SANTA MONICA—On Wednesday, October 15, the city of Santa Monica posted on its website that the 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 city is focused on reviving and reopening the Civic Auditorium and reusing the 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.
While Santa Monica and RPG have worked collaboratively to explore the feasibility of restoring the Civic Auditorium, 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.
The determination to end the ENA with RPG simply allows Santa Monica 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 facility. This process still allows for continued discussions with RPG.
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.
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium was built in 1958 and designated a local landmark. It has been closed since 2013 due to seismic and code deficiencies. Santa Monica has pursued multiple efforts since 2010 to identify feasible restoration partnerships and remains committed to reopening the Civic Auditorium as a cornerstone of Santa Monica’s cultural life.
For more details, including the staff report and video from the October 14 meeting, visit https://www.santamonica.gov/civic-auditorium.
By Danny Jones