Back in November of last year, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) board members voted unanimously to move ahead with a 360 degree immersive ‘dome’ entertainment activation on the former site of Parking Structure 3.
The project has been tweaked a little bit since the Daily Press last reported on it. Once upon a time it consisted of just two, 360 degree immersive entertainment domes, very much like the Sphere in Las Vegas, that has been attracting a lot of attention recently. However, for a variety of reasons that stem from the search for the best interactive experience possible, the layout has changed a little bit and will now feature two domes, each 50ft in diameter and four smaller domes.
The activation will focus around a brand new animated universe aimed at children that centers around an indigenous little girl, named Haibu, who possesses the ability to speak to animals.
"Her story, as defined in our book series, live musical and our upcoming feature film, is universally relatable to a worldwide audience that loves animals. Haibu is quickly becoming the face and voice for global animal conservation," said Blake Freeman, founder of Haibu Media Group.
The site will feature a picnic area, merchandise stalls, bathrooms and food and beverage outlets, including a fully licensed bar and the whole thing is going to be built on wooden decking, much like the Ice at Santa Monica spectacle at the corner of 5th Street and Arizona Ave. This enables it to be raised off of the ground making drainage, should we experience a late winter downpour like we did last year, considerably less of a headache. According to Freeman, one dome will be fully operational first, with the second coming online shortly after, plus the enormous wall adjacent to the site will be utilized to show projections.
The concept of Haibu comes from Freeman’s imagination and he says that while watching other popular cartoons, he noticed how very few of them, if any, carried any kind of environmental message for children, an issue Freeman feels very strongly about.
"These companies [animation studios] are making up to $2 billion a year, but they’re not really doing anything of substance, besides entertainment, wholesome values and things like that, but I thought they could be something bigger and better," he says.
Freeman himself hails from an entertainment background and his idea quickly caught the attention of former studio head at Activision John Linden, now CEO of Mythical Games and on the Haibu board of directors. Next onboard was Freeman’s longtime collaborator Shane Duffy, an entertainment executive and former CEO of Stan Lee’s POW! Entertainment.
"The Santa Monica Haibu’s World came to fruition because of our partners at Floor 84 and Magnopus along with the other Haibu team members Scott Ogilvie, Gordon Bejilonic, Tara Price Marvin Wilson, Mark Laisure and Danielle Crane," Freeman says.
And between them and other equally-as-impressive names from the entertainment ecosystem, they certainly have some grand plans, including an interactive element that puts animated wild animals on your smartphone camera when you’re close to the beach. He also says that they’re currently in talks with a Formula 1 team for potential involvement.
"The Santa Monica site adds a whole new layer to the story, we can educate everyone, not just kids, on how to properly treat our beaches and oceans … And at the same time, we’re in the business of entertainment, so why not make television shows, movies and games that can make a difference in people’s thinking," Freeman says.
While the primary driving force behind this unique installation is to showcase the Haibu universe, it will also be marketed as a unique venue that can be hired for business presentations, birthday celebrations, Christmas parties and all manner of public and private events.
The demolition of Parking Structure 3, located on 4th Street between Santa Monica Blvd and Arizona Ave, began in March 2022 following a failed legal effort to stop the project. Since 2018, the City has been working on a plan to demolish the 50-year-old parking garage and replace it with a multi-level affordable housing project, which would include ground floor retail and subterranean parking.
However, since demolition was completed in November 2022, the site has remained empty amid continued concern over the local economy. According to DTSM, the City is expected to break ground in 2025, which is why in the original request for proposals it was made clear that the license agreement would be for a period of 18 months.
"The former Parking Structure 3 lot is underutilized space and we see Haibu as an opportunity to activate this space to benefit our stakeholders and all of Downtown," said Andrew Thomas, CEO of DTSM, adding, "The space will become affordable housing in the near future. Our agreement with the City to activate this space is for 18 months and then goes month-to-month in case the housing project is delayed."
