City broadens pathway for exploring options to restore the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium

October 17, 2025 12:57 PM

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2025) - The Santa Monica City Council voted this week to conclude exclusive negotiations with Revitalization Partners Group (RPG) regarding the proposed rehabilitation and operation of the historic Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

The decision reflects the city's ongoing commitment to reviving and reopening the Civic, while expanding the path forward to identify the best long-term strategy for preservation and reuse of this landmark facility.

Santa Monica had been in talks with RPG since July 2024 on a proposal to renovate, operate and program the shuttered Civic Auditorium. Those discussions resulted in the eventual engagement of a six-month Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) in April 2025.

The Council's direction marks the culmination of nearly two years of discussions with RPG. While the city and RPG have worked collaboratively to explore the feasibility of restoring the Civic, it was identified that RPG's submitted work at the end of the negotiating period lacked the financial specificity and business planning details needed to responsibly extend exclusive rights to a single developer.

Of note, the conclusion of exclusive negotiations does not end the city's pursuit of restoration of the Civic, nor does it end city discussions with RPG. Instead, the determination to end the ENA with RPG simply allows the city to conduct a comprehensive study of current real estate and economic conditions, capital market trends, and other potential partnership opportunities that could support a financially feasible and historically sensitive rehabilitation effort for the Civic. This process also still allows for continued discussions with RPG.

View the staff report from the Oct. 14 meeting here, and watch the council presentation, discussion and vote here.

Moving ahead, city staff will be working to prepare a detailed analysis of market opportunities, land use constraints, and funding strategies to guide the next phase of work, in an effort to reestablish the Civic as a vibrant community space.

Built in 1958 and designated a local landmark, the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium has been closed since 2013 due to seismic and code deficiencies. The city has pursued multiple efforts since 2010 to identify feasible restoration partnerships and remains committed to reopening the Civic as a cornerstone of Santa Monica's cultural life.

For more information, including the staff report and video from the Oct. 14 City Council meeting, visit santamonica.gov.

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Tati Simonian Public Information Officer [email protected]

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