Letter of Interest — Santa Monica City Council, July 8, 2025 (part 1 of 2)

Letter of Interest

SANTA MONICA AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT
This Letter of Interest is submitted for informational and exploratory purposes only. It does not constitute a formal proposal, offer, or binding commitment by VertiPorts by Atlantic or its affiliates. All concepts, illustrations, and descriptions contained herein are preliminary, non-binding, and subject to further development, regulatory review, and approval. VertiPorts by Atlantic reserves the right to modify, withdraw, or refine any aspect of the information provided at its sole discretion. This Letter of Interest and the information contained herein are confidential and intended solely for the review of the City of Santa Monica and its designated stakeholders. It may not be disclosed, distributed, or reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written consent of VertiPorts by Atlantic. We welcome the opportunity to engage in further dialogue with the City of Santa Monica and its stakeholders to collaboratively explore the feasibility, design, and implementation of Advanced Air Mobility solutions.

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P.
2 | LETTER OF INTEREST
RE: City of Santa Monica– Airport Conversion Project (SMACP) Dear Mayor Negrete, Members of the City Council, and the Public Works Department,
Please allow us to introduce ourselves and to present what we believe to be a truly exciting and transformative development opportunity for the City of Santa Monica.

VertiPorts by Atlantic isa wholly-owned subsidiary of Atlantic Aviation,a premier Fixed Base Operator (FBO) witha network of over 105 locations worldwide. Over the past several years we have been strategically laying the foundation to bring Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) to Southern California. AAM representsa new era of transportation that prioritizes sustainability, leveraging electric aviation that produce zero operational emissions, significantly reduce noise pollution. By offeringa cleaner, quieter, and more efficient alternative to conventional ground and air travel, AAM directly supports the City of Santa Monica’s climate action goals and its commitment to reducing carbon emissions and improving regional mobility. We believe that establishinga vertiport aligns seamlessly with the vision and sustainability objectives of the SMACP.

In the brief presentation that follows, we aim to introduce these innovative concepts, offer insight into who we are, and illustrate our vision, and proven ability to deliver on this forward-looking project.

We are excited about the possibility of bringing cutting-edge technology and modern transportation solutions to the Santa Monica community. This initiative has the potential to address and serve the ever-evolving needs of your residents, commuters, and business travelers alike– seamlessly connecting Santa Monica to the broader Southern California region through quiet, efficient, and environmentally friendly next-generation aircraft.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to engaging with you further on this exciting opportunity.

Kevin Cox, CEO
VertiPorts by Atlantic
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What is Advanced Air Mobility (AAM)?
Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) refers to next-generation air transportation systems that integrate electric propulsion into existing aircraft, new short take off and landing aircraft (eSTOL’s), and new vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft allowing them to quietly and seamlessly integrate into urban and regional environments.

AAM is designed to reduce traffic congestion, improve accessibility, and enhance emergency response capabilities, all while leveraging sustainable aviation technologies.

To operate effectively, AAM requires physical infrastructure, such as vertiports, and digital systems to manage air traffic safely and efficiently.

A vertiport is a designated area specifically designed to accommodate eVTOL aircraft. Vertiports typically include:
• Dedicated zones for vertical takeoff and landing.
• Charging stations for electric-powered aircraft.
• Passenger facilities for boarding and disembarking.
• Integrated air traffic management systems to support safe, coordinated operations.

Vertiports can easily be part of an overall larger redevelopment and/or transportation plan strategically located within cities to support on-demand air mobility. They can be constructed on rooftops, parking structures, or dedicated ground-level sites, offering flexibility in design and location. LETTER OF INTEREST Item 7-A
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Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) represents a transformative leap in how cities move – offering a smarter, faster, and greener way to travel. By integrating electric aircraft into urban and regional environments, AAM has the potential to significantly enhance mobility while supporting sustainability and economic growth. For a forward-thinking city like Santa Monica, AAM is more than innovation — it’s an opportunity to lead.

Here’s why AAM is so important:
•Less Traffic, Faster Travel – Urban congestion is a nightmare, but AAM offers an escape route—literally. By taking to the skies, air taxis and autonomous flying vehicles bypass traffic entirely; offering quicker, more predictable travel for residents, commuters, and visitors.
•Expanding Access – AAM can improve mobility for underserved communities and make hard-to-reach areas more accessible, bringing essential services closer to more people. •Clean, Sustainable Movement – With electric aircraft, AAM dramatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution compared to traditional vehicles and aircraft. Santa Monica’s commitment to climate action and clean energy aligns perfectly with this environmentally responsible mode of travel. •Enhanced Emergency Response – AAM technology can be deployed to accelerate emergency services – from rapid disaster relief, medical evacuations, and first-response times. This capability improves public safety and resilience during critical situations.
•Driving Innovation and Economic Growth – Investing in AAM infrastructure supports local job creation, attracts investment and forward-thinking businesses, and reinforces Santa Monica's reputation as a hub for innovation and sustainable urban development.

Why is AAM so important to your City?

LETTER OF INTEREST
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P. 5 |
Why Choose VertiPorts by Atlantic?
Kevin Cox
Chief Executive Officer
35 Roly Tapanes
VP of Southeast
22 Kevin Costello
Sr. VP of Northeast
32 Craig Teasdale
VP of Operations
35 Alberto Barreiro
VP of Network and BP
18 Kirk Hotelling
Sr. VP of Real Est. & Dev.
24 Tania Amar
Head of Legal
16 • Unmatched Expertise: Our senior leadership team brings over 150+ Years of combined experience in aviation and transportation, ensuring deep industry knowledge and proven operational success.
• Backed by Strength: As a subsidiary of Atlantic Aviation, we benefit from a financially stable and well-capitalized parent company with a history of safety, resilience and consistent performance.
• Strategic Industry Relationships: We maintain strong partnerships with leading eVTOL aircraft manufacturers (OEMs) and commercial airlines, positioning us at the forefront of next-generation air mobility integration. LETTER OF INTEREST Item 7-A
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Proprietary Models
Demand Analysis and Predictive Modeling based on Actual movements Value of time &
Willingness to pay Demand per route
Additionally, hundreds of first and last mile routes are analysed for each potential site to then develop demand heat maps which are utilized to help pinpoint the optimum location for the vertiports which will maximize demand and minimize travel time.

Transport
competitive
market
Mobility data
(cell phone
operators)
Pricing
strategy
Demographics
Location
and
Routes
Utilizing Big Data, VertiPorts by Atlantic’s Ground Mobility for Air Services (GMAS) analyzes existing passenger movements over various modes of transport, segmented by various
purposes of travel and various customer profiles.

GMAS assesses time savings over hundreds of potential routes utilizing various price curves in order to predict the size of various markets based upon a passenger’s willingness to pay.

LETTER OF INTEREST
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Connecting the Region
An electrified transportation facility
capable of handling AAM at SMO
would serve as a vital hub within a
broader AAM network across
Southern California.

We envision a robust and dynamic
AAM network in Southern California
centered on on-demand
transportation, designed to move
people efficiently and sustainably.

Additional vertiports throughout the
region would connect cities and
communities through a mode of travel
that is safe, clean, fast, quiet and truly
transformative.

LETTER OF INTEREST
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Flexibility with Design
We believe there area variety of
concepts to accommodate AAM aircraft
that can be seamlessly modified,
developed, and integrated intoa
broader master redevelopment plan.

Facilities specifically electrified to
accommodate AAM aircraft could serve
as part ofa multimodal, sustainable
transit hub, co-located with light rail
infrastructure or connected to an
existing or new parking structure, as
illustrated.

The site could also accommodate other
complementary uses such as
restaurants, coffee shops, retail or office
space, enhancing community
engagement and economic vitality.

LETTER OF INTEREST
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Timeline and Financials
Rezoning and Initial Design
6 months
FAA Approval Process and Final Design
6-12 months
Construction and Commissioning
10-12 months

LETTER OF INTEREST
At the outset, the primary funding for Vertiports by Atlantic’s (VbA) eVTOL Vertiport Infrastructure Development will be sourced from internally generated cash flows. As of December 31, 2024, the company and its affiliates had over $221 million of cash and equivalents. Additionally, the company has access to a $400 million revolving credit facility, which is undrawn as of the date of this submission.

To construct a vertiport, we will need to achieve approvals at Local, State, and Federal levels.

Depending on complexity of the site and the project, we anticipate a 12 to 30-month timeline with some of the activities below overlapping throughout the process.

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The possibilities are endless.

Together, we have the opportunity to shape
the future of urban mobility.

We’re excited to collaborate with the City of
Santa Monica in leading the next era of
sustainable, connected transportation.

LETTER OF INTEREST
This Letter of Interest is submitted for informational and exploratory purposes only. It does not constitute a formal proposal, offer, or binding commitment by VertiPorts by Atlantic or its affiliates. All concepts, illustrations, and descriptions contained herein are preliminary, non-binding, and subject to further development, regulatory review, and approval. VertiPorts by Atlantic reserves the right to modify, withdraw, or refine any aspect of the information provided at its sole discretion. This Letter of Interest and the information contained herein are confidential and intended solely for the review of the City of Santa Monica and its designated stakeholders. It may not be disclosed, distributed, or reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written consent of VertiPorts by Atlantic. We welcome the opportunity to engage in further dialogue with the City of Santa Monica and its stakeholders to collaboratively explore the feasibility, design, and implementation of Advanced Air Mobility solutions. P. 10 | Item 7-A
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Dear SMAC Project Team –
With gratitude for the opportunity, I submit this short Letter of Interest regarding a new skatepark at the Great Park to accommodate both vertical skateboarding (“vert”)-style and street-style skating. While Santa Monica’s and the regions’ skateboarders love and treasure The Cove, which is an excellent Mid-City amenity for beginner and mid-level skaters, both Santa Monica and the region deserve a second and larger skatepark at the Great Park for skaters of all ages, abilities, and skill levels.

Although in some ways a sport that may have evolved almost simultaneously from the midcentury zeitgeist throughout the United States, skateboarding as recreation has seminal, defining roots in Santa Monica and nearby Venice. Many skateboarding historians believe it originally evolved from the surfing community, with surfers taking their thrill-seeking onto land initially with wheeled surfboards, which then evolved into the skateboards we see today.

Burnished by the California sunshine and marketing of the “California dream”, Santa Monica’s and Venice’s influential skate cultures have dominated the skate community imagination for decades, ever since the sport’s inception. That history and influence has been documented and further popularized in films like LORDS OF DOGTOWN and DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS.

Skating over the years has evolved through both intention and effort to become one of the most open and inclusive sporting communities of all, populated with thrill-seeking mavericks that include women, LGBTQ+ members, and people with disabilities. One of its Item 7-A
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most respected and honored street skaters is a trans man – Leo Baker, born Lacey Baker in Covina, CA. As Lacey, Leo won Gold medals in the 2016 and 2017 Skateboarding World Championships and would have represented the United States as a woman in the 2020 Olympics but withdrew to come out as a trans man.

Skateboarders often travel around to different skateparks in a region, both seeking new physical challenges and new friends and sporting connections. A skatepark at the Great Park could be both an inclusive space that accommodates disabled athletes (like the new Watts Skatepark, see below) and a locus of regional connection for the entire Southern California skating community.

Tony Hawk, a California native, skateboarding icon, and entrepreneur who pioneered vert skateboarding, established his philanthropic The Skatepark Project (originally the Tony Hawk Foundation) in 2002, which builds skateparks in underserved communities and has awarded over $13 million in grants to create parks enjoyed by an estimated 17 million people annually.

Partners, naming rights, sponsorships, and donors can be assembled to help fund the build, with user fees, a small skate shop, merch kiosk, or pop-up to help generate revenue for annual operations and maintenance. In addition, skater/spectator patronage of a nearby café or food kiosk can help drive tax revenues that will fund overall Great Park operations, as would parking revenue for skater/spectators who arrive from further afield by car. Annual revenue data and an estimate of annual maintenance costs for The Cove can be assembled as a starting point to help illuminate the financial way forward to a well-run and well-maintained skatepark at the Great Park.

A skatepark at the Great Park is directly in line with and able to more-than-satisfy the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project’s Guiding Principles of Inspiring Wonder (see photos throughout this LOI), Balancing Economics (at minimum the skatepark itself can help generate various revenue streams to help support its operations), and Celebrating Place (Santa Monica helped create, incubate & popularize the sport of skateboarding, now a worldwide phenomenon and Olympic sport enjoyed by millions).

I look forward to helping the City and our community make this skatepark become a reality.

Sincerely,
Ann Bowman
Resident, 28+ years
Recreation and Parks Commissioner
Co-Founder, Santa Monica Great Park Coalition
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SIZE: 20,000-30,000 square feet, plus surrounding seating, landscaping, space for a small skate shop or merchandise pop-up area to sell merch and cross-promote with local skate shops and related merchants. Locate near a café or kiosk. If Sasaki will reserve adequate space in the Great Park for the skatepark, supporter could then work to find a design partner and potential financial supporters.

POTENTIAL FUNDING & PARTNERS: If sufficient space is committed to a skatepark within the Great Park, the following are just a few of the public and private organizations and businesses to approach to become funding and/or promotional partners – Item 7-A
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City of Santa Monica https://www.santamonica.gov/categories/arts-culture-fun/parksand-recreation Los Angeles County Parks & Recreation https://parks.lacounty.gov/ LA Parks Foundation https://laparksfoundation.org/
California Skateparks (design and build) https://www.californiaskateparks.com/ Annenberg Foundation https://annenberg.org/
Other private philanthropy
The Skatepark Project (offers grants to help finance public skateparks in low-income communities) – although communities like Santa Monica and Venice are overall considered quite privileged, there are low-income communities within both areas that may draw the attention of The Skatepark Project for either funding or advising; in addition, the Los Angeles County is in many ways an entire region of underserved (see below) - https://skatepark.org/
THE SKATEPARK PROJECT’S DEFINITION OF “UNDERSERVED”
The primary mission of the The Skatepark Project is to help underserved communities create safe and inclusive public skateparks for youth. “Underserved” can be defined as communities marginalized by poverty, geography, or racial, gender and other forms of social inequality or discrimination. Below are some examples of information The Skatepark Project may use to determine if a community qualifies as underserved:
• Distance to existing contemporary skate space (concrete, public) • Median Household Income
• Racial and Ethnic Composition
• Poverty Rate
• Free and Reduced Lunch Rate
• Suicide, Overdose & Disconnected Youth Rates”
Rip City Skates https://ripcity-skates.com/
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Bay Street Boards https://baystreetboards.com/
Board Blazers https://boardblazers.com/pages/about-us
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PARK AND REVENUE SYNERGIES: The skatepark could help drive sales tax revenues (and fuel both skaters and observers) at a nearby café or food kiosk. A small skate shop or skating pop-up likewise would help drive sales tax revenues and help give local companies like Rip City, Bay Street Boards, etc. and national skate gear suppliers like VANS an opportunity to sell and/or promote their product; prominently placed QR codes can help direct skaters and afficionados to the local shops, The Cove, Venice Skate Park, and skate shops in Downtown Santa Monica or on The Promenade, driving sales in some of Santa Monica’s more far-flung retail/tourist locations.

LOCAL SKATE HISTORY/REGIONAL RESOURCES: Signage or simply QR codes also could inform visitors and participants alike both of Santa Monica’s contributions to skate history and culture and direct people to regional attractions like the Venice Skate Park, the Skateboarding Hall of Fame Skateboard Museum in Simi Valley, etc.

CONSIDERATIONS (Locating for Accessibility and Noise Mitigation): Skateboarding can be loud, especially street-style skating where skaters practice tricks over and over, and so some thought needs to go into location within the park. It likely should go near Centinela both for regional accessibility and to mitigate potential noise issues. Designers would want to make it easy for participants to get to (i.e., not buried deep within the middle of the park) and also put it where it won’t draw noise complaints. One other option that could be cool, but maybe less accessible, would be on the very Western end of the park, overlooking 23rd Street/Walgrove, which likely will always be a noisy area due to heavy traffic. Could be a pretty breathtaking place for people to both skate and spectate.

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AUXILLIARY LOCATION: If part of the SMO runway is retained like at Tempelhof, there could be a designated “skate area” or “skate lane” there too, although this would not take the place of a more complete skatepark with both bowls and street features elsewhere in the Great Park.

BENEFIT - less damage to public and private property: Street-style skaters unfortunately can have a tendency to damage both public and private property. Street skaters love to find rails and walls to slide down, steps to jump over, curbs to grind on, etc. My own son has yelled from time to time over the years as heads out the door things like: “We’re skating (Santa Monica) City Hall today” or “We’re skating the West L.A. Courthouse today”….. my admonition to him is always: “PLEASE DO NOT DAMAGE ANYTHING!!!!” A large, attractive and challenging skatepark at the Great Park will pull in street skaters and help keep them away from attractive (from a skater’s perspective) public and private properties. [THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK] Item 7-A
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INSPIRATIONS
THE SKATEPARK PROJECT – https://skatepark.org/
FISE LIST OF 20 BEST SKATE PARKS IN THE WORLD –
https://www.fise.fr/en/fise-world-series-2020/news/our-20-best-skateparks-world [CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]
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VENICE SKATE PARK –
STOKE PLAZA, UK –
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VANCOUVER PLAZA SKATEPARK – for street skating
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WATTS SKATEPARK – an all-access park for both adaptive skaters and the nondisabled; a park for EVERYONE SKATEBOARD HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM –
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THE SKATEROOM / PHILANTHROPY –
Maybe the skate shop or pop-up directs visitors through a QR code to THE SKATEROOM (headquartered in Belgium), which sells skateboard art and raises funds for social impact projects worldwide. https://theskateroom.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqyuHqw80egj8v8iCp72- 5UIF8xSSZjsgks7jK3fYYauMoSaoNr
[CONTINUED]
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!
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May 5, 2025
Dear SMAC Project Team –
With gratitude for the opportunity, I submit this short Letter of Interest regarding a new skatepark at the Great Park to accommodate both vertical skateboarding (“vert”)-style and street-style skating. While Santa Monica’s and the regions’ skateboarders love and treasure The Cove, which is an excellent Mid-City amenity for beginner and mid-level skaters, both Santa Monica and the region deserve a second and larger skatepark at the Great Park for skaters of all ages, abilities, and skill levels.

I look forward to helping the City and our community make this skatepark become a reality.

INSPIRATIONS
THE SKATEPARK PROJECT – https://skatepark.org/
FISE LIST OF 20 BEST SKATE PARKS IN THE WORLD –
https://www.fise.fr/en/fise-world-series-2020/news/our-20-best-skateparks-world [CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE]
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VENICE SKATE PARK –
VANCOUVER PLAZA SKATEPARK – for street skating
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WATTS SKATEPARK – an all-access park for both adaptive skaters and the nondisabled; a park for EVERYONE THE SKATEROOM / PHILANTHROPY –
Maybe the skate shop or pop-up directs visitors through a QR code to THE SKATEROOM (headquartered in Belgium), which sells skateboard art and raises funds for social impact projects worldwide. https://theskateroom.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqyuHqw80egj8v8iCp72- 5UIF8xSSZjsgks7jK3fYYauMoSaoNr
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME!
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1639 11th Street
Ste 236
Santa Monica, CA 90404
City of Santa Monica - Airport Conversation Project - Letter Of Interest (LOI) Proposal for a Cultural Green Space at the Santa Monica Airport Site Submitted by Atomic Venus Media
Introduction
On behalf of Atomic Venus Media, I am expressing our enthusiastic interest in developing a visionary cultural green space at the future Santa Monica Airport redevelopment site. This is a rare and powerful opportunity to reimagine an iconic location into a transformative center for the arts, entertainment, community engagement, and sustainability.

