The funding arrives as debate continues over the long-term future of the airport property.
Plans to transform Santa Monica Airport into a large public park received a significant financial boost this week after state officials awarded the city a $10 million grant to support the airport conversion project.
The funding, announced by state Sen. Ben Allen and city officials, comes from California’s Proposition 4 Climate Bond program and is intended to help advance planning and environmental review efforts tied to the future closure of the airport.
The airport is scheduled to cease aviation operations at the end of 2028, paving the way for redevelopment of the approximately 192-acre site.
According to the city, the grant will support the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project, an effort to convert the airport property into a metropolitan park featuring open space, recreational amenities, habitat restoration and other community uses.
“This $10 million award is a meaningful step toward realizing what Santa Monica has long envisioned for this land,” Mayor Caroline Torosis said in a statement.
The funding arrives as debate continues over the long-term future of the airport property.
In 2014, Santa Monica voters approved Measure LC, which restricted airport land to park and recreation uses unless voters authorize another use through a future ballot measure. According to LAist, more than 60% of voters supported the measure. LAist also reported this week that a campaign seeking to place an affordable housing initiative on the November 2026 ballot failed to gather enough signatures before the deadline and is now targeting the 2028 ballot instead. The proposal would reserve roughly 25% of the airport site for income-restricted housing while preserving the remaining 75% as parkland.
Supporters of the housing initiative argue that the city should use part of the publicly owned land to address Santa Monica’s housing shortage, while advocates for a large public park have pushed to maintain the site’s primary recreational focus.
LAist reported that proponents needed 7,038 signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot but now plan to continue collecting signatures for a potential 2028 vote.
City officials said the new state investment could also strengthen Santa Monica’s position when pursuing additional public and private funding for the project.
Allen, who authored Proposition 4, said the grant recognizes the role parks and open space can play in improving public health and quality of life.
The airport conversion has been discussed for more than a decade and is expected to become one of the largest public land redevelopment projects on the Westside once the airport closes.
