A new actor may audition for the role of Civic Auditorium Savior in the coming weeks after Council is reported to have pushed forward a proposal from a private organization to refurbish and reopen the long vacant property.
While two hearings for proposals were listed on the Council’s closed session agenda for May 28, City Attorney Doug Sloan made no mention of a vote to advance one during the meeting.
Instead, several residents organized under the group Save the Civic announced the vote in an email blast. According to the email, Council voted unanimously to enter into an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with Revitalization Partners Group (RPG) to begin the process of restoring and re-opening the Civic Auditorium.
The announcement email said the proposal will have a public hearing at the next council meeting.
"Santa Monica residents will continue to own the Civic. RPG will not ask the City for any funds. RPG is a consortium of Make Good Group, Geyser Holdings, Irving Azoff, Oak View Group, and Live Nation," said the Save the Civic email signed by Bea Nemlaha, Diana Gordon, Lori Nafshun and Victor Fresco. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Santa Monica to invigorate its cultural importance in Los Angeles and on the Westside."
The RPG proposal reportedly is to seismically upgrade, restore, program, and operate the landmark Civic Auditorium as a performing arts and cultural center.
Municipalities are allowed to conduct real estate negotiations in secret but are required to publicly announce the results of some actions. City officials declined to comment on the email’s claims or provide clarification on the reasoning behind the lack of reporting.
Opened in 1958, the Civic Auditorium quickly became a local cultural hub, hosting the Academy Awards from 1961 to 1968 and performances by legendary musicians like Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and Elton John. Despite its storied past, the building has been closed since 2013 due to seismic safety issues.
Past efforts to find a partner for the auditorium have failed, and the City currently lacks the budget or staff to reopen it independently. In 2022, the property was declared surplus under the Surplus Land Act (SLA), a necessary step before leasing or selling civic property. The SLA process prioritizes housing, education, and park use, but allows the City to pursue other projects if no suitable proposals emerge.
Two bidders, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and the Community Corporation of Santa Monica, showed interest but their bids were rejected/withdrawn clearing the way for the current proposals.
In seeking a private partner, the City said it wanted to retain ownership of the auditorium and sought partners with experience in managing landmark facilities as cultural and entertainment venues.
matt@smdp.com