Our concept blends innovation with heritage, community with creativity, and commerce with culture, positioning Santa Monica as a national model for how urban green spaces can serve as cultural catalysts and community anchors.

About Atomic Venus Media
Atomic Venus Media is a woman-led, mission-driven creative collective with decades of combined experience in live entertainment, television and film production, immersive experiences, and public programming. Our team has individually and collectively produced events and experiences for some of the world’s most recognized entertainment and culture brands.

Our members have worked with:
● Major concert promoters: AEG, Live Nation, Nederlander ● Film & television studios: Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, and Universal ● Cultural institutions: LACMA, the Getty, and MOCA
● Municipal and civic partners: local arts councils, redevelopment agencies, and city planning boards
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From large-scale arena shows and touring spectacles to intimate outdoor installations and neighborhood activations, we bring high-level strategy and hands-on production expertise to every project. We specialize in turning public spaces into vibrant, inclusive, revenue-generating cultural destinations.

The Vision
We propose a multi-use, environmentally sensitive arts and community hub anchored by an open-air amphitheater and surrounded by an ever-evolving flexible-use green space.

Amphitheater: The Heart of the Space
● A permanent stage (minimum 30’ wide x 20’ deep) with professional lighting and sound infrastructure
● Inspired by the Greek Theatre in Griffith Park—a beloved civic venue that serves as both a landmark and a thriving performance space
● Landscaped, terraced seating areas—broad, planted grass tiers for relaxed viewing and embedded visual art
● Designed for intimacy and accessibility, with multiple pathways allowing performers to move among the audience
Community Green Space: Constantly Evolving
● A flexible lawn and plaza zone for pop-up exhibitions, maker markets, live readings, yoga classes, outdoor film screenings, and tech installations ● Infrastructure for interactive art and immersive digital storytelling ● Designed to be family-friendly, ADA-compliant, and safe for all ages ● Seasonal programming to keep the space activated year-round This outdoor venue will support local artists and performers and serve as a platform for national and international talent, cultural festivals, and educational partnerships.

Drawing on Successful Precedents
Across the country, cities have reimagined underutilized public land into thriving cultural spaces:
● Nashville’s Centennial Park Bandshell: revitalized to host music, storytelling, and civic gatherings
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● Bryant Park in NYC: transformed into a cultural and economic engine through free programming, pop-up retail, and events
● Zilker Park in Austin: a flexible-use space that now hosts iconic festivals and daily community activities
Santa Monica can learn from these models and create something more integrated, drawing on our deep entertainment history, community pride, and location.

Civic and Community Benefits
This cultural green space will serve as:

1. A Cultural Anchor — Hosting performances, festivals, screenings, and exhibitions that uplift the voices of Santa Monica's diverse creative community.

2. A Community Hub — Encouraging civic engagement, spontaneous gathering, and intergenerational connection.

3. An Economic Engine — Generating revenue through:
○ Curated shops and retail stalls
○ Parking garages with themed design (inspired by areas like Montana Ave, Main Street, etc.)
○ Food & beverage vendors, restaurants, and cafes
○ Ticketed live events
○ Studio partnerships and branded activations

4. A Tourism Magnet — Creating a new cultural destination for visitors to experience the unique vibe and values of Santa Monica.

5. A Green Sanctuary — Marrying environmental sustainability with artistic expression through native landscaping, solar integration, and green building practices.

Our Capabilities and Commitment
Atomic Venus Media is uniquely positioned to bring this vision to life:
● We have produced large-scale events with major promoters and understand every layer of permitting, production, staffing, and safety.
● We work with development partners and funders ready to support groundbreaking civic projects.

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● We are experts in fundraising and public/private partnerships, and can help raise capital through sponsorships, grants, cultural funds, and philanthropic channels. ● We know how to activate space while honoring the community's identity—and how to do it beautifully, respectfully, and inclusively.

We understand that projects of this scale must be approached with flexibility. There are many ways to design and phase permanent and temporary structures based on budgetary and environmental constraints. We are well-versed in adaptive reuse, temporary build-outs, and progressive design solutions and are ready to apply those skills here.

A Request for Respectful Collaboration
As we present this vision, we do so in a spirit of collaboration and respect. We ask that the City of Santa Monica engage Atomic Venus Media as a consultant, producer, or creative partner rather than borrowing or repurposing the concept without credit as you move forward.

We welcome the opportunity to bid on the project formally, submit a detailed proposal, and help co-create a development process that centers community input, artistic integrity, and long-term public value.

Let’s make something iconic together—something that belongs to Santa Monica, but resonates far beyond.

Contact
ElizBeth Jones
Founder, Atomic Venus Media
*A Santa Monica-owned business
[email protected]
917-817-9523
1639 11th Street, Ste. 236, Santa Monica, CA 90404
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate.

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SANTA MONICA AIRPORT// CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 3

2. PROJECT TEAM
Aventuur
Aventuur is a global leader in surf park development, integrating real estate, recreation, and environmental performance into community-first destinations. Our team includes pioneers of the surf park industry with over 40 years of combined experience across infrastructure finance, surf tourism, public-private partnerships, and real estate development and master planning.

Our leadership includes:
 Andrew Ross (Chairman, Chief Development Officer) – Founder of URBNSURF and the first person to deliver a Wavegarden ‘Cove’ in the Southern Hemisphere (Melbourne & Sydney). Andrew is considered one of the most experienced surf park executives in the world.
 Nicholas Edelman (CEO) – Former Deutsche Bank investment banker, with experience leading surf hotel investments and real estate transactions globally. Nicholas also holds key relationships on the community, surf and project capital side specific to the surf, health and leisure ecosystem we are looking to create in Santa Monica.  Richard Duff (CIO) – Former Principal at Fox River Partners whose portfolio consisted of residential land, environmental mitigation banks, water rights, energy and hotels. He began his career at Goldman Sachs JBWere in New Zealand where he sat on the Markets and Institutional Equities desk.  Tom Rubel (Head of Development - North America) - Former Head of Development and Construction at Irongate, Tom led projects such as the Amanvari Hotel & Residences, Four Seasons Los Cabos at Costa Palmas, previously built the Ritz Carlton Waikiki, and worked on the One World Trade Center in New York. As a former USMC Scout Sniper and Sniper Instructor, Tom’s leadership is invaluable in expanding our North American developments.  Adrian “Ace” Buchan (Director of Surf & Sustainability) - Spent 16 years competing on the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour. In addition to surfing Ace is a social and environmental advocate who has founded programs like Surfers for Climate and was recently named BBC’s Green Sport Awards Evergreen Athlete in 2024.

Together, we have sourced and delivered some of the surf park industry's most high-profile projects, including winning a competitive government RFP in Perth, securing fast-tracked national permitting consent in Auckland, and raising capital for Wavegarden projects in multiple jurisdictions.

We are excited to partner with the city of Santa Monica and local operators across F&B, surf retail, education, and community programs that prioritizes the shared vision of the repositioning of the airport while delivering a financially responsible project.

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SANTA MONICA AIRPORT// CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 4
Wavegarden
Wavegarden is the global leader in surf lagoon technology, with the most proven, energy-efficient, and versatile solution in the market today. Its flagship system, the Wavegarden Cove, produces up to 1,000 waves per hour across multiple zones, simultaneously serving beginners, intermediates, and elite surfers in a safe and inclusive environment. With more than 10 million waves surfed at commercial parks on five continents, the Cove has demonstrated unmatched reliability, operational efficiency, and guest satisfaction.

Unlike unproven technologies, Wavegarden’s lagoons are already in daily use, balancing high-capacity throughput with low energy consumption and minimal environmental impact. As Wavegarden’s largest global partner and the exclusive license holder for Santa Monica and Southern California, Aventuur is uniquely positioned to deliver this proven solution and make Santa Monica the new epicenter of accessible, world-class surfing.

Precedent Projects and Global Context
Perth Surf Park (Australia): Selected by the Western
Australian Government via competitive RFP to develop
strategic 15 acre site in central Perth. Set to be the largest surf park in the Southern Hemisphere with a development cost of A$120m. Delivering 250,000+ annual surf sessions and over 1 million total visitations per year. Project is the largest private investment in tourism infrastructure in the State and is a catalyst for regional revitalization.

Auckland Surf Park (New Zealand): Nationally significant project endorsed as post-COVID recovery infrastructure.

Innovative sustainability model featuring on-site solar, waste energy capture, and deep surf therapy programming. Please see Auckland Surf Park Community | EPA for a deeper dive into the project.

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3. SANTA MONICA SURF PARK
Project Vision
We propose a 10-15-acre community-focused destination built around a 56 Module Wavegarden Cove, offering an inclusive, safe, and immersive experience for all skill levels. Our vision is to deliver a transformative recreation and wellness asset that celebrates Santa Monica's surf legacy while advancing its goals for sustainability, equity, and culture.

The site’s natural topography, aviation-era infrastructure, and adjacency to Clover Park present ideal conditions for a surfcentric precinct. We envision:
 Adaptive reuse of airplane hangars to house mechanical infrastructure, a surf academy, board storage and event spaces is an opportunity we will evaluate.
 A surf lagoon offering wave zones for beginners through to experts, extending older surfers’ time in the water and letting younger surfers begin their journey earlier.
 Supporting facilities such as fitness areas, event lawns, trails, playgrounds, pump tracks, and public art/museum space honoring local surf and aviation history.

This proposal integrates directly into the City’s evolving master plan, maximizing views, protecting open space, activating underutilized hardscape, and delivering meaningful community benefits.

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Program Elements
The Santa Monica Surf Park will offer a dynamic mix of surf, recreation, wellness, culture, and community programming— anchored by the Wavegarden “Cove” lagoon and supported by a comprehensive range of amenities including a surf academy, public trails, wellness facilities, retail and dining, and flexible gathering spaces—all designed to serve residents of all ages and abilities.
 Wavegarden Surf Lagoon: Wavegarden technology has the largest user capacity, maximum variety and quantity of waves, and the lowest energy and water consumption on the market.  Surf Academy: Structured youth and adult surf education programming, including lessons, performance coaching, adaptive surfing, and school partnerships. Delivered in collaboration with Micro Surf Academy and world-class instructors.
 Public Recreation: Trail networks, skate/pump track, playground, wellness spaces, and a public pool or aquatic center tailored to community desires.
 Cultural Activation: Murals, exhibits, and a surf museum honoring Santa Monica’s deep surf legacy.  F&B + Retail: Local operators providing sustainable food, surf gear, and experiential retail anchoring the community in authentic surf culture.
 Community Spaces: Lawns for concerts, farmer’s markets, and educational programming.  Health & Wellness Amenities: Offering sauna, hot tubs, ice baths, as well as yoga and Pilates, a surfer’s gym, allied health treatment rooms, and other health and wellness activations.

All components are co-located within the surf park ecosystem encouraging an inclusive precinct where the community can gather.

Community Benefits and Inclusion Strategy
The Santa Monica Surf Park will serve as a platform for mental, physical, and community wellbeing. Key benefits include:
 Health & Wellness: Programs inspired by our Auckland and Perth projects to promote surfing as preventive healthcare, including physical fitness, mindfulness, and blue health exposure.  Equity & Inclusion: Dedicated programming for underserved youth, women, and differently-abled individuals.  Economic Empowerment: Anticipated to create over 400 jobs during construction and more than 100 permanent jobs once operational; prioritization of local hiring, workforce development partnerships, and small business retail leases.
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SANTA MONICA AIRPORT// CONFIDENTIAL PAGE 10
Our team has successfully executed similar timelines in international contexts and has retained key consultants with Wavegarden-specific delivery experience.

Feasibility and Differentiators
Community-Aligned Vision: Our approach reflects Santa Monica’s core values: health, nature, mobility, equity, and culture.

We meet and exceed expectations for adaptive reuse, inclusive programming, and environmental performance.

Capital Certainty: Aventuur has raised for projects in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. and brings institutional discipline to every financial structure. We have built models for mixed-use real estate, surf operations, and long-term asset stewardship.

Wavegarden Partnership: The longest-standing, most aligned surf tech partnership globally. Aventuur’s exclusive territorial rights for Santa Monica make us the only development group positioned to deliver a Wavegarden here.

Global Leadership: This project will be the most significant active recreation development in Greater Los Angeles since SoFi Stadium. It will cement Santa Monica as the heart of California surf culture’s next era.

Closing Statement and Commitment
The transformation of the Santa Monica Airport presents a generational opportunity. Aventuur is committed to honoring the past and elevating the future through a proven, inclusive, and world-class surf and leisure destination. With deep roots in Southern California and global delivery experience, we are ready to bring this vision to life.

Surfing was born here. With your partnership, we can ensure it lives on here, for everyone.

Let’s create waves for Santa Monica.

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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 1

POSITIVE PERFORMANCE
City of Santa Monica | Airport Conversion Project
Appendices A, B, and C for Letter of Interest
| May 2, 2025
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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 2 Contents (Quick Links to Sections)
Appendix A) About Biomimicry 3.8
Appendix B) Biomimicry 3.8’s Positive Performance Methodology Appendix C) Our Work in the Built Environment
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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 3 Appendix A
About Biomimicry 3.8
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| Biomimicry.net | Biomimicry.net
We Look To...

Nature as model, measure,
and mentor
Biomimicry is a new way of
viewing and valuing Nature,
based not on what we can
extract from the natural world,
but on what we can learn from it.

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| Biomimicry.net | Biomimicry.net
Where does 3.8 come from?
It’s a reference to Life’s…
• billion years on Earth
• billion years of
evolutionary testing
• billion years of free R&D!
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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 6 It all began with a book and a meeting of minds. In 1998, Janine Benyus and Dr. Dayna Baumeister founded Biomimicry 3.8—the world’s first consulting firm dedicated to bringing nature’s strategies into design and innovation. What started as a spark grew into a global movement and a recognized field of practice and learning.

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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 7 25+ 250+
years of experience in
nature-inspired
innovation
300+
clients served across 25
sectors that have used
biomimicry to gain
competitive advantage
Arizona State University
Master of Science in
Biomimicry program
graduates
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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 8 BIOMIMICRY 3.8

PARTNER AND PROVIDER

ECOSYSTEM
Since our early beginnings, we have
built an ecosystem of leading
organizations and experts who share
our purpose and bring deep subject
matter expertise. By collaborating
effectively behind the scenes, we
provide a seamless client experience
that drives exceptional outcomes.

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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 9

INTRODUCTIO
N
Appendix B
Biomimicry 3.8’s
Positive Performance
Methodology
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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 10 When the forest and the city are
functionally indistinguishable, then
we know we’ve reached sustainability.
— Janine Benyus, Author of Biomimicry: Innovation
Inspired by Nature, Co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8
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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 11 The Positive Performance methodology consists of
four phases: Identify, Quantify, Create, and
Implement. It is an iterative process that integrates
client feedback throughout. At the end of each phase,
we present the deliverable to the client team and
incorporate their input before moving on to the next
phase.

In addition to this phase-by-phase integration, we
recommend scheduling periodic meetings with our
client to keep the team informed, maintain
momentum, and stay aligned with project timelines.

These check-ins are typically held bi-monthly or
monthly, depending on the needs and pace of the
project.

Recognizing the pivotal role of the built
environment in fostering a regenerative
world, Biomimicry 3.8 developed the
Positive Performance methodology to
apply nature’s lessons to land-based
design.

Since 2019, Biomimicry 3.8, together
with its integrated service providers and
clients, has delivered 50+ projects using
this approach.

Methodology
Summary
In-depth understanding of
the local context and
stakeholder needs,
ecosystem services critical
to thriving.

Ecosystem service
performance gap between
the project
site and Nature’s local
benchmark.

Design guidelines and
strategies that emulate local
organisms and ecosystems
to close the performance
gap.

Construction, operations;
public outreach and
performance tracking
to demonstrate and
maximize positive impact.

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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 12 Appendix C
Examples of
Our Work in the
Built Environment
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Positive Performance | Santa Monica Airport Conversion 16 Zeynep Arhon
[email protected]
+1 (406) 543-4108, ext. 209
Nicole Miller
[email protected]
+1 (406) 543-4108, ext. 234
Anne LaForti
[email protected]
+1 (773) 876-8542 (cell)
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NATURE IS

POSITIVE
How leveraging Nature’s ecosystem performance benchmarks enables action towards a nature positive future today
September 2024 | ©Biomimicry 3.8
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The ability of organizations to take meaningful action without delay will determine whether nations will collectively meet the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework 2030 targets and secure the global vision of a world living in harmony with Nature by 2050.

In response, businesses and governments around the globe are seeking a pathway towards contributing nature positive impact.

As organizations embark on their nature positive journey, they are asking key questions such as, what does success look like, and how might we measure it? How do we choose which nature positive actions will yield the intended outcomes? What frameworks or tools can be widely applied but locally appropriate? In this paper, we introduce a simple and proven
approach to measuring the integrity and effectiveness of all nature positive efforts:

Evaluate the ecosystem performance of solutions
against Nature’s proven benchmarks.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
KEY HIGHLIGHTS:
• The measured performance of local healthy ecosystems provides a systemsbased fingerprint of what a thriving nature positive environment looks like in that place. Our nature positive solutions can and should strive to meet these place-based benchmarks.
• The methodologies, tools, processes, and expertise exist today to leverage Nature’s performance benchmarks in an organization’s nature positive journey, supporting goal setting, decision making, design, and implementation processes. • This approach has been tested and shown to unlock advancement of nature positive initiatives at pioneering corporations involved in Project Positive, such as Microsoft, Jacobs, and Ford.
• The collective learnings from projects around the globe demonstrate that leveraging Nature’s performance benchmarks provides:
• A common language across frameworks, methodologies, and tools that opens the solution space
• A quantifiable and defensible science- and systems-based approach that is locally attuned while globally connected
• An actionable targeted direction that moves all stakeholders towards proven performance for self-sustaining nature positive outcomes anywhere on the planet.

NATURE IS POSITIVE | I
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NATURE IS POSITIVE | II

ABOUT THIS PAPER ABOUT PROJECT POSITIVE
This paper has been developed as a collaboration between Biomimicry 3.8 and EcoMetrix Solutions Group under the umbrella of Biomimicry 3.8’s Project Positive CoLab. Considering the urgency of biodiversity loss and in support of the rapidly evolving conversation around nature positive and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework 2030 targets, this paper aims to:
• Contribute a unifying proven approach to setting nature positive performance benchmarks
• Demonstrate that this approach facilitates and accelerates meaningful nature positive action using tools and methodologies in the market today
• Exhibit that collaboration and shared learning are essential for addressing the urgency of our planet.

We recognize there are many paths and frameworks forward. Our goal is to bring Nature’s genius—as a model, mentor, and measure—into nature positive actions. As our shared learning and applications continue to evolve, we invite you to provide feedback and input, share, and collaborate to advance the transition toward a nature positive future.

