The City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a revised plan for the Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project, eliminating expensive elevated tennis and pickleball courts to save approximately $17 million amid significant funding shortfalls.
The 7-0 vote certifies the project's Environmental Impact Report and directs staff to proceed with on-grade courts instead of the originally planned elevated structure, bringing the long-delayed project closer to its $40 million budget for the initial two phases.
The project, nearly 30 years in development, would expand Memorial Park from 10.3 acres to 13.2 acres by incorporating the former Fisher Lumber site. The park serves as Santa Monica's primary location for baseball and softball and houses the city's only public gymnasium, skate park and tennis-pickleball courts.
Despite the cost-cutting measures, the project faces a substantial funding gap of $45 million to $58 million, even with $28 million in secured or pending funding. The city has $18 million available from Santa Monica College's Measure V bond for Phase 1, pending final agreement, and $10 million budgeted for Phase 0, an underground stormwater harvesting system.
Staff has submitted four grant applications totaling $21.75 million, including requests to the Land and Water Conservation Fund ($6 million), Measure A ($4 million) and Measure W Safe Clean Water Program ($11.75 million). However, a $15 million application to the federal Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program has been placed on indefinite hold.
The revised Phase 1 construction cost estimate ranges from $34 million to $40 million, while Phase 2 is projected at $18 million to $21 million, according to staff reports.
Council Member Jesse Zwick questioned the value of combination baseball-softball fields that couldn't always accommodate simultaneous games. Staff explained that the current configuration allows perhaps two games at once, while the new combo field design would enable four simultaneous games — two Little League and two adult games, drastically increasing playability.
The approved plan maintains six total fields while adding numerous community amenities, including a 2,800-square-foot off-leash dog run, fitness equipment, a universally accessible playground with natural cork safety surfacing, and barbecue grills. Staff noted that incorporating a seventh field, originally planned, could be considered as part of the future Airport Conversion Project.
All sports fields will feature natural grass rather than artificial turf, following staff analysis of environmental and health impacts. The decision reflects a new city policy stating no new artificial turf sports fields will be installed on city-owned property.
The design firm SWA Group presented renderings showing improved park entries, particularly a new mid-block promenade entrance from Colorado Avenue. The plan also includes an 8-foot-wide shared-use bike path and enhanced pedestrian connections.
Tree removal emerged as a concern during planning. The project requires removing 82 trees, including palms in the middle of planned fields, but will preserve 14 existing trees and plant 110 new native species. Under city policy, 423 restitution trees must be planted, with any that cannot fit on-site planted within a quarter-mile of the park.
The revised plan also increases total parking from the existing 212 spaces to 201 spaces after all phases are complete, with 142 on-site spaces and 59 off-site spaces. The plan proposes angled parking along 16th Street to maximize available spaces.
Council Member Lana Negrete raised concerns about displaced programming during construction, particularly for pickleball players. Staff acknowledged that fully accommodating all displaced programming would be challenging and some reduction in programming during construction is expected.
"I wonder if it's feasible to work with the existing indoor outdoor pickleball courts ... so that people don't lose access to free pickleball space," Negrete said, suggesting the city partner with existing facilities to provide free access during slower periods.
Mayor Caroline Torosis asked for clarification before the vote that the approved plan included "the less expensive at grade pickleball courts" that were "value engineered by the Rec and Parks Commission."
Staff anticipates returning to council in spring 2026 with updates on fiscal agreements with Santa Monica College and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, along with a final construction scope and funding strategy. Final design is expected by the end of 2026, with construction potentially beginning in spring or summer 2027, contingent on available funding.
The project also requires a summary vacation of a portion of 16th Street right-of-way to accommodate Combo Field 3/4, a process that typically takes four to six months.
The project gained momentum in 2016 when council identified it as a high-priority initiative. Voters approved Measure V that year, providing up to $20 million from Santa Monica College. In 2019, council approved the master plan, and in 2020 a design-build contract was awarded but never executed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was restarted in 2022 with a reduced scope.