1 David Yakobson
From: Bea Nemlaha <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 10:18 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; David White
Cc: Susan Cline; Douglas Sloan; Susan Cola; Jennifer Taylor; Nia Tang; Jenny Rogers; Christopher J. Smith; David Martin; Jing Yeo
Subject: July 23, 2024 Council Meeting - Consent Calendar Item 5.E. - Civic Auditorium & RPG
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Brock, Mayor Pro Tem Negrete, Esteemed Council Members, and City Manager David White, Tonight you have a unique opportunity to enter into an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with Revitalization Partners Group, LLC to upgrade, program, and operate our landmark Civic Auditorium as a vibrant Santa Monica performing arts and cultural center.
Please seize this historic chance to restore the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium be remembered as a Council with vision and purpose.
Thank you.
Save the Civic Steering Committee,
Bea Nemlaha
Diana Gordon
Lori Nafshun
Victor Fresco
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
2 David Yakobson
From: Carol Lemlein <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 9:25 AM
To: councilmtgitems
Subject: Item 5E: Approval of Exclusive Negotiation Agreement with Revitalization Partners Group, LLC ....
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Brock, Mayor Pro Tem Negrete, Council Members and Staff, The Santa Monica Conservancy enthusiastically supports City Council approval of the proposal to enter into an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Restoration Partners Group (RPG Group) as the next step in the process to revitalize the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
We all understand that revitalization of this long vacant and cherished historic landmarks is very challenging, and we are fortunate that a consortium with the experience, commitment and resources has come forward. The Conservancy looks forward to continued cooperation and collaboration with the RPG Group and the City to investigate existing conditions and develop a successful revitalization project for the Auditorium.
The RPG team brings extensive experience in developing and managing performance venues including compatible uses with historic and iconic building types. Their collective personal and professional histories with the Civic Auditorium specifically could not be a better fit - the future of this important landmark will be enhanced by their interest in the history of the Auditorium and their dedication to the community of Santa Monica.
Sincerely,
Santa Monica Conservancy Board of Directors
Mario Fonda-Bonardi
President of the Board
Santa Monica Conservancy
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
3 David Yakobson
From: [email protected]
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 8:47 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Caroline Torosis; Christine Parra; Gleam Davis; Jesse Zwick; Lana Negrete; Oscar de la Torre; Phil Brock; David White; [email protected] Cc: [email protected]
Subject: City Council 7/23/24 agenda item 5-E -- SUPPORT!
EXTERNAL
July 23, 2024
To: Mayor Brock and City Council members
From: Zina Josephs
RE: 7/23/24 agenda item 5-E -- Civic Auditorium
I support the city entering into an exclusive negotiation agreement with Revitalization Partners, LLC to renovate and reopen the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
Before it closed, I attended many concerts at the Civic Auditorium beginning in the 1960s, from Pete Seeger to Peter, Paul, and Mary, to the Santa Monica Symphony, to watching my daughter perform in SMMUSD Stairway of the Stars concerts, plus watching televised Academy Award shows which took also place at the Civic.
With the help of Revitalization Partners, I look forward to attending future events at the Civic. It's been closed for much too long.
Thank you for your consideration.
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
4 David Yakobson
From: Jaleh MIRHASHEMI <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2024 1:09 AM
To: councilmtgitems; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; David White
Cc: Susan Cline; Douglas Sloan; Susan Cola; Jennifer Taylor; Nia Tang; Jenny Rogers; Christopher J. Smith; David Martin; Jing Yeo; Steven Johnson; John Smith; Sofia Klatzker Subject: July 23, 2024 Council Meeting - Consent Calendar Item 5.E. - Civic Auditorium & RPG Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Completed
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Brock, Vice Mayor Negrete, Mr. White, and Esteemed Councilmembers:
We have been waiting very long to renovate and reopen our Santa Monica's landmark Civic Auditorium. Reviving the Civic Auditorium as a destination for performing arts and cultural center like in the past, was a dream for the SM residents and many others.