In 2019, Biomimicry 3.8 launched Project Positive, a collaborative of change agents dedicated to raising the bar on what acting sustainably means through biomimicry and Positive Performance. In a precompetitive environment, members learn from and inspire each other to activate, accelerate, and scale nature positive solutions. Today, members of Project Positive are demonstrating that organizations canprogress their economic agendas, support climate, circularity and biodiversity goals, and engage their employees & local communities while driving innovation and positive impact for people and planet.

Founding change agents represent the following organizations:

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Assessing Jacobs’
performance against Nature’s
local ecosystem performance
benchmarks across our global real estate
portfolio has been critical to helping us
understand where we are now and where we want
to be. The analysis provided the basis for our strategic evaluation and prioritization of investment in actions
that will deliver the greatest nature positive impact
while also driving business growth.

Erin Laude,
Director of Global Corporate
Sustainability, Jacobs
The beauty of
adopting a “perform like
Nature” approach is that it is an
outcome-based charge, not a rigid and
prescriptive one. It’s relevant in all contexts
and at all scales, in both the built and natural
environments.

Christian Belady,
retired Microsoft Vice President of Cloud
Infrastructure, currently serving as
Strategic Foresight Advisor and
Board member for multiple
organizations
Moving from a take-makewaste linear economy to one that is circular by design is crucial for business,
Nature, and society to thrive. Biomimicry
helps organisations as part of their circular
economy transformation, offering accessible tools and
methodologies that are inspired by Nature’s strategies.

By benchmarking the performance of healthy ecosystems
as one measure of their success, organisations can
ensure they are making quantifiable progress towards
achieving their nature positive goals.

Ellen MacArthur,
Chair of Trustees and Founder of the Ellen
MacArthur Foundation
This place-based
fingerprint helps Microsoft to
align with stakeholders on mutual
goals, set performance benchmarks,
and quantify how Nature can lead us to
ecological regeneration in a way that is
specific to this place.

Kaitlin Chuzi,
Director of Biomimicry & Integrated
Technologies at Microsoft

IN SUPPORT OF THIS PAPER
NATURE IS POSITIVE | III
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NATURE IS POSITIVE | IV

CONTENTS
1 Introduction
2 Nature’s Benchmarks
3 Unlocking Advancement Toward a Nature
Positive Future
4 How to Leverage Nature’s Benchmarks
5 Nature’s Place-based Benchmarks in Practice
6 The Tools to Get Started Exist Today
7 Conclusion
Ready to Get Started?
Glossary
Additional Resources
01 03
05 08
11 17
20 21
22 23
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NATURE IS POSITIVE | 01
The science is unequivocal: from wilderness to
working landscapes to our built environment, we
must immediately protect, restore, and steward
Nature’s ability to provide the ecosystem services we
depend upon. Our ability to take meaningful action
without delay will determine whether we will meet
the GBF 2030 targets and secure the global vision
of a world living in harmony with Nature by 2050.

In response, businesses and governments around
the globe are seeking strategies and solutions
that contribute to the halting and reversal of
biodiversity (and nature) loss, frequently referred
to as nature positive. However, due to a variety of
factors including an emerging dynamic regulatory
environment, many are struggling to secure buyin and implement tangible action today. They are asking key questions such as, what does success
look like for my organization and community, and
how might we measure it? How do we choose
which nature positive actions will yield the intended
outcomes? What frameworks or tools can be widely
applied but locally appropriate?
In this paper, we present a simple and proven
approach to measuring the integrity and
effectiveness of all nature positive efforts:

Evaluate the ecosystem performance of solutions
against Nature’s proven benchmarks.

ABOUT THE GBF
With mounting scientific and economic
research underscoring the urgency of halting
and reversing biodiversity loss, and with
concerted pressure from businesses, 196
countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal
Global Biodiversity Framework in December
2022. This historic framework sets out an
ambitious pathway toward the 2050 global
vision of a world living in harmony with Nature.

The adoption of the GBF has catalyzed
coordinated efforts, led by organizations such
as the Task Force on Nature-related Financial
Disclosures (TNFD), Business for Nature, and
The World Economic Forum, to develop muchneeded guidance for organizations looking to evaluate impacts and dependencies, and
develop a nature positive strategy.

Learn more about the business case for taking
nature positive action with the linked resources
provided at the end of this document.

To realistically secure our species’ survival and well-being, the world must achieve the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) targets set for 2030. 1 | INTRODUCTION
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NATURE IS POSITIVE 1 | INTRODUCTION | 02
This paper outlines how this science-based, datadriven, and universally applicable approach can be used to jumpstart nature positive action. The
concepts in this paper have been tested and proven
with a number of innovative corporations and
organizations involved in Project Positive, a
Biomimicry 3.8 collaborative.

This paper includes examples, from design of
manufacturing facilities and datacenters to nature
positive strategies, of how these leading
organizations are demonstrating success with this
framework and refining the tools and methodologies
necessary to bring this work to scale.

BIOMIMICRY: NATURE AS MEASURE
The practice of biomimicry aims to develop
human solutions that enable people and
Nature to thrive together by learning from the
only successful model for regeneration—Nature.

One core tenet of biomimicry is to see Nature
as measure—i.e., to evaluate the effectiveness
of human solutions at creating sustainable and
regenerative outcomes by comparing their
performance to Nature’s.

With the capability to comparatively measure
ecological performance in any place, “Nature
as measure” is a powerful tool and data-driven
process for reimagining the potential of a
nature positive future and holding ourselves
accountable to positive performance outcomes.

Learn more about biomimicry here.

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Nature has been practicing “nature
positive” for 3.8 billion years.

The result? Highly biodiverse, complex ecosystems that
deliver the outcomes universally required for human and other species’ survival, health, and wellbeing: clean air and water, healthy soils, climate regulation, and more.

Species have evolved adaptations to thrive within the
operating conditions present in their home habitat
(such as rainfall, topography, and changing seasons).

By way of what they do and how they do it, each
organism contributes benefits that support others in their ecosystem. Collectively, these benefits generate systemsbased conditions for thriving. We call them ecosystem services, also known as Nature’s contributions to people.

Because every place is unique, quantifying the ecological performance of local healthy ecosystems provides a
fingerprint of what a thriving nature positive environment looks like in that place. This place-based data provides the foundation for a shared understanding and vision
of the nature positive outcomes all stakeholders in a
community are striving toward.
2 | NATURE’S BENCHMARKS
A time-tested proven standard
NATURE IS POSITIVE | 03
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NATURE IS POSITIVE
2 | NATURE’S BENCHMARKS
| 04
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES:

A PLACE-BASED MEASURE
When trees regulate climate, wetland reeds filter
water, or bees pollinate, they are investing in the
health of the ecosystem through mutual value
creation—value we can measure. These direct and
indirect contributions of ecosystems (and their
biodiversity) to human well-being—e.g., climate
regulation, clean water, pollination, and more—are
called ecosystem services (also referred to as
“Nature’s contributions to people”).

Because ecosystem services have been thoroughly
studied and can be measured, they are an excellent
proxy for the health of ecosystem functioning,
supporting the quantitative assessment of nature
positive impact. In addition, they provide a systemsoriented framework that links changes in ecosystem performance to social and economic outcomes,
enabling organizations to holistically assess and
address their impacts and dependencies on Nature.

Visit the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment website
to learn more about ecosystem services.

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NATURE IS POSITIVE | 05
IN

TERNAL CHALLENGES

INTERNAL AN
D

EXTERNAL CHALLENGES

EXTERNAL CHALLENGES
The growing momentum for nature
positive action is accompanied
by the challenges of overcoming
systemic barriers to action both
within and outside an organization.

These challenges can stymie organizations
exploring a nature positive journey. Internal
knowledge and structural gaps combined
with a highly dynamic and complex external
stakeholder and regulatory landscape
often bring uncertainty into the decisionmaking process, slowing or even preventing forward progress. However, committing to
Nature’s place-based benchmarks can enable
organizations to address these hurdles and
engage in action that contributes to nature
positive outcomes, as outlined on the next page.

Goal setting
Perception that the process
for setting science-based
nature positive goals will be
long, laborious, and complex,
and that defensible nature
positive quantification tools
do not yet exist.

Regulatory environment
Highly dynamic and uncertain
regulatory environment drives
the fear that actions taken
today will not “count” towards
regulatory compliance in
the future.

Existing siloes
Entrenched and siloed
approaches to addressing
sustainability challenges
can make sustainability
initiatives unnecessarily
expensive and lead to
unintended negative
consequences.

Knowledge
Lack of knowledge around
biodiversity and ecosystems,
resulting in uncertainty
about the interdependence
of business success and
healthy ecosystems, difficulty
connecting nature positive
to the organization’s other
sustainability initiatives, and
perception of insurmountable
complexity.

Budget
Lack of budget allocation for
nature positive actions is often
coupled with the perception
that taking action will be too
expensive and without an
adequate return on investment
(especially with a focus on shortterm capital expenditures).

Data
Lack of quality data to evaluate
impacts and dependencies
and to inform and guide
meaningful actions can result
in uninformed decision-making
that can lead to investment in
ineffective solutions.

Varying frameworks
A growing number of emerging
frameworks and standards
make it hard to know which to
use and where to start.

Evaluating progress
Disparate goals, efforts,
and performance relevant
to the local context make
assessment and evaluation
of progress across sites
and regions difficult.

Stakeholder alignment
Difficulty creating alignment
with internal and external
stakeholders around a
common vision and action
plan that provides
mutual benefit.
3 | UNLOCKING ADVANCEMENT TOWARD

A NATURE POSITIVE FUTURE
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NATURE IS POSITIVE | 06
Committing to Nature’s benchmarks enables nature positive action through:

Global adoption of this approach will ensure that the growing diversity of methodologies, tools, technologies, and services in the nature positive solution space are informed by a shared outcomes-based method that is both firmly rooted in sciencebacked standards and encourages creativity and innovation.

Regional authorities can leverage Nature’s place-based
performance benchmarks to engage and align diverse
stakeholders around shared locally-attuned goals, and to evaluate progress across stakeholder groups, regardless of the methodologies and tools used for implementation by
stakeholders.

Nature is complex, but the goal-setting process doesn’t have to be. Nature’s ecosystem performance benchmark data already exists, removing the burden and taking the guesswork out of establishing nature positive targets. Adopting
Nature’s place- and science-based ecosystem performance benchmarks empowers organizations to make one nature
positive commitment that provides the flexibility to deliver locally attuned design that drives high quality, meaningful results in each place the organization operates.

Systems-based approaches enable organizations to realize efficiencies from the local to global scale. When a holistic ecosystem performance modeling system with consistent
measurement units is used, organizations can conduct an apples-to-apples comparison across sites as well as aggregate performance data to the organizational or even value chain level. Systems-based approaches create further efficiencies for decision-makers by enabling assessment of tradeoffs between investment and ecosystem performance.

Instead of awaiting regulatory certainty, organizations can act now with the certainty that the actions they take to align with Nature’s performance benchmark will prepare and
enable organizations to more fluidly address and comply with emerging, diverse governance objectives, such as the TNFD & CSRD, at all scales across all locations. In addition, this proactive approach demonstrates the organization’s commitment to investing in a nature positive future for their employees, stakeholders, and the communities in which
they operate.

Data that shows the gap between a site’s existing performance and Nature’s benchmark supports environmental risk mitigation and opportunity analysis at the real estate portfolio and value chain levels, enabling strategic
prioritization of locations of greatest concern. At the site level, Nature’s benchmark provides crucial guidance for targeted prioritization of capital investment in locally-attuned multi-functional solutions that will both regenerate ecosystem health and increase the resilience of their assets, putting organizational success at the heart of decision making.

A common language across frameworks,
methodologies, and tools that opens the
solution space.

A quantifiable and defensible science- and
systems-based approach that is locally
attuned while globally connected.

An actionable targeted direction that moves
all stake-holders towards proven performance
for self-sustaining nature positive outcomes
anywhere on the planet.
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CHEMISTRY
ENERGY

MATERIALS
CARBON
Nature’s benchmark
Life-friendly chemistry.

Life uses local resources to conduct chemical
processes that are elegant and done at
ambient temperatures, using a small subset
of elements and water as a solvent. “Waste”
products are benign and useful to other life.

Looking for nature-inspired solutions?
Check out Nature’s life-friendly chemistry
solutions in the AskNature collection
Chemistry of Nature.

Nature’s benchmark
100% renewable energy.

Life harnesses local abundant sources
of 100% renewable energy (i.e. built on
current sunlight) using optimized low energy
processes to balance energy needs with
readily available energy resources.

Looking for nature-inspired solutions?
Check out examples of Nature’s energy
solutions in the AskNature Energy Collection.

Nature’s benchmark
All materials in connected flows.

Life resources materials from its local
environment, optimizes materials for multiple
functions, and uses low energy processes.
“Waste” products are in a form that other life
can use, facilitating circular material loops.

Looking for nature-inspired solutions?
Check out the AskNature collections
Managing Waste, Life-Friendly Packaging,
and High Performance Materials.

Nature’s benchmark
Balanced carbon cycle.

Life cycles carbon at rates that maintain a
relative balance between carbon released to
the atmosphere and that stored in biomass
and soils, maintaining a favorable climate.

Looking for nature-inspired solutions?
Check out technical and social examples in
the AskNature collection What Guidance
Does Nature Have for COP26?
Looking to Nature’s guidance for sustainability challenges is not new.

Many organizations already have commitments that align with Nature’s proven aspirational benchmarks and strategies in the areas of carbon, energy, materials, and chemistry to address humanity’s greatest sustainability challenges.

Organizational commitments
• Decarbonization
• Net Zero Carbon
• Carbon Negative
Primary challenges
• Excess carbon in the atmosphere
• Embodied carbon
Organizational commitments
• Circular materials
• Circular economy
Primary challenges
• Pollution in air, water, and soils
• Linear “take, make, waste”
material model
• Unrecyclable products
• Finite planetary resources
Organizational commitments
• 100% renewable energy
• 100% carbon-free energy
Primary challenges
• Carbon-intensive energy sources
• Inefficient energy systems
Organizational commitments
• Green chemistry
• Safer alternatives
• Eliminate plastics of concern
Primary challenges
• Toxicity (harmful to human and
environmental health)
• Chemicals of concern/ hazardous
chemicals
• Forever chemicals
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4 | HOW TO LEVERAGE NATURE’S BENCHMARKS
Leveraging Nature’s performance benchmarks can guide your pathway toward nature positive performance and impact, whether developing your nature positive strategy, designing for the built environment, or carrying out land management activities. Here’s how:

Make a commitment to strive to match Nature’s ecosystem performance benchmark in each place your organization impacts (e.g., manufacturing facilities, corporate offices & campuses, supply chain, and ecosystem restoration projects).

For each place (“site”) your organization impacts:
1 2
a. Establish Nature’s local ecosystem
performance benchmark by measuring the
performance of a highly functioning reference
landscape located as close as possible to your
site in the local biome. This benchmark
becomes the aspirational performance target
for the project.
b. Measure the baseline ecosystem
performance of your site. The gap between
the baseline and Nature’s benchmark is what
should be solved for during the design phase.
c. Use Nature’s benchmark and insights as
guides during the design process to prioritize
design solutions that improve performance
across the suite of ecosystem functions
measured and in alignment with how Nature
delivers performance there.
d. Model the performance of various design
and land management scenarios to select
those that best close the performance gap.
e. Verify and monitor the performance of the
implemented solutions.
a c
e
d
b

HIGHLY FUNCTIONING
REFERENCE LANDSCAPE:

A landscape where the dominant physical
and biological characteristics (vegetation,
soils, hydrology, etc.) reflect intact, healthy
ecological functional performance.

PERFORMANCE GAP:

The difference between a site’s current
ecosystem performance and that of the local
highly functioning reference landscape.

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NATURE IS POSITIVE | 09
Establish a clear methodology and metrics
for measuring and evaluating impacts and
dependencies, as well as monitor, evaluate,
and disclose progress toward the organization’s
goals and targets, including the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals.

Make science- and data-informed investment
decisions and track their holistic impact over
time—both in direct operations and throughout the
value chain—to support regulatory compliance, such
as with the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free
Products (EUDR), and demonstrate action toward
organizational commitments (and avoid
greenwashing).

Develop an ambition grounded in science aligned
with a time-tested performance standard that will,
by definition, contribute to a nature positive world
when implemented.

Support impact, risk, and materiality assessments,
target-setting, and strategic planning to comply
with multiple emerging disclosure and reporting
frameworks and regulations such as the Task Force
for Nature Related Financial Disclosures (TNFD),
the European Union’s (EU) Corporate Sustainability
Reporting Directive (CSRD), and Business for
Nature’s voluntary It’s Now for Nature corporate
nature positive strategy campaign.

As organizations embark on their nature positive journey, the above foundational steps empower decision-makers to:

Siloes
Knowledge
Regulations
Goals Evaluation
Frameworks Data Budget
Alignment
4 | HOW TO LEVERAGE NATURE’S BENCHMARKS
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Pioneering companies such as
Interface, Ford, Microsoft, Jacobs,
and Logoplaste are using Nature’s
performance benchmarks in their
nature positive journeys to proactively
assess and monitor their impact, drive
innovation to create regenerative
outcomes and business value, and
efficiently set credible and defensible
biodiversity and ecosystem targets.

These organizations employ the steps shared
previously to learn from and design to Nature’s
benchmarks. The qualitative and modeled
quantitative outcomes from these early-stage
projects demonstrate that through this approach,
organizations can reimagine and deliver nature
positive facilities that create holistic positive impact for their employees, communities, and ecosystems
in which they operate.
5 | NATURE’S PLACE-BASED

BENCHMARKS IN PRACTICE
How companies are applying this framework today
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INTERFACE
Interface, a global leader in modular flooring, has been learning from Nature since the mid-90s, when the company’s founder, Ray Anderson, began Interface’s journey towards a regenerative business. Since 2000, by working with Biomimicry 3.8, biomimicry has become tightly embedded in the innovation process at Interface, including in the development of the company’s highly successful i2™ design approach. In 2015, Interface expanded its vision to create a “Factory as a Forest” (FaaF) to support a regenerative business model, meet bold business targets, and contribute to the well-being of the landscape and the local community.

OUTCOME
Interface’s FaaF demonstration projects, using what is now known as the Biomimicry 3.8 Positive Performance Methodology, contributed to the local ecosystem by learning from the local ecosystem, including Nature’s ecosystem service benchmarks, to create an actionable plan going beyond “net zero” (neutral) and yielding regenerative impact on the ecosystems and communities where they operate and live.

