalization projects such as the Civic Auditorium, we’re focused on continuing to push forward initiatives that support our businesses and local economy.”
The process of selecting the development team kicked off in late 2023 when the City Council directed staff to seek Letters of Interest from entities with demonstrated financial capacity and extensive redevelopment experience.
RPG was selected for the ENA based on their experience and financial resources to renovate, operate and program entertainment venues that have historical attributes.
Here's surfing photos from Friday, April 28th, at the Venice Breakwater. This set of surf photos was shot by Six12 Media.
For more news and updates on the Palisades Fire, 
Social Buttons