The Revitalization Partners Group, LLC, that is currently under the negotiating with you, considering that they offer to save our public land with no need of any public funds, would be a great opportunity for our city. The reopening of the Civic Auditorium would have a great impact on our city's economy as well.
We highly recommend and urge you to move forward with RPG to revitalize and reopen the Civic Auditorium without any delay.
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jaleh Mirhashemi
Co-Chair, Civic Center Task Force
Resident, 23 years
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
5 David Yakobson
From: Ann Hoover <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, July 22, 2024 7:06 PM
To: councilmtgitems; Phil Brock; Gleam Davis; Oscar de la Torre; Lana Negrete; Christine Parra; Jesse Zwick; Caroline Torosis; David White
Cc: Susan Cline; Douglas Sloan; Susan Cola; Jennifer Taylor; Nia Tang; Jenny Rogers; Christopher J. Smith; David Martin; Jing Yeo; Steven Johnson; John Smith; Sofia Klatzker Subject: July 23, 2024 Council Meeting - Consent Calendar Item 5.E. - Civic Auditorium & RPG Follow Up Flag: Follow up
Flag Status: Completed
EXTERNAL
Dear Mayor Brock, Vice Mayor Negrete, Mr. White, and Esteemed Councilmembers:
It is with great joy and enthusiasm that I encourage you, as contemplated by Item 5.E., to enter into an exclusive negotiation agreement with Revitalization Partners Group, LLC to renovate and reopen Santa Monica's landmarked Civic Auditorium.
RPG is the dream-come-true we've all been praying for - a well-resourced partner with whom to revive the Civic and in doing so to also help rejuvenate our civic, cultural, and economic life for decades to come.
This is a legacy project for everyone on the dais tomorrow night (Tuesday, July 23, 2024) and for every Santa Monican.
Please move forward with RPG and the community to restore the Civic without delay.
Also, I urge you to read the written correspondence to you from Larry Barber at page 5 of the 87 pages of public comment you received about restoring the Civic in connection with Closed Session Item 4.D. of the May 28, 2024 Council Meeting. For your convenience, his words are copied below.
Mr. Barber was a coordinator of Friends of the Santa Monica Pier back in the 1970s and he helped save the Pier from destruction. As you know, the Pier remains our signature vibrant civic asset to this day and was touted just this past weekend in a Los Angeles Times special feature about Santa Monica.
THANK YOU for your foresight in nurturing The Civic back to life! Sincerely,
Ann Bowman
Recreation and Parks Commissioner (but writing only as a local individual) Co-Chair, Civic Center Task Force
Resident, 28 years
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
6 Written correspondence for Item 4.D., May 28, 2024 Council Meeting:
Dear Council Members,
It has come to my attention that you have an option before you to upgrade and restore the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium as a performing arts and cultural center. As someone who remembers with great affection seeing Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and other stellar artists at the Civic, I am writing to urge you to move forward with that option with all deliberate speed.
I was working as a cook in 1972 on the Santa Monica Pier when an action to demolish the Pier came about following the defeat of the man-made island concept. Residents of Santa Monica, working people from the Pier and other community activists banded together to fight against the demolition.
As Coordinator of Friends of Santa Monica Pier at that time, we engaged community members to let their interest and feelings be known about keeping the Pier through letters and attendance at meetings of the council. Ultimately, it took the defeat of three council members to accomplish the task of saving the pier.
The movement to save Santa Monica Civic Auditorium seems to bear similar markings to that situation in the early 1970s. The Santa Monica Pier is now a vibrant asset of the city and the proposal from Revitalization Partners Group presents the council with a realistic and rewarding chance for the Civic to be an equivalent dynamic asset.
It is my hope that you will take this positive step toward injecting the Civic with new energy and preserve this treasured piece of Santa Monica’s history.
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
7 Sincerely, Larry Barber
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024
Item 5-E
July 23, 2024