To learn more about the Interface Factory as a Forest LaGrange demonstration project, read this case study. Biomimicry 3.8 Positive Performance Methodology LaGrange, GA, USA | Minto, New South Wales, Australia | Atlanta, GA, USA Item 7-A
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FORD
Dearborn, MI, USA | Corktown, MI, USA | El Cristo, Mexico Ford Motor Company (Ford) has set several climate goals, including using 100% locally sourced carbon-free energy for manufacturing plants by 2035 and becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The Ford Sustainability team, inspired by the Interface Factory as Forest project, began several demonstrations to explore applications across Ford in 2019 and support development of next level sustainability performance goals at Ford. The project team used the Positive Performance Methodology to develop a sustainability framework for positive impact at Ford facilities, and identify the best design interventions in three built environment projects:
1) Hub (Dearborn)—a new state-of-the-art building at the Research and Engineering campus, 2) Michigan Central Station (Corktown)—an adaptive re-use of a historic building in an urban context, and 3) Offices & Product Development Center (El Cristo)—a new building on a greenfield site.

OUTCOME
The multifunctional benefits created in the demonstrations support the health and well-being of employees and communities, foster efforts for employee attraction and retention, and provide a tangible path toward strategic objectives and priorities. Example site rendering showing multifunctional benefits from design interventions 5 | NATURE’S PLACE-BASED BENCHMARKS IN PRACTICE
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MICROSOFT
Hollands Kroon, Netherlands
The Microsoft North Holland datacenter, located near Middenmeer, Netherlands, stands as an example of Microsoft’s commitment to developing datacenters that coexist harmoniously with the natural world and benefit the communities in which it operates. Microsoft looked to Nature’s local ecosystem services performance benchmark and biomimicry to inspire an enhanced landscape design for the datacenter campus, helping it address regulatory hurdles and a community priority to maintain the culturally significant polder landscape.

OUTCOME
Planting native trees, shrubs, and grasses, converting previously turfed areas to pollinator habitats, and making a break area outside for employees to have time in green spaces helped create benefits for Microsoft, the community, and local ecology—fortifying canal banks, improving the aesthetics of the datacenter, bolstering biodiversity, and enriching the soil. Mutual value creation did not stop at its campus boundaries—Microsoft is providing funding to accelerate the implementation of a local municipal program to plant 22 tiny forests at primary schools across the region. Inspired by Microsoft’s biomimicry vision and tangible actions, local parties started an additional program with Biomimicry Netherlands to host education days in the tiny forests to teach children about learning from Nature.

Hollands Kroon site rendering showing the predicted outcome of planting efforts Watch this video and read this blog post to learn more about Microsoft’s Hollands Kroon project. 5 | NATURE’S PLACE-BASED BENCHMARKS IN PRACTICE
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JACOBS
Jacobs is a global technical professional services firm. They conducted their TNFD readiness assessment by comparing the performance of each site in their global real estate portfolio against the relevant local reference ecosystem performance benchmark. This analysis included both sitespecific and aggregated corporate-level performance across a holistic suite of ecosystem functions, providing insight for Jacobs to evaluate the limitations, opportunities, and impact of different approaches.

OUTCOME
As a result, Jacobs is developing a nature positive strategy that prioritizes actions which leverage and build on Jacobs’ strengths, are aligned with Jacob’s growth strategy, and will deliver nature positive outcomes.

Jacobs TNFD readiness assessment hypothetical example analysis 5 | NATURE’S PLACE-BASED BENCHMARKS IN PRACTICE
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LOGOPLASTE
Thurrock, England
In 2020, Logoplaste, well-known for its design innovations and adoption of biomimicry, embarked on Mission Zero +, challenging itself to become the first rigid plastics packaging producer to go beyond carbon neutral and to build regenerative factories and facilities. The company applied Biomimicry 3.8’s Positive Performance Methodology to explore upgrades to its Thurrock UK site, where the environment has long undergone the negative effects of industrialization.

OUTCOME
The outcome was a re-imagined site designed for Positive Performance and a pilot plant concept to serve as a roadmap for future Logoplaste sites.

The proposed design interventions, in partnership with EMX and Jacobs, were modeled to achieve significant multifold improvements towards Nature’s benchmarks over the baseline condition in several environmental performance categories, including biodiversity and health and well-being.

Thurrock site rendering showing proposed design interventions 5 | NATURE’S PLACE-BASED BENCHMARKS IN PRACTICE
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Through decades of development
and piloting, the tools for embarking
on a regenerative journey are easily
accessible today.

Continuous improvement efforts led by partnerships
such as between Dow Chemical, The Nature
Conservancy, and EcoMetrix Solutions Group (EMX),
and collaborative accelerators like Biomimicry 3.8’s
Project Positive have resulted in innovative
methodologies and tools to efficiently conduct
site-level analyses. These methods and tools also
support a roll-up of performance across sites to
support organizational, regional, or even national
assessments to understand and report on holistic
impact and progress over time. Collectively, these
efforts can bring nature positive impact to scale.
6 |THE TOOLS TO GET STARTED

EXIST TODAY
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ECOSYSTEM INTELLIGENCE

QUANTIFICATION PLATFORM
The EMX Ecosystem Intelligence (EI) platform is a proven quantification platform for nature-based decision making. Developed over 20 years in 40+ countries and in collaboration with 100+ subject matter experts, EI uses a systems-based understanding of impacts and opportunities to translate Nature’s intricate relationships into tangible measurements that can be used by people of all skill levels. EI supports a wide range of needs such as performance estimating for siting, planning, and budgeting purposes, detailed design analysis, and monitoring and verifying progress on regulatory, ESG disclosures, 30x30, TNFD, and other emerging mandates.

EI offers users two types of analysis tools: the Screening module for high-level “estimator” analyses, and the Design module for detailed quantitative analyses of site performance and design scenarios. Both modules provide local, high-quality reference landscape performance values for benchmarking against comprehensive ecosystem metrics.

This standardization enables aggregation into an Ecosystem Integrity score, allowing for apples-to-apples comparisons across an organization’s real estate portfolio and beyond, including their entire value chain or geographical region. This performance data helps decision-makers identify and implement the most effective solutions within their project constraints.

Example project portfolio dashboard
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POSITIVE PERFORMANCE METHODOLOGY
Biomimicry 3.8’s Positive Performance Methodology (PPM) enables organizations to leverage Nature’s benchmarks within a holistic biomimicry-based design process. From concept to implementation and in collaboration with multiple industry-leading experts including EMX, organizations employ PPM to drive innovative nature-inspired design that delivers nature positive impact for the organization, ecosystems, and surrounding communities. Using quantification tools like EI, organizations can measure, verify, monitor, and celebrate nature positive impact over time.

Project Positive is a Biomimicry 3.8 collaboration of change agents leveraging and sharing knowledge about PPM and biomimicry in a precompetitive environment to increase and accelerate their organization’s positive impact. Experience from over 60 PPM demonstration projects across the globe by Project Positive members illustrates that the often immense performance gap between the business-as-usual development and Nature’s aspirational benchmarks inspires a new nature positive mindset across all project teams that pushes the boundaries of what was previously thought possible. This new mindset and the use of biomimicry to learn from Nature for Nature in the solution space has propelled teams to design innovative multi-functional systems-based solutions that deliver significant improvement across all ecosystem services measured over not only the project baseline, but also industry-standard design.

The global reach of Positive Performance projects
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The time to act decisively is now. Delay in action
comes with a steep price, not only financially but in
the irreversible loss of biodiversity and the stability of the health of our planet. Addressing these issues
in isolation, with single-function solutions aimed at
individual goals, has proven to be both costly and
myopic. Such approaches yield benefits that are too
narrow, overlooking the complex interdependencies
within ecosystems and people’s impact on them.

Moreover, arbitrary targets based on what is deemed
materially significant by varied stakeholders often fail to grasp the full extent of what is required to address the environmental and social challenges we face.

The need for a universal approach that recognizes and invests in the intersection and importance of social and environmental well-being is increasingly urgent.

Transformative goals grounded in the proven
performance of our natural systems can compel
us to match the regenerative capacity of the
ecosystems we rely on. The methodologies and
tools that enable us to act on these goals are readily
available and being used to achieve nature positive
outcomes today. And we know it works—a recent
study demonstrates that prioritizing, resourcing,
and scaling up conservation interventions would
be transformational for halting and reversing
biodiversity loss.

It is within our power to change the trajectory.

By adopting Nature’s ambitious benchmarks as our
measure for meaningful progress, we can catalyze
the bold action necessary to secure a viable future
for our planet and ourselves.
7 | CONCLUSION
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Start a conversation with your networks
Share this report to show your support for
looking to Nature’s performance benchmarks
to guide nature positive action. The more that
people are aware of and adopt this approach,
the sooner more organizations can align and act
towards a global shared vision of a world living
in harmony with Nature by 2050.

Get your performance results today
Whether you are already in the process of
developing your nature positive strategy or
thinking about this for the first time, perhaps the
most impactful next step you can take is to visually
understand your current performance. Conduct
a screening assessment of one or more facilities
or sites. For organizations, this can include a site
in your real estate portfolio (owned or leased),
or even those of your suppliers, using the EI
Screening Module. To do this, simply visit the
Ecosystem Intelligence website and request access.

In very little time, this step will give you and your
teams critical insight into the nature of a typical
“performance gap” for your site(s). These insights
can help your organization understand the scale,
leverage points, and necessary resources to
include in your nature positive strategy.

Put Nature’s intelligence at the core of your
nature positive journey
Goal setting is just the beginning—the next
step is figuring out how to get there. You can
achieve and accelerate more effective nature
positive outcomes by learning from Nature’s
locally attuned designs in your strategy and
design processes. Learn how you can integrate
the Biomimicry 3.8 Positive Performance
Methodology (PPM) in your design process here.

You don’t have to start from scratch—join the
conversation at Project Positive. Learn from and
collaborate with Project Positive’s pioneering
change agents already leveraging Nature’s
intelligence in strategy, built environment, and
product design to create nature positive impact
in their organizations and communities.

Request an invite to the next virtual gathering!
READY TO GET STARTED?
1 2 3
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GLOSSARY
Biomimicry | the practice of consciously emulating Nature’s genius for a regenerative world Ecosystem functions | the biological and physical processes that occur in an environment Ecosystem performance | the capacity of a site to provide ecosystem services Ecosystem services | direct and indirect benefits people receive from ecosystems Highly functioning reference landscape | a landscape where the dominant physical and biological characteristics (vegetation, soils, hydrology, etc.) reflect intact, healthy ecological functional performance
Nature positive | halt and reverse Nature loss, and regenerate the conditions for biodiversity and people to thrive together
Performance gap | the difference in performance between the baseline or design scenario performance as compared to the aspirational performance target(s) NATURE IS POSITIVE | 21
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Nature Risk Rising: Why the Crisis Engulfing Nature Matters for Business and the Economy, World Economic Forum, January 2020. • Indebted to Nature: Exploring biodiversity risks for the Dutch financial sector, De Nederlandsche bank (DNB) and PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, June 2020.
• New Nature Economy Report II: The Future of Nature and Business, World Economic Forum, July 2020.
• Financing Nature: Closing the Global Biodiversity Financing Gap, The Nature Conservancy, Columbia University, The Paulson Institute, Cornell University, 2020.
• The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review
• The Economic Case for Nature, World Bank, 2021.
• How business and finance can contribute to a nature positive future now, Business for Nature, October 2022.
• Preserving the fabric of life: Why biodiversity loss is as urgent as climate change, Capgemini Research Institute, 2023.
• When the Bee Stings | Counting the Cost of Nature-related Risks, Bloomberg Finance, December 9, 2023.

Leading experts have researched and detailed the critical needs, risks, business case, and enormous opportunity in transforming our designs, processes, and systems toward halting and reversing Nature loss and creating a nature positive future. The following resources introduce the topic.

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Biomimicry 3.8 is the world’s leading bio-inspired
consultancy offering innovation services, strategic
consulting, professional training, and thought
leadership to support the development of sustainable
and regenerative products, processes, places, and
organizations. Since 1998, Biomimicry 3.8 has helped
change-makers and innovators turn time-tested biological strategies into sustainable solutions, including Boeing, Colgate Palmolive, Nike, General Electric, Herman Miller, HOK architects, IDEO, Interface, Natura, Procter & Gamble, Levi’s, Kohler, Google, General Mills and more.

EMX specializes in ecosystem service quantification
to help organizations understand how changes or
impacts to natural capital assets at any scale (site level to landscape) can affect project sustainability and
risk. In response to a rapidly evolving global focus on biodiversity, EMX launched Ecosystem Intelligence (EI), a proven ecosystem performance quantification platform
that enables rapid cost-effective assessment of nature
positive impacts to support informed nature-based
decision-making. EI is a next-generation tool rooted in EMX’s collaboration with over 100 subject matter experts across 40+ countries over the last 20+ years.

Biomimicry.net
Nicole Miller
[email protected]
EcoMetrixSolutions.com
Kenna Halsey
[email protected]
September 2024 | ©Biomimicry 3.8
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Biomimicry.net | +1 406 543 4108
PO Box 8782 | Missoula, MT 59807
May 2, 2025
City of Santa Monica
Re: Letter of Interest – Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Submitted via City of Santa Monica OpenGov Procurement Portal Dear Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Team,
Biomimicry 3.8 is pleased to submit this Letter of Interest for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project.

We applaud the City of Santa Monica’s visionary goal to transform the 192-acre airport site into a resilient, community-driven, and environmentally restorative destination.

Imagine the Santa Monica Airport site as a blank canvas for nature’s brilliance to unfold. The challenge begins with the highly toxic, lead- and arsenic-contaminated land—an environment laden with pollutants accumulated over decades of industrial use. However, this deeply scarred ground holds immense potential for transformation into a life-affirming, sustainable, and regenerative ecosystem if we harness the wisdom of nature to heal it in place.

As a global leader in bio-inspired innovation and design, we bring unparalleled expertise in applying nature’s strategies to create regenerative solutions for urban landscapes. By using our Positive Performance methodology, we aim to transform the site into a living, breathing ecosystem that benefits both the environment and its community. This approach ensures that development not only mitigates harm but actively contributes to ecological and human well-being, aligning with the City of Santa Monica’s vision of a resilient and restorative destination.

PROJECT APPROACH
Our approach is not focused on a single park or building concept. Instead, it is a nature-inspired approach specifically designed to guide the transformation of the site into a thriving ecosystem and communityItem 7-A July 8, 2025
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focused park, rather than traditional urban development. Using the Positive Performance methodology, we propose to:
• Identify What Matters | Gain an in-depth understanding of the local context and stakeholder needs.

Identify the ecosystem services that are critical to thriving. • Quantify the Regenerative Vision | Measure the ecosystem service performance of the current site, the chosen scenario, and a healthy local habitat (reference habitat). This data will inform the regenerative vision.
• Create Design Solution Recommendations | Conduct in-depth biological research (“Genius of Biome”) to discover how local organisms deliver the most critical services and solve the same challenges faced by the project. Extract locally relevant design guidelines and recommend design solutions to bring the chosen scenario closer to the regenerative vision. • Create a Playbook | Synthesize all insights, design guidelines, and recommended solutions into a professional PDF document to facilitate implementation.

This work builds upon over a decade of experience supporting foundations, public agencies and Fortune 500 companies to align development with the regenerative capacity of the place. For more information about the methodology and project examples, please refer to the appendices.

VISION
The site’s transformation would need to progress beyond soil remediation into intentional and wellconsidered design for ecological and community revitalization. Picture carefully chosen vegetation working quietly to draw out and neutralize residual pollutants, setting the stage for new life to thrive. Beneath the surface, interconnected systems of fungi, microbes, and other organisms would join forces to revitalize the earth. These efforts would gradually revive native species and micro-organisms, breathing life back into the Southern California ecosystem. Alongside bioremediation, thoughtful designs rooted in biomimicry would ensure the site evolves into a vibrant landscape, rich with biodiversity and purpose.

Over time, these collaborative acts of nature and design would transform the site into a dynamic environment. Asphalt would give way to permeable ground, and the soil would once again become a foundation for flourishing ecosystems. Native trees and healthy plants would provide food and shelter for insects like caterpillars, which in turn would sustain birds seeking refuge to nest and raise their young. This park could become a sanctuary indistinguishable from nature—a living example of how biomimicry can regenerate even the most damaged lands.

But the transformation wouldn’t stop at ecological recovery. Beyond its physical attributes, this project represents more than just design or planning; it embodies a profound cultural and ecological shift, planting Item 7-A
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the seeds of regenerative thinking and resilience that will blossom for generations to come. This park would become a place of wellness and renewal for people—a healing haven where residents and visitors alike could reconnect with the rhythms of nature. Meandering pathways shaded by trees that purify the air would invite moments of reflection, while open spaces teeming with life would inspire gatherings, activities, and a sense of togetherness. With its impact extending far beyond the city limits, this reimagined destination would serve as a model of how urban landscapes can nurture both people and the planet, while contributing to climate resilience.

For instance, the project could include a circular rainwater capture system designed to collect, filter, and reuse water, minimizing waste and ensuring a sustainable water source for the park. Additionally, landscape modeling could introduce natural barriers, such as strategically placed vegetation and earthen berms, that not only filter pollutants from entering the site but also enhance air quality by capturing particulates and producing clean oxygen. Community engagement could play a vital role in shaping this vision, with workshops, interactive exhibits, and educational programs designed to teach residents and visitors about the principles of a circular economy inspired by nature. These programs could highlight how natural systems recycle resources efficiently, offering practical lessons on reducing waste and fostering sustainability in daily life.

COMPLEMENTARY SERVICES
Based on the needs and resources of the City of Santa Monica, our approach could be enriched with complementary services such as the following:

Communications Support: Over the past 25+ years, our team has honed the ability to deeply listen, understand diverse stakeholder needs, and respond with clarity and creativity—in biomimicry terms, we have mastered "matching signal with the antenna." These skills enable us to translate technical insights into resonant stories, designing communications that not only inform but also inspire. We specialize in creating visually compelling, strategically aligned content that clearly and tangibly conveys the business and community value of regenerative design. Our communication support for the City of Santa Monica could include:
• Content Development: Creating on-strategy internal and external communications that make the project’s vision accessible and compelling.
• Public Outreach: Designing educational initiatives, exhibits, and public tours that engage and inspire the broader community.
• Thought Leadership: Co-authoring white papers, publishing opinion articles, and presenting at conferences to showcase Santa Monica’s leadership in regenerative development. • Employee Engagement: Weaving the project into existing employee engagement programs—or helping design new ones—to build momentum and ownership from within the City workforce.

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Additionally, we understand that the LOI brief asks applicants to propose ideas about funding. While we do not specialize in fundraising or grant applications, our communication expertise could meaningfully support the City’s efforts to secure project funding. We can help craft compelling narratives and materials that persuasively convey the project’s value, making it more attractive to grants, philanthropic organizations, and other potential funders.

Through these efforts, we can help the City of Santa Monica tell a powerful story about the Santa Monica Airport conversion—one that connects people, mobilizes support, and amplifies the project's positive impact far beyond its physical footprint.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement: To maximize ripple of positive impact, Biomimicry 3.8 could support the City of Santa Monica in achieving community and stakeholder engagement. For example, we can design and facilitate interactive workshops and educational programs for Santa Monica residents, schools, and visitors. These sessions would demystify biomimicry and how it serves circularity and regenerative design, empowering the community to contribute ideas and take pride in the transformed site. For example, we could host “biomimicry walks” on the site to explore how natural systems inspire design solutions or cocreate public art installations that celebrate local ecology.

