News, Downtown, Development, Santa Monica

Design Plans Lodged For New Santa Monica 22-Story Hotel On Ocean Avenue

Courtesy Image

A rendering of the proposed Frank Gehry project on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.

Posted Mar. 2, 2013, 9:26 am

Brenton Garen / Editor-in-Chief

Design plans for a new 22-story Ocean Avenue hotel with museum has been lodged with the City of Santa Monica.

The Frank Gehry designed “Ocean Avenue Project” is proposed to be located on the north corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.

The project proposes a 244-foot mixed-use building that includes a 125-room hotel, 22 condominiums, 19 replacement rent-controlled units, affordable housing, a public rooftop observation deck, and street-level retail and restaurants.

The project also includes a new 36,000 square-foot museum campus that consists of two land marked buildings that will be adaptively reused and preserved as well as a Gehry Partners designed cultural building with exhibition space and museum plaza.

The project is being proposed by M. David Paul Associates and Worthe Real Estate Group -- the owners of the land at 1353 Ocean Avenue as well as 2700 Colorado Avenue (MTV, Lionsgate Entertainment).

Now that the project has been filed with the city, it must go through the City’s float-up review process in front of the Planning Commission/Architectural Review Board and City Council. The proposed project will be evaluated and a determination will be made on whether the project can proceed through the formal Development Agreement, environmental review and hearing, and review process.

Frank Gehry, of Gehry Partners, said for the first time in 25 years, he was excited to finally design a project in his hometown of 40 years.

“This site is on Ocean Avenue, which has always stood out to me as the face of the City,” Gehry said. “The addition of ground level restaurants, retail and a museum in this location has the potential to reinvigorate Ocean Avenue, and could be a catalyst for more public amenities along Ocean Avenue."

Gehry Partners claim the Ocean Avenue Project is designed to be consistent with the vision and design principles of the City of Santa Monica’s Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) and the City staff’s recommendations for the Downtown Specific Plan as well as incorporate the majority of community benefits highlighted as priorities each year.