Tug-of-war over PS3 continues as demolition is once again postponed.
Parking Structure 3 (PS3)’s lifeline has just been extended — by at least an additional nine days.
The downtown structure has been at the center of a court battle between the City of Santa Monica and a stakeholder group, the Santa Monica Bayside Owners Association (SMBOA), since mid-2021.
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.
Local business owners are wary of the plan, citing what they say is a need for additional parking in the area. SMBOA also believes the City and California Coastal Commission have not adequately studied the demolition or the subsequent building project, alleging violation of CEQA, the California Environmental Quality Act.
On Wednesday, Feb. 9, a trio of California Appellate Court justices signed an order blocking the planned Feb. 14 demolition of the embattled parking structure, located on 4th Street between Santa Monica Boulevard and Arizona. The 337-space structure was set to be demolished on Valentine’s Day after LA County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff threw out SMBOA’s case in late January.
But don’t plan a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner atop PS3 just yet: The Appellate Court decision did not address the City’s plan to close the structure. The City confirmed the structure will be secured with fencing and closed to the public on Feb. 10.
Appellate Court Justices Dennis Perluss, John Segal and Gail Ruderman Feuer signed the order after attorneys for the Santa Monica Bayside Owners Association (SMBOA) filed an appeal on Feb. 8, alongside a request that the structure stay standing throughout the course of the appeal process.
According to the appeals court order, demolition is blocked at least until the City of Santa Monica files its preliminary opposition to the petition; it has until Feb. 25 to do so.
emily@smdp.com