Professional Training and Capacity Building: As a leader in professional training, we can provide capacitybuilding for city staff, local designers, and project partners. This might involve short courses or training modules on biomimicry principles and their application in planning, architecture, and landscape design. By building local expertise, we help ensure that the project’s values continue to inform decision-making throughout development and beyond.

Design Review and Advisory Services: Our team can collaborate closely with the City’s chosen architects and engineers to infuse nature’s strategies and design guidelines into master plans, landscape designs, and building concepts. We can participate in design charrettes, provide expert reviews of plans, and suggest nature-based, nature-inspired and biomimetic solutions to maximize positive performance outcomes.

Ongoing Monitoring: Post-construction, we can assist in developing a monitoring protocol to track the site’s ecological and social performance. We can train local stakeholders or volunteers to be “citizen scientists” who help collect data on indicators like wildlife presence, water quality, and user satisfaction. This service ensures the project remains on track to meet its regenerative benchmarks and allows for adjustments based on real-world feedback
By offering these services, we aim to not only design a great project but also nurture a community of practice around it. Our goal is to leave Santa Monica with both a transformed site and a knowledgeable community equipped to sustain and build upon the project's successes.

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COMMUNITY BENEFITS OF A BIOMIMICRY APPROACH
The Positive Performance Methodology and our associated services will yield a wide range of benefits for the Santa Monica community and environment. Key community benefits include:
• Proven Model for Regeneration: Nature is the only proven model for regenerative design, with 3.8 billion years of experience creating resilient, thriving systems. By taking nature as both the performance benchmark and design guide, we will set truly regenerative goals for the project and identify the best solutions to achieve them. This ensures that the City’s investment is directed toward strategies that are not only visionary but also efficient, effective, and rooted in time-tested principles—making every dollar count toward lasting positive impact. • Citywide Application of Nature’s Design Strategies: The design strategies and guidelines we develop through this project will have value far beyond the airport site. The City can apply these naturebased insights and regenerative principles across other planning, infrastructure, and development initiatives, creating a ripple effect of positive impact throughout the community and setting a new citywide standard for regenerative design.
• Environmental Restoration and Resilience: The project will show how to actively restore natural functions on the site—improving soil health, increasing urban greenery, and expanding habitat for native species. By mimicking nature’s processes (such as rainwater infiltration and habitat connectivity), the site will be better prepared to withstand droughts, heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and other climate-related challenges.
• Health and Well-being: A design that functions like a healthy ecosystem will provide cleaner air and water, more shade and cooling, and beautiful natural spaces for recreation and restoration. This will translate to tangible health benefits for residents and visitors, including improved air quality, reduced heat island effects, and enhanced opportunities for exercise, relaxation, and connection with nature.
• Educational and Cultural Value: We envision the converted airport site as a living laboratory for sustainability and innovation. Through educational programs, interpretive signage, and partnerships with local schools and organizations, visitors of all ages can learn about local ecology, regenerative design, and climate adaptation strategies inspired by nature. • Economic and Social Benefits: Regenerative design can attract attention, investment, and grant funding. By aligning development with natural systems, the site can reduce long-term maintenance costs and create new opportunities for green jobs, community engagement, and eco-tourism, Item 7-A
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reinforcing Santa Monica’s leadership in sustainability and resilience. • A Lasting Legacy: This project offers Santa Monica the chance to create a globally recognized model for urban regeneration—showing that previously developed land can be restored, reimagined, and revitalized through partnership with nature. The Santa Monica Airport conversion can inspire cities worldwide to rethink the future of urban design.

ORGANIZATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Biomimicry 3.8 has the qualifications and experience to deliver on the promises of this proposal. Some highlights of our organization include:
• Proven Track Record: Founded in 1998, our firm has over 25 years of experience in biomimicry consulting and professional training. Our project portfolio includes landmark initiatives such as the application of our Positive Performance methodology to the design of the U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters at St. Elizabeths in Washington, D.C., where we guided ecological performance targets to restore site hydrology, enhance biodiversity, and improve microclimate resilience. Projects like these demonstrate our ability to integrate nature’s strategies into complex, high-profile developments.
• Multidisciplinary Expert Team: Our core team brings expertise across biology, environmental science, architecture, engineering, and sustainability consulting. In addition to our in-house experts, Biomimicry 3.8 has cultivated strong working relationships with leading organizations such as EMX, HOK, and Jacobs, extending our capabilities with top-tier design, engineering, and planning expertise as needed. Through these collaborations, we deliver seamless, integrated solutions that combine biomimetic innovation with large-scale project execution. • Thought Leadership: Biomimicry 3.8 is recognized globally as a thought leader in the shift from sustainability to regeneration. We have created and published videos, articles, and white papers on biomimicry in the built environment. Our founders, Janine Benyus and Dr. Dayna Baumeister, are highly regarded pioneers in this field. Our methodologies, such as the Positive Performance Methodology, are at the cutting edge of design innovation and have been adopted by forwardthinking organizations worldwide. We bring not just consulting services, but also a commitment to pushing the boundaries and demonstrating what’s possible when design is inspired by nature. • Strong Values Alignment: Biomimicry 3.8 is proud to be a certified B Corporation, committed to using business as a force for good. Our certification reflects our dedication to environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and community well-being—values that closely align with the City of Santa Monica’s vision for the airport conversion project.

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• Global Network, Local Expertise: With our headquarters in Missoula, MT, Biomimicry 3.8 operates on a global scale, having contributed to transformative projects across continents. Our extensive experience enables us to bring international best practices to local contexts. For this project in Santa Monica, we are uniquely positioned with both global expertise and local presence— having a team member based in the area ensures seamless coordination and access to critical local knowledge, enhancing the relevance and impact of our design strategies.

GIFTS & SAVINGS
By embracing regenerative design principles, the converted park would provide a multitude of ecosystem services that enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors alike. Just to give a few examples:
• The park would promote clean air through increased vegetation, carbon sequestration, and the incorporation of native and adapted plant species, such as grass, shrubs, and trees, which are resilient to local climatic conditions and support local wildlife and pollinators. • Stormwater management systems could be integrated to enhance infiltration, water capture, and storage, using sustainable drainage systems (SuDS), green roof/wall technologies, and other green infrastructure solutions. Additionally, wetland habitats could be created to further manage surface water runoff while promoting biodiversity-friendly designs that facilitate local ecosystems, including support for bird, bat, and pollinator populations.
• One promising solution lies in the introduction of bacteria and fungi capable of “feasting” on the land's toxicity. These microorganisms could break down harmful substances in the soil, rendering it safe and fertile for regeneration. This process of on-site detoxification not only spares Santa Monica the significant environmental and ethical concerns of transporting hundreds of truckloads of contaminated soil—potentially to distant and possibly Indigenous lands—but also represents substantial cost savings, making the restoration both economically and ecologically viable. While this phase of bioremediation is crucial to detoxify the land, it is merely the foundation upon which a broader vision for regeneration must be built.
• Partnerships with local conservation bodies would help develop comprehensive biodiversity management strategies tailored to local species and conditions. Sustainable land use practices would be prioritized to reduce habitat destruction and fragmentation, while areas requiring restoration— such as wetlands, forests, or wildlife corridors—could be identified for targeted conservation efforts. • Furthermore, the park’s emphasis on wellness, biodiversity, and ethical sustainability considerations would not only contribute to ecological preservation but also address social impacts. These Item 7-A
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integrated approaches, collectively, would support healthier lifestyles, reconnect fragmented habitats, and create a thriving community aligned with the evolving needs of the ecosystem and a sustainable future.

A compelling example of our regenerative, nature-informed approach is the U.S. Coast Guard’s headquarters in St. Elizabeths, Washington D.C. In this landmark project, Biomimicry 3.8 supported the architecture firm HOK, bringing locally attuned biological strategies to inform the design. The HOK team integrated these strategies across the site and in the building’s unique components—including one of the largest green roofs in the United States. Some of the gifts and savings in this project include:

Water Management and Resilience:
• Reduces flood risk and improves stormwater management. • Green roofs retain up to 424,000 gallons of rainwater. • Saves 520,000 gallons of potable water annually by reusing stormwater.

Temperature Reduction and Heat Island Mitigation:
• Cools the site, reducing urban heat island effect.
• Green roof reduces July average surface temperatures by 4°F and peak temperatures by 12°F compared to traditional roofs.

Carbon Sequestration:
• Trees sequester 153,000 pounds of carbon annually, projected to increase to 883,000 pounds once mature.

Biodiversity and Human Well-being:
• Supports biodiversity with native vegetation and habitat features. • Enhances human well-being through nature-connected design, boosting creativity, immune health, and productivity.

TIMELINE AND BUDGET
Our approach is well-suited to phased implementation. The Positive Performance Methodology consists of four iterative phases that build upon one another. When applied to a specific building or landscape, the process typically takes 5–6 months. However, given the size of the site, the number of stakeholders involved, and the additional playbook component, we anticipate a longer timeline. We would aim to finalize the playbook by 2027, aligning with the City's planning milestones.

As the scope has not yet been fully defined, we are providing preliminary estimates to offer a sense of our service fees.

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Key Component of
Scope
Descrip2on Es2mated
Length
Es2mated
Budget
Iden%fy
What Ma.ers
Gain an in-depth understanding of the local context and stakeholder needs and iden6fy the ecosystem services
cri6cal to thriving.
~3 months Starts at
$60K
Quan%fy
the Regenera%ve
Vision
Measure the ecosystem service performance of the
current site, the chosen scenario, and a healthy local
habitat (reference habitat), to inform the regenera6ve
vision.
~3 months Starts at
$40K
Create
Design Solu%on
Recommenda%ons
Conduct in-depth biological research (“Genius of Biome”) to discover how local organisms are delivering the most cri6cal services and solving the same challenges that the project is exposed to. Extract the locally relevant design guidelines and recommend design solu6ons to bring the
chosen scenario closer to the regenera6ve vision.
~4 months Starts at
$90K
Create a Playbook Synthesize all insights, design guidelines and recommended solu6ons into a professional PDF document
to facilitate implementa6on.
~3 months Starts at
$80K

APPENDICES
To provide additional detail and support for this Letter of Interest, we have included the following appendices. We trust these materials will further illustrate our capabilities and the value we can bring to this project.
• Appendix A) About Biomimicry 3.8 | A brief description of our organization • Appendix B) About Positive Performance Methodology | The thinking behind the methodology and its phases
• Appendix C) Our Work in the Built Environment | Relevant project examples including the Coast Guard Headquarters, Stanford CAM, and Spokane University District. • Appendix D) Nature is Positive white paper | A visionary paper articulating why taking nature as the performance benchmark and design guide is essential for building a regenerative world.

Appendices are provided as separate documents through the OpenGov portal attachment feature. _______
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In closing, we want to reiterate our enthusiasm for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to demonstrate how a city can transform an old airport into a thriving ecosystem and community asset. Biomimicry 3.8 is fully committed to helping Santa Monica achieve a worldclass outcome – one that honors the community’s aspirations and sets a new benchmark for regenerative urban redevelopment. Thank you for considering our Letter of Interest. We are inspired by Santa Monica’s leadership in sustainability and would be privileged to contribute to this groundbreaking endeavor. We welcome the chance to discuss our ideas further and address any questions the Project Team or City staff may have.

Sincerely,
Nicole Miller
Managing Director, Biomimicry 3.8
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Via Email
May 4, 2025
City of Santa Monica
Office of Procurement
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Attn: RFP Administrator
RE: Letter of Intent – Santa Monica Airport Redevelopment Project ID: SP2641-Airport Conversion LOI
Dear RFP Administrator,
On behalf of Black Pearl Investments I LLC (BPI or www.blackpearlinvestments.com) and its Architect and Urban Designer, H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture (H3 or www.h3hc.com) along with a qualified, local Real Estate Developer (TBD), is pleased to submit this Letter of Intent (LOI) confirming its commitment to submit a full proposal backing a qualified, local Real Estate Developer in response to the City of Santa Monica’s Request for Proposals for the Santa Monica Airport Redevelopment project.

BPI believes this project represents a generational opportunity to shape the future of a 227-acre site in one of the most forward-thinking cities in the nation. The transformation of the Santa Monica Airport into an inclusive, community-centered, climate-resilient public asset aligns squarely with BPI’s core mission: to partner with communities and governments to deliver equitable, sustainable, and visionary urban redevelopment solutions.

Proven Experience in Transformative Development
BPI brings decades of hands-on structured finance and capital experience in community focused real estate and public-private partnerships, with a proven record of success in projects across the country that mirror both the complexity and ambition of the Santa Monica Airport redevelopment.
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BPI’s Various Projects for Reference

1. Green Smart City – Tuskegee, Alabama
In collaboration with the City of Tuskegee, BPI is co-leading the development of a 135-acre smart city, designed around clean energy, digital infrastructure, and equitable housing. The $650 million commitment by BPI was a joint development from a public company and involved civic participation and joint alignment from the outset. This ongoing effort demonstrates BPI’s capacity to build deep community trust and turn a bold public vision into a sustainable master plan.

2. Cross Bayou Redevelopment – Shreveport, Louisiana
BPI was the primary capital partner in a $1 billion downtown redevelopment proposal, BPI has worked alongside the Developer and Shreveport’s Economic Recovery Task Force to reimagine a 10-year transformation of its riverfront and civic campus. The project includes affordable housing, civic infrastructure, and green public space. Our engagement strategy was shaped through formal City Council presentations, civic roundtables, and integration of municipal feedback at every stage.

3. Southwestern College Community Center – Chula Vista, California Under Proposition R, which passed with a majority vote in the City that was backed by the College Foundation, chaired by BPI principals, it successfully redeveloped the $250 million project that included new classrooms, administrative offices, and a community center with state-of-the-art technology infrastructure. This initiative is a great example of educational leadership and civic participation from the beginning. This effort demonstrated BPI’s capacity to build deep community trust and turn an inspirational educational vision.

4. Affordable Housing & NMTC-Financed Projects – California Across multiple urban markets in California, BPI has consulted/financed over 5,000 affordable housing units using innovative tools like HUD, GSE-agency, and New Markets Tax Credits. BPI principals have structured over $70 million in NMTC allocations to fund new housing construction and rehabilitation in underinvested areas, many in collaboration with local non-profits and redevelopment agencies. These efforts involved extensive community engagement through public workshops, design charrettes, and tenant councils.

5. Solar Retrofit Initiative – San Diego County, CA
BPI principal approved and led the installation of over 500 kW of solar photovoltaic systems across multiple affordable housing sites, reducing long-term energy costs for residents while enhancing sustainability under the state’s MASH Program. Recognized by Sempra Energy as a “Best Commercial Practice” project, this work reflects our commitment to integrating climate-conscious design even within existing infrastructure—and to engaging tenants as collaborative partners in change.

6. Gaylord Resort & Convention Center – Chula Vista, California BPI principals have advised on the redevelopment of a former industrial corridor (Rohr Industries and the SDGE Power Plant), a $1.3 billion, 36-acre waterfront 2 Item 7-A
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resort and convention center that is set to open on May 15, 2025. It is the largest hotel construction project on the West Coast and the first California property for Gaylord Hotels, a Marriott International brand. Located along San Diego Bay and Chula Vista Marina, it offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean, city, and the mountains. Our engagement model involved the community and the City producing an economic development-designed narrative that will directly create thousands of new jobs balanced with convention / civic/cultural uses that can be directly applicable to the Santa Monica Airport process.

7. Eco-Industrial Park – San Antonio, Texas
BPI is currently advising on the redevelopment of an industrial corridor to include a data center, manufacturing plants, assembly lines, and flex/R&D office space powered by renewable / off-grid energy technology. Our engagement model involves the local community utility company and the City producing an economic development-designed narrative that will directly produce hundreds of new jobs, balanced with new housing opportunities and a civic /cultural center that can be directly applicable to the Santa Monica Airport process.

Our Approach for the Santa Monica Airport
BPI recognizes that the City’s goals for this project are not simply about redevelopment— they are about economic justice, accessibility, ecological repair, and civic imagination. To that end, our approach will include:
● Partnerships with local, trusted community organizations: to ensure multilingual, intergenerational, and culturally relevant engagement. ● Fiscal responsibility: We will work with our banking partners to have the redevelopment privately financed.
● Community re-imagination: Work with the city council and other stakeholders to imagine an open green space that expands the artistic and creative opportunities of the local community.
● Business Opportunity: We will work with the city to ensure that the redevelopment of the Santa Monica Airport benefits jobs, creates business opportunities for small businesses, and improves the economy of the city.

BPI, H3, and its approved Real Estate Developer will work with the council and community stakeholders on designing a space that meets the community’s many needs, both recreational and economic. Those spaces may include:
● Open green space and park (promenade, water-featurelake, et al) ● Children's playgrounds and spaces
● Community musical amphitheater, theater and other artistic spaces ● Business office park (technology)
● Historical preservation of buildings like the Airport/aerospace museum ● Mixed-use housing (family, student, deed-restricted, workforce, market rate, seniors, and luxury)
● Public transportation hub (Green / Hybrid / EV)
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We believe that community engagement is not a box to check—it is a foundation for trust, creativity, and success. BPI is deeply committed to co-creating a process that reflects Santa Monica’s shared vision for the future.

Proposed Project Overview
The proposed redevelopment of the 227-acre Santa Monica Airport site to include a world-class outdoor amphitheater in a portion of the parcel, amongst other community amenities, represents a transformative, multi-benefit initiative.

The venue will serve as a cultural and economic engine for Santa Monica through a Public-Private Partnership (P3) model that generates direct city revenue and broader community value. This plan outlines estimated costs, revenue strategies, and funding sources, referencing relevant Southern California case studies to support feasibility.

Projected Costs (Preliminary Estimates)
Category Estimated Cost Range
Site Remediation & Preparation $25M – $40M
Infrastructure (roads, utilities, green space) $50M – $70M Amphitheater Design & Construction $80M – $120M
Public Park & Open Space Elements $30M – $50M
Arts & Cultural Facilities $15M – $25M
Contingency (15–20%) $30M – $45M
Total Estimated Costs $230M – $350M
*Disclaimer: Preliminary Budgetary Framework Only
These budget estimates are based on cost ranges from similar large-scale outdoor venue developments with integrated public realm features. They are intended solely as a high-level conceptual framework and should not be interpreted as final or binding projections.

No economic analysis, feasibility study, or site-specific planning has been completed.

Environmental, technical, and community engagement processes—critical for an accurate financial assessment—are still required and will need separate budgeting.

Costs may vary significantly due to site conditions, regulatory approvals, scope changes, and stakeholder input. As such, final project costs may come in under or over these preliminary figures, and should be re-evaluated as studies and development progress. 4 Item 7-A
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Revenue Generation Strategies
Direct Revenue to City
● Venue Rental Fees: Tiered pricing for concerts, festivals, private events, civic ceremonies.
● Concession & Vendor Licensing: Year-round food, beverage, and merchandise licensing.
● Parking Revenue: Structured and surface lots for amphitheater and park visitors. ● Naming Rights & Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship for venue name, stage, and zones.

Indirect Revenue & Economic Stimulus
● Tourism & Hospitality Impact: Increased hotel stays, restaurant patronage, and local retail spending.
● Job Creation: Construction, operations, programming, and maintenance roles. ● Increased Tax Base: Sales tax, transient occupancy tax (TOT), and potential property value uplift in surrounding areas.

