This Move Is Part of a Broader Initiative to Enhance Santa Monica’s Parks and Recreation Facilities
The Santa Monica City Council unanimously voted to advance the Memorial Park Redevelopment and Expansion Project, which aims to transform the historic park into a 13.2-acre community hub featuring additional sports fields, pedestrian and bicycle improvements, and other amenities, as described in a blog post by the City.
The project will expand the current 10.3-acre park by incorporating 2.9 acres from the adjacent former Fisher Lumber site. This move is part of a broader initiative, supported by extensive community outreach, to enhance Santa Monica’s parks and recreation facilities.
In the FY2024-25 budget, the City Council approved an additional $1 million for the project, bringing the total budget to $4,575,994. This budget covers planning, design, and the temporary relocation of the Public Landscape Division headquarters currently located on the Fisher Lumber site. A permanent relocation site has yet to be determined.
In April, city staff issued a Request for Proposals for design services for the project’s first two phases. A recommendation for awarding the design contract is scheduled for the August 27 council meeting.
Phase one of the project will include two fields, a covered parking lot, elevated pickleball and tennis courts, and mobility and streetscape improvements on 14th Street and Colorado Avenue. Phase two will feature two additional fields, a temporary natural turf practice field, a playground, and a community hub building with restrooms, concessions, and storage.
The council is also considering a “phase zero” to add an underground stormwater storage and filtration system as part of the city’s stormwater management efforts.
If the proposal is approved on August 27, design work will begin in the fall, with construction slated to start in summer 2026, contingent on available funding.
