July 5, 2025 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

Miramar Expansion: Or We Could Just Say “No”…:

With every new proposal to build more and bigger near our Santa Monica beaches, there is always a strong case in favor. And most of the arguments seem to involve a simple, clear logic. More jobs, and more jobs is good. More tax revenue, and more revenue is good. At a City Council meeting on Tuesday April 24 where redevelopment of the Miramar Hotel was discussed and debated, one person speaking in support of the proposed construction stated that in order for Santa Monica to remain “a prime destination for world travelers” you had to “stay competitive.” And right after that followed the claim that to be competitive the Miramar had to be allowed to redevelop its property. It had to.

Whoa! I guess I forgot about how we were all united on making Santa Monica a prime destination for world travelers. Was that a citizen vote or a City Council vote… or just something that we all know in our hearts? Are we hosting the Olympics any time soon? What about moving Coachella? Why is a “prime destination for world travelers” letting the dumb desert take away the sweet jackpot of 200,000 music fans clogging our beach restrooms? Don’t we have to keep looking at more and bigger and more? Isn’t that the way things are supposed to go?

I’m just saying, we can always say “No.” But that’s just me, wanting what I want. What about what you want, Santa Monica? Maybe the last few months, you’ve been getting up at your home near Wilshire and Ocean and thinking, “Is there some big massive thing they could build to block out the sun coming in my windows? I’m not rich, and yet I have all this view and sunshine. That seems wrong somehow.”

Enough with me grinding my teeth. Here are some questions we might all ask ourselves regarding the proposed redevelopment of the Miramar Hotel. If we’re all good on most of these, then I guess we really do want it. You know, to stay competitive.

What is the Need?

There’s the perception that the Miramar redevelopment is needed to enhance the city’s status as a tourist destination. That’s followed by the undeniable fact that a larger Miramar will result in millions of new dollars for all involved, including the City. Reminding you that our city currently runs on a balanced budget, I guess looking forward one would want to make sure there were new revenue streams being created. Somehow, some amount of affordable housing will be created in the trade-offs. You might be able to afford that affordable housing. The new bigger Miramar will be sitting in front of you, but you’ll maybe have a new home. Much of the construction will be to build condos, which I doubt many of us will be able to afford. But remember, the world is coming here and the world has money.

Why so BIG?

The new construction will be big. One person opposed described the design as the building of a “massive wall along Second Street.” Another voice at the Tuesday Council meeting said, “The project is too bulky, too big, too tall.” Yet another speaking against the proposal stated flatly that “They’re going to screw up the view and put up a huge wall (of buildings) that looks like China or Russia built by the Soviets.” So much for the warmth factor communicated in the plans for Miramar. As Parimal M. Rohit has reported in The Mirror, the developer has offered City Hall four alternatives after planning commissioners earlier this year expressed concern about the project’s size, although the project’s square footage remained the same in each alternative. Am I just doing my aging hippie routine in thinking that making money has something to do with the dimensions of this project?

How Does It Help Me?

By which I mean, you. Will you get one of the new jobs working at the new Super-Sized Miramar? Will your life be in any way directly impacted? Have you been losing sleep over the fact that Santa Monica might, at some point, lose its competitive edge in the “world traveler prime destination” sweepstakes? You’re breaking up… what are you saying? You can’t get your car through downtown on a Saturday during tourist season? There’s no parking? The “GLOW” event was so jammed you couldn’t actually get your kids close to the artwork? I’m sorry, you’re breaking up again…

This column does not oppose growth as a general concept. I wanted Eli Broad to build his art museum here. That seemed like a good fit, an environmentally tidy means of pulling more people to Santa Monica and adding to the cultural richness of the city. But that’s a facility that would serve all of the people all of the time. You and I won’t be buying condos at the Miramar. School children won’t have new learning experiences because of condos at the Miramar. Traffic won’t be calmed by condos at the Miramar. We can alter and ask for clearances and exceed height restrictions a little here and there. Or there’s this other thing we could do. We could say “No.”

in Opinion
<>Related Posts

SM.a.r.t.Column: Happy Fourth of July 

July 2, 2025

July 2, 2025

SMart (Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow) hopes you are enjoying a great 3-day weekend as part of your...

SM.a.r.t Column: Cities That Never Shut Up – The Roaring Cost of Urban Noise

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

In today’s cities, silence isn’t golden—it’s extinct. From sunrise to insomnia, we’re trapped in a nonstop symphony of shrieking car...

SM.a.r.t Column: Santa Monica Needs to See the Light

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

How Santa Monica’s Growing Light Pollution Is Eroding Human Health, Safety, and Sanity There was a time when our coastal...

SM.a.r.t Column: California’s Transit Death Spiral: How Housing Mandates Are Backfiring

June 15, 2025

June 15, 2025

California’s ambitious housing mandates were supposed to solve the affordability crisis. Instead, they’re creating a vicious cycle that’s killing public...

SM.a.r.t. Column: A City Dying by a Thousand Cuts

June 5, 2025

June 5, 2025

Santa Monica, once celebrated for its blend of coastal charm and progressive ideals, is slowly bleeding out — not from...

SM.a.r.t Column: Oops!! What Happened? And What Are You Going to Do About It?

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Our Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow (SMa.r.t) articles have, over the past 12 years, collectively presented a critical...

SM.a.r.t Column: Why Santa Monica Might Need a Desalination Plant, and Maybe Even Nuclear Power

May 22, 2025

May 22, 2025

Santa Monica is known for its ocean views, sunny skies, and strong environmental values. But there’s a challenge on the...

SM.a.r.t Column: SMO (So Many Options) Part 3: “Pie in the Sky”

May 17, 2025

May 17, 2025

SMO: Fantasy, Fact, and the Fog of Wishful ThinkingBy someone who read the fine print Every few months, a headline...

SM.a.r.t. Column: Owner Occupancy Protects Against Corporate Over-Development

May 2, 2025

May 2, 2025

This week SMa.r.t. will have as guest columnist Mark Borenstein. Mark is a long-time Santa Monica resident, a retired attorney,...

Opinion: Declaration of Economic State of Emergency in Malibu & Pacific Palisades: A Direct Result of the Devastating Impact of the Palisades Fire

April 27, 2025

April 27, 2025

Malibu and Pacific Palisades Request Emergency Financial Measures By Ramis Sadrieh, Chairperson, Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce    On behalf...

SM.a.r.t Column: The World’s Happiest Cities

April 27, 2025

April 27, 2025

Almost every year, we see new cities, regions, and countries that make the list(s) of our planet’s happiest and healthiest...

SM.a.r.t Column: A City for Everyone

April 20, 2025

April 20, 2025

Santa Monica dazzles with its ocean views, sunshine, and laid-back charm. But beyond the postcard image lies a more complicated...

SM.a.r.t Column: Part II: Rebuilding Resilient Communities: Policy and Planning After the Fires

April 13, 2025

April 13, 2025

The January 2025 wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena left an indelible mark on Los Angeles County. Beyond the...

SM.a.r.t Column: Innovative Materials for Fire-Resistant Rebuilding After the LA Fires

April 6, 2025

April 6, 2025

In the aftermath of the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, homeowners face the daunting task of rebuilding their lives and...

Opinion: Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath Community Column Regarding a More Accountable Homeless Services System

April 3, 2025

April 3, 2025

By Lindsay Horvath, Los Angeles Board of Supervisors This week marks a significant milestone in our fight to end homelessness...