Community Programming Value
● Free/Low-Cost Events: City-sponsored arts programming, cultural festivals, outdoor cinema, and Nonprofit partnerships.
● Education & Youth Engagement: STEAM-aligned curriculum partnerships, local school use for school graduations.

Potential Funding Sources
● Private Sector & P3 Mechanisms
○ Private Equity and Institutional Investors for amphitheater construction via long-term lease or operating rights.
○ Cultural Foundations (e.g., Getty Foundation, LA84 Foundation) ○ Corporate Sponsorship & Naming Rights Partnerships (live entertainment, tech, or hospitality sectors)
● Public Sector
○ State of California Infrastructure Grants (e.g., Transformative Climate Communities Program, CA Arts Council)
○ Federal Support (DOT Reconnecting Communities Pilot, NEA Grants for Arts Projects, EDA Public Works Grants)
● Philanthropic / Nonprofit
○ Capital Campaigns with major donors aligned to arts, climate, or equity causes.
○ Environmental Resilience Grants (aligned with green space and climate goals)
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Strategic Value Proposition
This redevelopment positions Santa Monica as a leader in climate-resilient, culture-forward urban reuse. It will create a multi-generational civic legacy while stimulating the local economy and deepening equity and inclusion. As a partnership with BPI, the city can leverage national expertise and local engagement to deliver a landmark that reflects Santa Monica’s bold vision for the future.

We respectfully submit this letter as our formal notification of intent to participate in this RFP process. We look forward to submitting a full proposal after the RFP is published and a deadline is given.

We are grateful to the City of Santa Monica for the clarity, transparency, and ambition embedded in this process. We look forward to the opportunity to partner with you to realize a redevelopment that not only transforms a site but also transforms public trust, civic voice, and environmental legacy.

Please feel free to contact me at +1(646) 481-3801 or [email protected] or John (R.J.) Estiva at [email protected] or +1(908) 838-1260.

Respectfully yours,
Black Pearl Investments I LLC

John Richard (J.R.) Chantengco
Managing Member
Cc: Jim Regan and John Estiva, Co-Managing Directors
470 2nd Ave. #10D, New York, NY 10016-9185 U.S.A.

Office: +1(646) 863-3301 Email: [email protected] URL: https://www.blackpearlinvestments.com
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May 5, 2025

Amber Richane
Principal Design and Planning Manager, City of Santa Monica 1685 Main Street, Mail Stop 15
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Email: [email protected]
RE: City of Santa Monica, Airport Conversion Project - Letter of Interest To Whom it May Concern:

We are pleased to submit this Letter of Interest to The City of Santa Monica (“Santa Monica” or “SM” or “Airport”) in response to the Request for Letters of Interest. We are interested in developing new residential housing at the Santa Monica Airport upon the closure in December, 2028.

Using innovative building techniques, public-private funding mechanisms and best in class architecture and design, we would develop sustainable housing options for new neighbors and residents. We are confident that our team has the experience, foresight, and financial capacity to engage, plan, and develop housing to fit the needs and wants of Santa Monica, its Constituents, Communities and Leaders.

Please see the following information and proposal. We are happy to provide additional information, answer questions and meet as necessary.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit this Letter of Interest.

Regards,
Scott A. Ginsburg
[email protected]
Submitted on May 5, 2025 by Boulevard Partners.

Boulevard Partners
1702 Olympic Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404
P: (310) 734-8993
www.blvdpartners.com
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Letter of Intent
City of Santa Monica Airport Housing Vision 05.05.25

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Introduction and Objectives

1. A brief introduction of the organization, including relevant experience and qualifications, and a statement on the proposed Public-Private Partnership, listing any other partners and their respective roles and responsibilities (if applicable).

Boulevard Partners LLC (“Boulevard Partners” or “BLVD”) is honored to submit this Letter of Interest to the City of Santa Monica for the conversion of a portion of the Santa Monica Airport property into a vibrant, sustainable residential community.

Through innovative techniques, strong partnerships, best-in-class architecture, and a community-centered approach, Boulevard Partners is prepared to deliver a transformative housing solution at Santa Monica Airport.

Headquartered in Santa Monica, we are confident that our experience, foresight, financial capacity, and community commitment position us to meet and exceed the goals of this opportunity — and help shape the future of the Santa Monica Airport in a way that is consistent with the Guiding Principles, Municipal objectives, Community needs and honors its history.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Santa Monica, BLVD specializes in creating transformative urban environments through mixed-use, infill, and community-driven
development. BLVD is a real estate investment,
management and development firm. Scott a. Ginsburg is the managing partner for Boulevard Partners.

We have successfully owned, planned, entitled and completed residential housing and community centric projects. BLVD brings a wealth of experience navigating entitlement complexity, forging public-private partnerships, designing best-in-class urban spaces, and delivering high-quality, resilient projects.
• 107 Hewitt, Downtown Los Angeles: A vibrant, transit-oriented development at 107 Hewitt in Los Angeles, CA 90012 which includes housing and commercial area, including market and affordable housing.
• E 7th Place, Downtown Los Angeles: Mixed-use development located in the heart of the Downtown Los Angeles Arts District. Designed to blend modern residential units with creative workspaces and street-level retail, the project reimagines industrial-era infrastructure into a vibrant, community-focused destination that supports the neighborhood’s growth as a cultural and innovation hub. • The Culver Steps, Culver City: A transformative mixed-use development that reactivated the city center with Class-A office space, public plazas, and community gathering areas.

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Letter of Intent
City of Santa Monica Airport Housing Vision 05.05.25

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Boulevard focuses on developing buildings, residences, campuses and communities in Southern California. With a focus on neighborhoods and transportation corridors, our properties are typically mixed-use with a combination of uses. Boulevard and its principal have successfully worked with municipalities in planning and developing complex development projects considering all stakeholders.

What makes us different is our hands-on approach to unraveling the details that many other firms use as an excuse to pass on a transaction. Among others, BLVD possesses specific skills that will be leveraged during the development of new housing at the Santa Monica Airport:

• Innovative Designs and Entitlement Know-How – BLVD creates housing by understanding the geography, history, construction, operations and the needs of the community.
• Working with Communities / Entitlements – BLVD works closely with community members and municipal representatives to understand the needs of each stakeholder. • Superior Tenant, Property Management & Partner Relations – Through years of experience and a successful track record in the real estate investment and development. • Financial & Economic Experience – We excel at finding creative, thoughtful and valuable solutions to complex problems.

BLVD will assemble a base team to provide Planning and Architecture support. Additionally qualified team members will be integrated as programs are finalized, and the scope of work is further defined.

Vision: Housing for a Vibrant Future

2. A high-level description of the proposed project including approximate space needs and if any of the existing structures can be reused / adapted to support this LOI.

We would work with Santa Monica and its plan to identify solutions to provide immediate and long-term housing solutions for the residents and workforce. We would consider adaptive reuse opportunities and new buildings. We would also strongly consider master leasing new buildings and utilizing public-private partnerships financing options to expedite construction of new units.

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City of Santa Monica Airport Housing Vision 05.05.25

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• Focus on the details of the project sites.
• Provide financial analysis, innovation building solutions, and engaging architecture to Santa Monica, its leaders, students, workforce and partners.
• Engage the community to determine its needs and
Involve residents in the process from conception,
allowing us to incorporate needs in the plans and design. • Utilize sustainable planning and development techniques to create projects that complement the urban environment.

The number of units proposed and land area necessary is to be determined based on the Community and City’s desires for residential housing as part of the Santa Monica Airport plan.

Our goal is to create new, sustainable housing options for Santa Monica’s residents, workforce, and families — thoughtfully designed, community-oriented, and future-forward. By leveraging innovative building techniques, public-private funding mechanisms, and best-in-class architecture and design, we will deliver housing solutions that embody Santa Monica’s spirit of progressiveness, inclusivity, and sustainability.

We believe that housing is the backbone of a thriving
community. This development will:
• Expand housing access for essential workers,
families, and young professionals.
• Boost local businesses through increased foot traffic and spending.
• Foster neighborhood vitality, walkability, and
environmental resilience.
• Celebrate architectural excellence and civic pride through thoughtful design. • Support Santa Monica’s climate goals with green, efficient, and sustainable construction.

Key Components:
• Housing Diversity: A full spectrum of unit sizes and price points — studios, 1-, 2-, and 3- bedroom units — with substantial affordable and workforce housing components. • Best-in-Class Architecture: Partnering with renowned architects to create iconic, sustainable, welcoming spaces that enrich the urban fabric. • Sustainability: Targeting LEED Gold, net-zero readiness, onsite renewable energy, green roofs, stormwater capture, and robust public green space. • Economic and Community Vitality: New residents will directly support local restaurants, services, and retailers — catalyzing new business growth. • Social Equity and Inclusivity: Housing opportunities for diverse income levels, life stages, and professions — from artists to essential workers to faculty. • Transportation Integration: Pedestrian- and bike-friendly streetscapes, seamless transit connections, and reduced dependency on personal vehicles.

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Programmatic Diversity and Intermodal Connections will guide the physical design and development of housing options. on or near campuses throughout Santa Monica. Our team will plan for new pedestrian pathways connecting the campuses buildings, master plans, greenway, existing neighborhoods and transportation alternatives together, weaving them into the existing built environment and educational fabric. We will preserve what is great about existing facilities and improvements and strategically integrate new complementary housing.

Common Areas and Public space will provide opportunities for permanent and rotating public art installations, programmed events, and allow for a rich array of daily experiences both exciting and reflective. Traditional construction methods will be considered along with modular, off-site and printed techniques.

Community Benefits and Neighbor Housing

3. A high-level description of the community benefits, any joint-use opportunities anticipated by the concept submitted, and sustainability / circularity / resiliency concept(s).

Our proposal envisions a vibrant, community-integrated housing initiative on or near the Santa Monica Airport site that directly supports the City’s guiding principals for a sustainable and inclusive housing development. The project will deliver long-term community benefits through thoughtfully designed housing that serves a broad spectrum of residents, including market-rate tenants, workforce professionals, faculty, and essential-service families.

Our core objective is to build new housing on or near the Santa Monica Airport site that serves market-rate, workforce, faculty, and professional families, in alignment with the City’s goals.

Specifically, we will:

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• Identify immediate and long-term housing solutions through new construction, adaptive reuse, and master leasing opportunities.
• Engage Santa Monica’s neighbors, communities, leaders, and institutions to develop needs-driven, guiding principles-aligned housing.
• Utilize sustainable planning, innovative construction techniques (modular, off-site, printed), and beautiful architecture to complement Santa Monica’s unique urban environment.
• Implement transparent development processes focused on consensus-building.

Community Benefits
This initiative will help alleviate Santa Monica’s housing shortage by increasing supply through a mix of new construction, adaptive reuse, and innovative master leasing strategies. The proposed housing will be integrated into the fabric of the city—not only by its physical design but also through deep community engagement and a collaborative, transparent planning process. We will prioritize architectural beauty, human-scaled design, and access to green space, wellness infrastructure, and walkable connections to schools, workplaces, and transit.

We will bring a transparent and open development and design process to this important initiative of Santa Monica. Through past experiences we have found that building consensus among stakeholders is critical to building housing that becomes part of the fabric of a community. As with all projects, success will only be achieved if our team works with stakeholders as partners.

Joint-Use Opportunities
Our approach includes opportunities for joint-use facilities that serve residents and the broader community alike. These may include shared open space, childhood or education facilities, and cultural or recreational amenities that support cross-sector community programming. These uses will be designed through participatory planning to reflect the needs and aspirations of local stakeholders.

Sustainability, Circularity, and Resiliency
We are committed to developing one of the most forward-thinking and environmentally responsible housing projects in the region. Our plan will incorporate:
• Sustainable urban planning rooted in enhancing the built environment with sustainable development and walkability.
• Circular design principles that prioritize low-embodied carbon materials, adaptive reuse, and deconstruction strategies that minimize construction waste. • Resilient systems, including energy-efficient buildings, on-site renewable energy, greywater recycling, drought-tolerant landscaping, and passive cooling strategies to reduce climate impact and promote long-term livability. • Innovative building technologies such as modular, off-site, or 3D-printed construction, which reduce construction timelines, costs, and environmental disruption.

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Ultimately, our project aspires not only to deliver high-quality housing but also to model how public-private partnerships can support Santa Monica’s leadership in sustainability and resilient community development.

Financial Plan and Funding Mechanisms

4. A high-level financial plan summary outlining projected costs, revenue generation strategies, and potential funding sources. Examples of recently completed, similar projects are acceptable if they are within Southern California and contacts for those projects.

We have extensive experience underwriting, owning, financing, constructing, and operating housing projects — including student housing, workforce housing, affordable and market-rate residential developments.

Funding Strategies Will Include:
• Land purchase or Ground Lease Structure with City of Santa Monica or airport authority. • Potential for Public-private partnerships (P3s);
• BLVD capital allocation and procurement.
• State and federal affordable housing programs (LIHTC, AHSC); • Debt, equity, and alternative financing mechanisms; and • Layered financing to stretch and City resources and leverage external funding.

By working collaboratively with the City and community stakeholders, we will expedite delivery of a high-quality, sustainable housing development. The funding structure would ultimately depend on the objectives of the City of Santa Monica. The housing would provide long term revenue that would be available to the Airport conversation project. Financial considerations for the City of Santa Monica would include a parcel disposition or a long term ground lease. Other options may be master leasing the buildings once they are constructed. BLVD has experience with the structure, completing underwriting and financial analysis. BLVD has negotiated and completed Development Agreements with municipalities. We will rely on our experience to provide Santa Monica with partnership options, debt options, subsidy availabilities, and funding structures to stretch existing funding strategies.

We are happy to provide additional details on funding sources, debt considerations, tax benefits and land structure options.

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Timing & Delivery

5. A timeline for project implementation, from initial planning to completion (assuming a start date of January 1, 2029 or later).

We are committed to delivering this housing project on time and on budget through an integrated and collaborative development approach. The proposed timeline below outlines the major milestones from the initiation of planning (September 2025) through construction completion, assuming a construction start date of January 1, 2029.

Project Phase Duration Start End Key Activities
Mobilization &
Visioning 6 months Sep-25 Feb-26 Developer onboarding, community engagement, site due diligence Planning &
Entitlement 24 months Jan-26 Dec-27
Conceptual design, environmental
review (CEQA/NEPA), zoning/
entitlement approvals
Design & PreConstruction 12 months Jan-28 Dec-28
Final design, construction
documents, permitting, contractor
procurement
Construction 24 months Jan-29 Dec-30
Groundbreaking, vertical
construction, infrastructure,
inspections
Lease-Up &
Occupancy
6 months
(rolling) Jul-30 Dec-30 Phased occupancy and tenant moveins Our approach emphasizes overlapping and concurrent workflows—such as entitlements, design, and preconstruction planning—to compress the schedule wherever feasible without compromising quality. We will engage our general contractor early in the design phase to assist with value engineering, cost estimation, constructability review, and logistics planning. This collaboration allows for a faster, more coordinated project and a higher-quality built outcome.

Weekly coordination meetings among development, design, and construction teams will ensure timely decision-making and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

Sustainability, Innovation & Feasibility

6. Any additional information that demonstrates the feasibility and community benefits of the proposal in alignment with the community engagement and City Council direction to date.

Sustainability, Technology, and Innovation
Housing will be designed to foster comfort, creativity, wellness, and environmental stewardship. We view sustainability as intertwined with ecology, economy, education, and community.

Our design and construction practices will:

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• Explore on-site energy production and efficient energy management. • Expand green spaces and natural landscapes.
• Create mobility hubs linking to regional transportation. • Utilize modular, off-site, or 3D-printed construction where feasible to accelerate timelines and reduce costs.

We believe that the housing should foster comfort, creativity, natural landscapes and comfort for all residents and visitors. We believe that sustainability is ecology, economy, education, and community. In addition to capitalizing on the physical features of each site, we will explore opportunities for green space, energy management, commuting and transportation hubs.

Community-Centered Planning
• Involve local stakeholders, workforce representatives, and students early in the design process. • Incorporate educational spaces, mentorship hubs, and health/wellness centers into development plans. Create safe, inclusive environments with public art, cultural programming, and activated public spaces.

Metrics for Success
Our team will collaborate with Santa Monica to establish clear, data-driven metrics to measure project success, including:
• Affordability and rent stability.
• Capacity to meet projected demand.
• Ability to meet Santa Monica economic requirements.
• Quality of homes, facilities and design excellence.
• Community engagement satisfaction rates.
• Safety, security, and environmental performance.
• Financial sustainability and long-term operational success.

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We are pleased to submit this Letter of Interest to the City of Santa Monica (“Santa Monica” or “SM” or “Airport”) in response to the Request for Letters of Intent. We are interested in developing a new publicprivate recreational destination—Santa Monica Sports Park—on a portion of the Santa Monica Airport conversion site upon its closure in December, 2028.

Through innovative planning, sustainable design, and best-in-class sports and recreational infrastructure, our team proposes to deliver a dynamic outdoor sports campus that serves the city’s residents, athletes, families, and visitors. With experience in complex urban development and a deep understanding of Santa Monica’s values, we are confident in our ability to engage, plan, and deliver a transformative project that aligns with the City’s vision for the future of this site.

Please see the following information and proposal. We welcome the opportunity to provide additional details, answer questions, and meet with City staff and stakeholders.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit this Letter of Interest.

Regards,
Scott A. Ginsburg
[email protected]
Submitted on May 5, 2025 by Boulevard Partners.

Boulevard Partners
1702 Olympic Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90404
P: (310) 734-8993
www.blvdpartners.com
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Letter of Intent
Santa Monica Sports Park 05.05.25
This Letter of Intent is meant to provide a summary of the concept, programming, and development approach for the proposed Santa Monica Sports Park—a premier outdoor recreational campus to be located on a portion of the former Santa Monica Airport site. The proposal outlines the vision, facility plan, financial strategy, and community benefits associated with this transformative public-private partnership, led by Boulevard Partners.

Purpose
This memo presents the detailed business plan for the new Santa Monica Sports Park (operating name tbd), an outdoor sports and recreation destination designed to meet the growing demand for high-quality athletic and family-centered facilities. This project combines competitive sports amenities with community spaces, positioning Santa Monica Sports Park as a vibrant social, athletic, and entertainment hub.

Santa Monica Sports Park will be a signature feature of the Santa Monica Airport Redevelopment, transforming part of this historic site into a vibrant outdoor sports and recreation center. The park will offer premier facilities for soccer, tennis, pickleball, padel, and a state-of-the-art golf driving range, all set within a thoughtfully designed, open-air environment. A dynamic children's play area and a welcoming adjacent café will create a family-friendly atmosphere, making Santa Monica Sports Park a central gathering place for athletes, families, and visitors of all ages.

Situated in the heart of Santa Monica, a community known for its active lifestyle, diverse population, and commitment to public recreation, Santa Monica Sports Park will seamlessly blend competition, leisure, and community engagement. It will serve as a modern, inclusive destination that reflects the city's vision for a healthier, greener, and more connected future.

Executive Summary
Santa Monica Sports Park will offer a full-service outdoor sports complex that features professionally constructed soccer fields, a diverse range of racquet sport courts, a technologically advanced golf driving range, and a thoughtfully designed children’s play area with an adjacent cafe, patio and gathering areas.

This park will serve a broad market — youth athletes, adult recreational players, golf enthusiasts, and families — creating multiple revenue streams and consistent year-round engagement. With its strategic design and family-inclusive focus, Santa Monica Sports Park is positioned to become a cornerstone of neighbor recreation, community activity, regional tournaments, and education. • playground for family interaction.
• Soccer fields aligned for optimal practice and play flow. • Racquet sports clustered to encourage crossover play. • Driving range positioned with accessible parking and evening lighting. • Centrally located café and
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The Sports Park will be designed as a walkable, campus-style environment with safe pedestrian circulation, integrated landscaping, shaded seating, and event-ready gathering areas. Emphasis will be placed on user comfort, accessibility, and visibility across all areas of play. Facilities will be grouped into clusters to support concurrent events, reduce crowding, and encourage cross-participation among users.

Facility Size (Acres) Key Details
4 Soccer Fields ~14.25 acres
Four regulation-sized synthetic turf fields,
equipped with lighting for evening games and
tournaments. Fields will be adaptable for
multiple formats, including youth, 7v7, and full
11v11 matches. Multi-use for school, youth and
adult leagues. Lighting, shade structures and
seating areas.
4 Tennis Courts ~1.25 acres
Hard courts for recreational and tournament
play. Hitting areas, shade structures and lighting.
4 Paddle Tennis &
4 Pickleball Courts ~1.25 acres
Four pickleball courts and four padel courts to
capitalize on the popularity of social racquet
sports. Hitting areas, shade structures and
lighting.

Golf Driving Range
(50 Bays + Landing Area) ~6.25 acres
Fifty outdoor hitting bays, some equipped with
launch monitors and ball-tracking technologies. A
short game area including chipping greens, sand
bunkers, and putting greens to complete the golf
experience. Landing area for real ball flight
practice Lighting, Hitting areas and shade
structures
Children’s Play Area ~1.75 acres
Safe, innovative playground equipment targeted
at children aged 2–12. Structures, natural play
zones. Shade structures, safe surfacing,
interactive features.

Café and Patio Seating/
Areas ~2.75 acres
Café and outdoor dining areas for restaurant,
entertainment, events and family celebrations.

Includes some parking areas and areas for
delivery and vehicular circulation. Indoor seating
and outdoor patio areas with sightlines to both
the playground and sports fields, ensuring
families remain connected to the action.

Total Area ~27.50 acres
Projected based on a preliminary program.

Subject to adding or removing some
programming based on community needs and
wants.

Combined with its location, the site’s orientation and size provides for a unique opportunity to create an urban mixed-use development project. Focusing on sustainable development coupled with high-quality architecture and urban design, the project would only further enhance and sustain this thriving urban neighborhood community.

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1 Target Audience
Santa Monica Sports Park is designed to serve a wide and diverse range of users from across the community and region. Neighborhood residents will benefit from daily access to safe, high-quality outdoor recreation and gathering spaces. The park will also become a central hub for youth and adult sports leagues, attracting local clubs and regional tournament organizers seeking reliable, wellmaintained facilities for competitive play.

Casual and competitive players—including soccer teams, tennis enthusiasts, and golfers—will find a welcoming, modern environment for both practice and leisure. The park will also support educational opportunities, offering dedicated spaces for lessons, training programs, and physical education partnerships with schools.

Families will enjoy thoughtfully designed areas for play and connection, combining athletic amenities with safe, shaded environments and open space for children. In addition, corporate clients will be able to use the park for retreats and team-building activities, taking advantage of a unique venue that fosters wellness, collaboration, and community engagement.

Sustainability
Sustainable Development is balancing the fulfillment of human needs with the protection of the natural environment. Green Building is the practice of creating buildings and infrastructure that minimizes the use of resources; reduces harmful effects on the environment; and provides healthier environments for people. Our Development Team is committed to utilizing sustainable planning and development techniques on the proposed project. BLVD’s goal is to create projects that complement their context within the urban environment. This is accomplished not only through aesthetic means but also through respect for the as-built environment and urban fabric of the community in which they are built. Planning for and the implementation of sustainable and green initiatives is key to accomplishing the goal. 1 Renderings meant for illustrative purposes to provide visual representation of project vision and programming.

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Where feasible, existing utility infrastructure, hardscape, and building pads from the Santa Monica Airport site may be thoughtfully adapted and reused, creating opportunities for sustainable development, reducing construction costs, and preserving elements of the site’s legacy. This approach supports both environmental responsibility and creative design, allowing for an efficient transformation that reflects Santa Monica’s values of innovation and resilience.

Community Benefits, Joint-Use, and Sustainability Strategy Santa Monica Sports Park is designed to align with and exceed the guiding principles outlined for the conversion of the Santa Monica Airport site:
• Start with Nature: The park’s design prioritizes environmental stewardship and climate resilience.

Drought-tolerant planting, permeable surfaces, and on-site water capture systems will reduce environmental impacts. Habitat zones with native plants will support biodiversity and serve as educational areas for schools and families. Shaded pathways, pollinator gardens, and wildlifefriendly corridors will offer a meaningful connection to nature. • Inspire Wonder: Santa Monica Sports Park will be an inclusive space for shared experience and inspiration. The park will include public art installations, flexible event lawns, and performance zones for music, dance, and cultural expression. Informal gathering areas, a centrally located café, and a safe, playful environment for families will promote joy, interaction, and civic pride. • Celebrate Sport: Santa Monica Sports Park will celebrate sports by honoring the city’s vibrant culture of wellness and outdoor activity, offering world-class facilities that inspire athletes of all ages. Rooted in the value of competition, the park will elevate team sports and tournaments as a source of community pride, personal growth, and lasting connection for Santa Monica residents. • Balance Economics: Through thoughtful planning and responsible operations, the park will balance revenues with capital and operational costs. Revenue-generating components—including rentals, memberships, concessions, and events—will help sustain maintenance and programming. Private investment through a ground lease structure ensures the City avoids upfront capital costs while retaining long-term value.
• Amplify Versatility: The campus will support daily recreation as well as large-scale events.

Amenities will include active recreation fields and courts, casual play zones, and flexible open spaces. The driving range and sports courts can host instructional programs during the day and open play or tournaments in the evening. The park will serve as a canvas for evolving community needs—adaptable to athletics, festivals, arts, wellness, and more. • Honor Place: The design will honor the site’s aviation legacy and local identity through interpretive signage, creative reuse of airport materials, and curated installations that tell the story of Santa Monica’s innovation and civic spirit. Public space programming will include history walks, educational exhibits, and cross-cultural festivals that celebrate the creativity of the region.

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Market Opportunity
Suburban growth, rising youth sports participation, increased adult recreational activity, and a renewed focus on health and wellness have created a strong demand for modern, inclusive athletic complexes.

Additionally, the surge in popularity of sports like pickleball and padel offers opportunities to engage older adults and social athletes alike. Target Audience:
• Youth and Adult Sports Leagues: Local clubs and regional tournament organizers. • Casual and Competitive Golfers: Individuals and small groups seeking a fun, modern practice environment.
• Families: Parents looking for safe outdoor spaces for children, combined with convenient dining options.
• Corporate Clients: Companies seeking unique venues for team building and retreats.

Santa Monica Sports Park will strategically capitalize on these trends by offering diversified activities within a high-quality environment that encourages repeat visits and community loyalty.

Operations & Revenue
Santa Monica Sports Park will generate revenue through a diverse and sustainable mix of offerings designed to serve the community year-round. Facility rentals will form a key income stream, with fields, courts, and driving range bays available for hourly or seasonal use by teams, leagues, and individuals. For regular users, the park will offer memberships and season passes that include discounted rates and priority access to booking, creating value for families, athletes, and recreational players alike.

In addition, the park will feature robust programming and instructional offerings. Youth-focused initiatives such as soccer academies, tennis camps, and golf lessons will complement adult leagues, skill-building clinics, and tournament hosting. These programs will foster continuous engagement across age groups and skill levels.

The on-site café and retail shop will elevate the visitor experience by offering high-quality, nutritious meals, locally sourced beverages, and thoughtfully curated merchandise such as racquets, balls, and athletic apparel. Designed as a vibrant social hub, the café will feature indoor and outdoor seating areas that promote connection and relaxation. Beyond athletics, the park will serve as a community gathering destination—hosting live entertainment, birthday celebrations, corporate events, and seasonal festivals that foster joy, cultural expression, and year-round engagement for all ages.

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Partnerships
A core element of Santa Monica Sports Park’s mission will be to build strong, lasting partnerships with the local community. The facility will actively collaborate with club soccer organizations to provide premium field access for practices, league play, and tournaments, helping to support the growth of youth athletics in Santa Monica and the surrounding region. Santa Monica Sports Park will also work closely with local elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools to offer dedicated time slots for physical education programs, team practices, and seasonal sports camps. In addition, high school golf teams from Santa Monica and neighboring communities will have access to the state-of-the-art driving range and shortgame areas for training, competitions, and development programs. These partnerships will not only maximize the use of the facility but will ensure that Santa Monica Sports Park becomes an integral part of the educational and athletic fabric of the city, fostering youth development, school pride, and community connection.

Project Implementation Timeline
Our team is committed to delivering a high-quality public recreation project that reflects the City of Santa Monica’s vision for a vibrant, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable future. Santa Monica Sports Park will be planned, designed, and delivered through a collaborative model that brings together the developer, architects, consultants, and construction team from the outset. This early integration allows us to maximize design efficiency, reduce costs through real-time value engineering, and streamline construction sequencing to ensure timely delivery.

The development schedule outlined below reflects a realistic and achievable timeline for a project of this scope. It considers the necessary phases of visioning, entitlement, public outreach, design, and construction. Initial planning is targeted to begin in September 2025, with construction commencing in January 2029 and a projected 12-month buildout. The park is expected to open for public use in early 2030, following commissioning and operational testing.

We will conduct weekly coordination meetings across disciplines and maintain open lines of communication with City staff and stakeholders to ensure alignment, transparency, and responsiveness throughout the project lifecycle.

Project Phase Duration Start End Key Activities
Mobilization &
Visioning 6 months Sep-25 Feb-26 Developer onboarding, community outreach, site due diligence Planning &
Entitlement 24 months Mar-26 Feb-28 Concept development, CEQA review, zoning/entitlement approvals Design & PreConstruction 10 months Mar-28 Dec-28 Final architectural design, construction documents, permitting
Construction 12 months Jan-29 Dec-29 Site work, infrastructure, vertical construction, inspections
Commissioning &
Opening 3 months Jan-30 Mar-30 Final testing, staff onboarding, programming activation Mobilization &
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Structure
To facilitate the development of Santa Monica Sports Park within the Santa Monica Airport Redevelopment, we propose agreeing to a long-term ground lease agreement with the City of Santa Monica.

Under this arrangement, the City would retain ownership of the land while leasing the designated parcel to Santa Monica Sports Park for the purpose of constructing, operating, and maintaining a world-class outdoor recreation facility. This model ensures that the property remains a public asset while enabling private investment in critical community infrastructure.

The ground lease structure would align with the City’s goals for open space activation, sustainable land use, and enhanced public amenities, while offering a financially viable path for the creation of a premier sports destination that serves residents, visitors, and local organizations alike.

The proposed ground lease would be structured to support long-term community benefits while ensuring the financial sustainability of Santa Monica Sports Park. Key terms could include an initial lease term of 60-99 years with options for renewal, allowing for substantial private investment in high-quality infrastructure and ongoing maintenance. Lease payments could be structured as a base annual rent, potentially supplemented by a revenue-sharing component tied to the park’s operations. To align with the City’s broader goals, the agreement would incorporate provisions for public access, community programming, and discounted or dedicated use for local schools, youth sports organizations, and residents.

Environmental sustainability, accessibility, and design standards would be embedded in the lease to reflect Santa Monica’s commitment to green, inclusive development. This partnership model would ensure that Santa Monica Sports Park remains a dynamic, community-serving asset for generations to come.

Boulevard Partners
Boulevard Partners is a Santa Monica-based development firm specializing in community-focused real estate development and public-private partnerships. With a proven track record of delivering sustainable, vibrant projects that blend public benefit with private investment, we are proud to present our concept for Santa Monica Sports Park as part of the Santa Monica Airport Redevelopment.

Boulevard Partners is uniquely qualified to enter into a ground lease agreement with the City and to develop Santa Monica Sports Park. With a proven track record in large-scale, community-focused real estate projects, Boulevard Partners brings extensive experience in public-private partnerships, complex site redevelopments, and sustainable infrastructure development. As a resident of Santa Monica, Scott A.

Ginsburg leads the and has successfully delivered projects that balance private investment with long-term public benefits, consistently meeting or exceeding municipal goals for open space activation, community engagement, and economic viability. Boulevard Partners is committed to working collaboratively with City leadership, local organizations, and stakeholders to ensure that Santa Monica Sports Park becomes a vibrant, accessible, and lasting addition to the Santa Monica community.

More information and references are available.

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Boulevard Partners LLC (“Boulevard Partners” or “BLVD”) is a Santa Monica-based real estate investment, development, and management firm founded in 2012. We specialize in creating transformative urban environments through mixed-use, infill, and community-driven development. With over $150M in completed principal investment and development, Boulevard Partners has a successful history of executing complex urban infill projects and managing a portfolio of owned real estate throughout Southern California.

Our team has successfully delivered high-impact, community-centered projects including:
• 107 Hewitt, Downtown LA – A vibrant, transit-oriented housing development offering both market and affordable units in the Arts District.
• The Culver Steps, Culver City – A civic-minded mixed-use development featuring Class-A offices, public plazas, and active ground-floor uses.
• PROJECT Arts Center, Santa Monica – A cultural and community arts facility providing vital local programming.

Scott A. Ginsburg, Managing Partner, leads Boulevard Partners and will serve as the day-to-day representative of the Development Team. Our firm brings deep experience navigating entitlement complexity, forging public-private partnerships, and delivering high-quality, resilient projects designed with lasting social and civic value.

Through innovative techniques, strong partnerships, best-in-class architecture, and a communitycentered approach, Boulevard Partners is prepared to deliver a transformative solution at Santa Monica Airport. We are confident that our experience, foresight, financial capacity, and community commitment position us meet and exceed the goals of this opportunity — and help shape the future of Santa Monica in a way that honors its values and aspirations.

We propose a long-term ground lease with the City of Santa Monica, enabling the City to retain land ownership while supporting a privately financed, constructed, and operated public-serving sports complex. Boulevard Partners will serve as lead developer and asset manager. We anticipate partnering with a nationally recognized sports facility operator (TBD) for daily operations, and engaging local design, sustainability, and community programming consultants to support delivery and operations.

Conclusion
Santa Monica Sports Park is more than a sports facility — it’s a community destination. By offering a combination of premier athletic spaces, family-friendly amenities, and vibrant programming, we are poised to create a sustainable, profitable operation that enriches the community and creates memorable experiences for all visitors.

Santa Monica Sports Park is more than a facility; it’s a destination and a civic catalyst. It represents a future-forward, inclusive, and environmentally conscious public-private partnership that will provide generational benefits to Santa Monica residents and the broader region. By meeting and exceeding the City’s guiding principles for the airport site, the project becomes a living example of how infrastructure, culture, and ecology can co-exist and thrive.

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1 May 5, 2025
RE: Airport Conversion Project – Letter of Interest (LOI), Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica Amber Richane
Principal Design and Planning Manager
1685 Main Street, Mail Stop 15
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Dear Amber,
Please see the attached LOI for Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica (SMBGC) about the Airport Conversion Project. SMBGC has been serving the West Los Angeles community for over 80 years.

We utilize a community-based approach, which allows our organization to be nimble and responsive to meet the needs of the children, teens, and families we serve.

We sincerely appreciate this opportunity and look forward to collaboratively exploring with the City of Santa Monica (City).

1. Organizational Overview & Statement of Proposed Public-Private Partnership Since 1944, Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica (SMBGC) has been integral to the Santa Monica and West Los Angeles communities. SMBGC provides high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programs that foster academic, social, and emotional growth among participants. Our programs focus on healthy lifestyles, character and leadership, and workforce readiness.

Across 11 sites, SMBGC serves over 2,200 youth annually and almost 600 youth daily during the school year. SMBGC recognizes that active play, outdoor education, gardening, and recreational sports programs are foundational for the youth in our community to thrive.

Through these program activities, SMBGC serves almost 1,500 kids annually.

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2 Finally, SMBGC also recognizes the critical role OST programs play in the success of young people and our steadfast commitment to being one of the most affordable and accessible OST programs in our community, where the unmet demand locally is 70% - significantly higher than the state (56%) and national (50%) averages. Los Angeles County alone has over 360,000 children not enrolled in an OST program, with 50% of families citing cost as a barrier (Afterschool Alliance, 2020). SMBGC offers tuition-free services for low-income families.

According to the LA84 Play Equity Report (2024), “access, affordability, transportation, and safe spaces to play continue to hinder the ability of youth – particularly those from underserved communities – to engage in the type of physical activity that fosters lifelong well-being.” SMBGC addresses these barriers by prioritizing inclusivity, accessibility, and targeted support for historically underrepresented groups.

SMBGC proposes a public-private partnership as part of the Airport Conversion Project to serve as an OST program provider and create barrier-free access to recreational programs outside during the summer and after school throughout the park. This public-private partnership would require joint-use agreements with other entities and facility operations, including but not limited to the City of Santa Monica.

2. Description of Proposed Project, Community Benefit, Joint Use, & Sustainability SMBGC’s operating model and programs are nimble and easily molded to meet the needs of any space, facility, and/or classroom. Currently, we offer daily services for almost 400 youth on playgrounds at eight school sites utilizing a play-based curriculum and active play strategies.

The proposed project would prioritize SMBGC hosting programming within a park space to facilitate evidence-based or evidence-informed curricula through regularly scheduled enrichment sessions.

Our relevant curriculums include, but are not limited to:
• Playmeo – play-based activities and games to develop social-emotional learning skills
• BIPOC Agroecology Network: a community gardening curriculum geared to environmental education, conservation, nutrition skills, and healthy cooking. • Bikeology – a ready-to-use bicycle safety curriculum for use with school-aged youth as published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). • Girls on the Run - research-based curriculum that provides tools and teaches skills to enhance girls’ physical, social, and emotional health.

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3 • Recreational Sports Leagues - a sports-based, trauma-informed youth development approach to sports (basketball, flag football, soccer, baseball/softball/tee ball, track, volleyball) supporting participants’ character, leadership, social-emotional skills, and healthy habits.

The park space ideal for our work includes the following types of locations. Any park space, including existing Clover Park, could be re-purposed to support programming with the appropriate joint-use agreement and scheduling function. • Playgrounds
• Community Gardens
• Sports fields
• Gymnasiums
• Bike paths
• Walking/running paths
Through this proposed project, the community will benefit from increased access to supervised, high-quality OST programs, with an intentional focus on promoting healthy lifestyles through parks. Much of this programming could be delivered through SMBGC’s existing operations while aiming to attract new funders and partners for possible expansion and serving more youth across Santa Monica and West Los Angeles.

If the City desires, other structures (existing/refurbished) or land may be explored for a more traditional Boys & Girls Club facility. SMBGC is actively exploring relocation from our legacy location on Lincoln Boulevard to be closer to families, parks, and schools. Ideally, this space would be no more than 12,000 square feet with parking.

4. Financial Plan Summary
SMBGC currently raises regular and recurring revenue by implementing our play-based and recreation programs with a tuition schedule. Program costs are also often supplemented through private and public funders. For this proposed project, SMBGC plans to implement a similar revenue model, including continued tuition-free programs for all low-income youth.

Here, SMBGC has completed similar projects in partnership with Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD), Housing Authority of Los Angeles (HACLA), California Natural Resource Agency (CNRA), and Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC).

We have also led similar projects with LA84, Save the Children, and a variety of other private entities.

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4 If the City desires SMBGC to relocate and operate a traditional Boys & Girls Club facility, the funding and revenue impacts are more significant. Again, this can be explored and will depend on whether a site is refurbished or newly constructed. To generate revenue in this model, SMBGC would likely (1) implement the tuition schedule mentioned above, (2) administer the facilities use agreement process and generate income from rental/uses when programming is not in session, and (3) leverage private and public funders to supplement.

SMBGC has completed similar joint use, building/construction projects with SMMUSD at the John Adams Middle School Club and HACLA at the Mar Vista Gardens Club. Both projects leverage funding from public and private sources.

5. Timeline for Project Implementation
Again, SMBGC’s operating model and programs are nimble and easily molded to meet the needs of any space, facility, and/or classroom. SMBGC will be ready to implement programs starting January 1, 2029.

Suppose the City desires SMBGC to relocate a traditional Club facility to the Airport Conversation Project. In that case, SMBGC will be willing to engage in a collaborative design and due diligence process as soon as reasonably practicable.

Thank you for your time and valuable consideration.

Sincerely,
Brynja Seagren
Chief Executive Officer
Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Monica
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State of California • Natural Resources Agency Gavin Newsom, Governor DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION Armando Quintero, Director Angeles District. 1925 Las Virgenes Road. Calabasas, CA 91302 Letter of Interest
Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project
Introduction:

California State Parks (State Parks) is pleased to submit a letter of interest for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (SMACP). As a national leader in public lands management, State Parks is well positioned to activate these spaces in alignment with its mission:

To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state's extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for highquality outdoor recreation.

State Parks maintains an impressive portfolio of 280 state park units, over 340 miles of coastline, 970 miles of lake and river frontage, 15,000 campsites, 5,200 miles of trails, 3,195 historic buildings and more than 11,000 known prehistoric and historic archaeological sites, the largest and most diverse recreational, natural and cultural heritage holdings of any state agency in the nation. More than 68 million people visit California’s State Park System annually.

The Angeles District (District) of State Parks encompasses 23 magnificent State Park units throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. This includes State beaches, parks, recreation areas, historic parks, a natural preserve, and a scenic overlook.

Additionally, District properties located within metropolitan Los Angeles are among the only urban State Parks in California. District State Park units include:

State Parks
- Leo Carrillo State Park
- Malibu Creek State Park
- Placerita Canyon State Park (operated by LA County Parks & Recreation) - Point Mugu State Park
- Topanga State Park
- Verdugo Mountains State Park (operated by City of LA Parks & Recreation) State Beaches
- Dockweiler State Beach (operated by LA County Beaches & Harbors) - Malibu Lagoon State Beach
- Point Dume State Beach
- Robert H. Meyer Memorial State Beach
- Santa Monica State Beach (operated by City of Santa Monica) - Will Rogers State Beach (operated by LA County Beaches & Harbors) Item 7-A
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State Historic Parks
- Los Angeles State Historic Park
- Los Encinos State Historic Park
- Pio Pico State Historic Park
- Rio de Los Angeles State Historic Park
- Santa Susana Pass State Historic Park
- Watts Towers of Simon Rodia State Historic Park (Operated by City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs)
- Will Rogers State Historic Park
State Recreation Areas
- Castaic Lake State Recreation Area (Operated by LA County Parks & Recreation)
- Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area (Operated by LA County Parks & Recreation)
The District oversees an annual operating budget of $20+ million, approximately 120 full-time and 200 seasonal staff, and is well respected by park users as evidenced by its average Google Maps park rating of 4.6/5 stars and All Trails rating of 4.7/5. Further information about the District can be found on its landing page at:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=681
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District staff provide support for a variety of disciplines, including Administration, Community Engagement, Cultural Resources, Interpretation & Education, Natural Resources, Maintenance, Public Safety, Special Events and Visitor Services. These teams work collaboratively under the direction of the District Superintendent’s office, which reports to the State Parks Field Division at Agency Headquarters in Sacramento.

Statement of Partnership:

State Parks is interested in a long-term, multi-year partnership that results in the development and operation of a California State Park at the SMACP. State Parks proposes collaborative discussion to explore any and all possibilities to bring worldclass recreation, habitat preservation, public events, and more to Santa Monica.

As evidenced by the Angeles District portfolio, there are numerous approaches to interagency collaboration resulting in inclusive, accessible, and well-loved parks. These include government agencies operating State properties, such as the City of Santa Monica managing Santa Monica State Beach, as well as State Parks operating municipal property, such as Pio Pico State Historic Park in the City of Whittier. State Parks is seeking to discuss all above possible approaches, as well as others, with a goal toward developing a collaborative operation that benefits the public.

Resources and Support:

State Parks has capacity to support the development and implementation of the SMACP. As a State agency, State Parks augments services at the District-level by utilizing departmental services for planning, project management, and implementation.

As an example, the Southern Service Center (SSC), a program based out of San Diego, provides project management support for dozens of Angeles District projects, ranging from full park design to replacement and repair of existing infrastructure.

In a similar fashion, the District augments day-to-day operations through a strong network of State-wide professional support. During the Palisades Fire incident, the District collaborated with CAL OES and internal program areas to secure fire response personnel, draft recovery documents, and ensure delivery of equipment and assets.

State Parks employees visit Angeles District to assist with coastal development planning.

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State Parks also has a strong reputation for attracting grant funds and private philanthropy. Parks California, which is State Parks’ statutory non-profit partner, generates funding and support that “helps strengthen parks and inspire all people to experience these extraordinary places”. Arts in California Parks is another granting program that “brings people, communities, and nature closer together across our beautiful state by creating art installations and programs in State and local parks that foster lasting community bonds and promote health and happiness for all”.

Finally, the District oversees a geographically dispersed portfolio of State Park units, which create a seamless experience from coast to mountains, from City to wilderness, and beyond. The addition of the SMACP would provide State Park services in an area of the District which currently has no presence and would specifically serve communities identified in the following State initiatives:
• Outdoor Access for All Initiative - An initiative of California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, this program aims to build a healthier and more equitable California for all kids through development of outdoor programming, particularly in underserved communities.
• 30 x 30 California - Establishes a state goal of conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030 – known as 30x30. The 30x30 goal is intended to help accelerate conservation of lands and coastal waters through voluntary, collaborative action with partners across the state to meet three objectives:
conserve and restore biodiversity, expand access to nature, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change
• Urban Strategic Initiative – An existing effort to bring the State Park Mission to some of the most underserved, park-poor communities in the heart of the nation’s second largest metropolitan area. Through this initiative, State Parks has worked cooperatively with local partners to address the needs of under-served urban residents by committing resources to community outreach and development of urban parks.
• PORTS - The Parks Online Resources for Teachers and
Students program brings California State Parks into the classroom, digitally. Not every student will be able to visit a California State Park as geographical and economic
barriers exist. The goal is to increase access to as many future stewards as possible while helping California
teachers break down barriers in exploring the outdoors.

Los Angeles State Historic Park:

Los Angeles State Historic Park (LASHP) represents perhaps the best example and true potential for the SMACP. This 32-acre State Park is located in downtown Los Angeles and provides beautiful views of the skyline, creative public events, habitat conservation, as well as a robust offering of FREE community engagement programs.

LASHP is considered the leading-edge of State Parks’ efforts to bring the agency mission to the most underserved, park-poor communities. The park offers a Special Events program which currently generates approximately two thirds (2/3) of costrecovery necessary to operate the unit, while also securing donations and corporate funding necessary to support FREE community engagement opportunities. The park is Item 7-A
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widely regarded for its impeccable maintenance and the District has mastered the ability to care for an urban landscape while also supporting large revenue-generating activities. State Parks’ Communications and Legislative Program support ensure productive relationships with the immediate community and elected officials.

Los Angeles State Historic Park
Conclusion:

State Parks welcomes the opportunity to continue collaborative discussions related to the development, construction, and operation of the SMACP. In full alignment with the State Parks mission, and with the full support of the State Parks professional network, the agency believes it can create an inclusive, self-sustaining, revenue generating park unit that transforms asphalt to green space for the purpose of recreational, arts, cultural, educational and supported community uses.

Contact:

Angeles District
C/O Richard Fink II, District Superintendent
1925 Las Virgenes Road
Calabasas, CA 91302
[email protected]
818-880-0363
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CONTACT US
(818) 880-0363
1925 Las Virgenes Rd,
Calabasas, CA 91302
[email protected]
Angeles District
of California State Parks

VISIT OUR

WEBSITE

ATTEND EVENTS

IN THE DISTRICT
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News Release
For Immediate Release: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Parks California Launches $5 Million Effort for Fire-Affected Los Angeles Area State Parks
 Topanga SP, Will Rogers SHP
Contacts:

California State Parks
[email protected]
Parks California
[email protected]
Public-private partnership enables Parks California to engage donors on behalf of California State Parks to support priority recovery needs in the aftermath of January firestorm SACRAMENTO – Parks California announced today the launch of a $5 million fundraising effort in support of California State Parks to reimagine, restore and reopen state parks affected by the January 2025 Los Angeles firestorm. The RENEW LA Fund seeks donor investments to accelerate State Parks’ ability to initiate fire recovery and resiliency planning for Will Rogers State Historic Park and Topanga State Park, both badly damaged in the Palisades Fire.

The firestorm damaged nearly 8,500 acres of park lands, infrastructure, trails and more than 30 State Parks' structures, one of which was the destruction of Will Rogers' 31-room ranch. The Hollywood star began developing the property in 1925, with the original ranch house constructed in 1927 with a north wing addition coming in 1930. The ranch, the surrounding land and buildings were donated to California State Parks in 1944 by Rogers’ widow, Betty Rogers, with the assistance of Leo Carrillo, a family friend and a State Parks Commissioner at the time.

Will Rogers State Historic Park remains closed to the public and continues its disaster response and recovery efforts. Topanga State Park reopened hiking trails in unburned areas of the park to the public in mid-March. Estimates for the full reopening of either park are not yet known.
“Generations of Californians have found comfort in their state parks, and as the Los Angeles area recovers from the devastating firestorm, these same parks can once again serve as a source for healing and a symbol of community regrowth— and the generosity of donors can help make that happen faster,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “Our unique partnership with Parks California gives us an edge in quickly and efficiently rehabilitating these vital community assets while public resources are still being determined.”
Created by Senate Bill 1111 (2016) and launched in 2019, Parks California is an official California nonprofit public benefit corporation that builds collaborative partnerships and programs to support California State Parks and its 340 miles of public coastline, 970 miles of public lake and riverfront, 15,000 campsites and 5,200 miles of trails. “These firestorms took so much from so many,” said Kindley Walsh Lawlor, president and CEO, Parks California. “Our places of safety and community — homes, schools, houses of worship and our state parks — have been permanently upended. Restoring these parks will serve as a beacon of recovery for Angelenos and those who come to Southern California for refuge, rebuilding our collective sense of community.”
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The first phase of planning is kicking off and is expected to include field investigations, general assessments and GIS analysis to inform the long-term reimagining and restoration efforts. Donor investments will accelerate new infrastructure and park amenities, community outreach and environmental resilience measures, alongside trail restoration, facility repairs and wildlife recovery projects.

An innovative public-private collaboration, Parks California focuses on the long-term stewardship of California’s state parks, supporting programs that improve access by bringing more people into parks, fostering inclusion through culturally relevant experiences and advancing innovative solutions to environmental challenges like sea-level rise, ecosystem restoration, watershed protection and disaster recovery.

Learn more about how to support California State Parks through the RENEW LA fund: parkscalifornia.org/southern-cafirestorms/. Gifts can be made online or by contacting [email protected] for more information.

Images of firefighting efforts during the LA firestorm in January 2025. Bottom left: Will Rogers’ former home was severely damaged during the Palisades Fire. Photos from California State Parks.

Subscribe to California State Parks News via e-mail at [email protected] California State Parks provides for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.
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1 SANTA MONICA AIRPORT

LETTER OF INTEREST
Corporate Realty Group “CRG” was formed in Santa Monica in 2008 with its current office located at 3233 Donald Douglas Loop S., Suite B, Santa Monica CA 90405. CRG’s Principal, Craig Zund, has over 30 years of commercial real estate experience covering planning, leasing, asset purchase and disposition, management, strategy, financial analysis, design, construction and operations in both the public and private sector. CRG is a full service commercial real estate firm that has enjoyed a strong strategic partnership with the City of Santa Monica in developing and executing real estate strategies. With our responsive hands-on approach encompassing the complete real estate life cycle, we have executed realistic solutions to overcome obstacles that are often overlooked by others and always work efficiently using localized industry knowledge, customized tools and technology to provide expeditious results.

CRG’s Principal, Craig Zund, has relevant municipal real estate experience that was acquired during his tenure at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York where he was directly responsible for a vast array of real estate assignments. Responsibilities included leasing, asset management and disposition of state owned facilities, office buildings, electrical substations, easements for public right of ways, land swaps / sales, retail, specialty rail yard facilities, parking lots and other specialty real estate asset classes.

CRdd
Previous experience with governmental entities includes the following:
• The GSA
• The State of New York
• The City of New York
• The Metropolitan Transportation Authority
• Los Angeles Community College Division
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2 PROVEN EXPERIENCE
LIST OF CRG’s SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS AND TRANSACTIONS WITH THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA…
Company Year Transaction
2014 Sublease of excess space at 223 Broadway
2016 New lease at Santa Monica Airport @ 3221 DDLS
2016 Lease Renewal at 3300 Airport Avenue
Ongoing Lease negotiations & advisory
2016 Lease termination negotiation
2017
Advisory role to City for lease negotiation at Santa
Monica Airport
2016 CRG brings Snapchat to the Santa Monica Airport for initial lease of 2772 / 2800 Donald Douglas Loop N.

Represents significant revenue boos for The City of
Santa Monica
2021 Lease termination negotiation on behalf of The City of Santa Monica for 1437 4th Street, Santa Monica
2021 New Lease at 3157 Donald Douglas Loop S.
2021 New Lease 3162 Donald Douglas Loop S.
2021 New Lease for Religion of Sports at 3221 Donald Douglas Loop S.
2022 New Lease for 8,000 square foot expansion at 3200
Airport Avenue, leased prior to completion of building
construction.

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3 The Objective
Our Goal for this Letter of Interest is to clearly communicate our desire to be part of this transformative project in The City of Santa Monica. We believe that the City’s desire to create a common space in conformance with Measure LC in a manner that connects the City and increases the quality of life to residents will pay dividends for generations to come. Along with a great park, there is also an opportunity for multiple revenue sources by which to fund such an incredible initiative.

CRG’s has over 10 years of proven expertise in adding value to The City’s real estate initiatives and we believe that we are well positioned to assist The City of Santa Monica with this landmark project.

Aside from delivering typical real estate transactions for The City of Santa Monica, CRG can offer other value-added real solutions over and above tactical day to day transactions.

Over the past 10 years, CRG has added value to the City of Santa Monica in the following areas:
• Increased the quality and financial stability of tenants that were brought to City owned properties.
• Streamlined the transaction timeline in reducing total deal closure timeline. • Significantly increased the rent rolls for the City of Santa Monica, particularly at The Santa Monica Airport.
• Introduced new leasing concepts and educated City Staff regarding typical market conditions and industry standards.
2024 Lease extension for an additional 10-year term at 2772 / 2800 Donald Douglas Loop North, 3000 31st Street and
specialty hangars.
2024 / 2025
Pacific Park expansion on the Santa Monica Pier
covering an additional 10k square feet. Lease
negotiations ongoing with The City.
2025 New Lease for remainder of space at 3200 Airport
Avenue, LOI signed within two (2) months of going to
market.

Our Pitch….

Our proven track record and experience can be applied to initiatives stated in this Letter of Interest to utilize CRG’s brokerage and project management skills to attract qualified partners, developers and operators to accomplish whatever initiatives are ultimately chosen. CRG’s fees would be based on the rate schedule attached to this Letter of Interest or whatever reasonable fee structure or compensation is agreed upon.

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4 The Opportunities
• Short Term: Existing structures and hangars at the Santa Monica Airport can be repositioned as adaptive re-use. The Santa Monica Airport contains approximately 180,000 square feet of hangar space, including underlying land leases supporting privately owned hangars that can potentially be reverted to the city.

Google Los Angeles Old Kraft Plant @ Bentonville AK

Skyline Park @ New York City Brewery Artist Loft & Walkway / Los Angeles • Repositioning of existing assets for an assortment of uses:
o Pop up restaurants with food trucks as kitchens and portable restrooms o Yoga studios, art galleries, pop up bars, concert venues, exercise facilities o Car clubs or other automotive uses
o Community gardens, meditation fields, solar, EV charging o Transportation Hub
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5 • Short / Mid Term Auxiliary Revenue Source
o Concert Venue
§ The Santa Monica Airport could generate
generous revenue as an incredible outdoor
concert venue / festival location. Existing
hangars can be used for food concessions and
other merchandise point of sales. The Penmar
Golf Course has re-invented itself with Friday
night concerts “The Friday Night Sessions”
o Electric Vehicle Charging Hub (including autonomous)
§ Dedicate one end of the parcel to create a large electric vehicle charging hub, including autonomous vehicles (Depending on capital requirements for deployment). This can serve as a major
benefit to the local community and
increase EV adoption, generate income
and reduce emissions.
o Solar Charging
§ Due to the size of the current airport
grounds (subject to capital cost), the airport grounds could be used to generate power for car charging or other energy needs…
o Community Gardens
In a growing City with the ratio of residents to green space diminishing, an opportunity exists to create a massive community garden to serve individuals and families. Membership fees could be assessed to members and generate revenue for initiatives.

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6 • Mid to Long Term Auxiliary Revenue Source
• Mid to Long Term would be contingent on the overall master plan being imagined and finalized, however ideas that can now be perused:
o Identify portions of the overall project that can be sold to finance other project initiatives in a manner that would still allow the city to control the entire project and to remain part of the overall project.
§ Deed restrictions could be placed on disposed parcels so that they could be developed by a third party but remain an integral part of the overall master plan to be controlled by Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions “CC&R’s”. § Income on such dispositions can be utilized to finance additional park areas or public amenities.
§ The Airport park vision can remain intact by ensuring proper rules and regulations for transferred assets as new developers would welcome the opportunity for partnership with The City.
o Identify portions of the overall project that can be utilized for office campus, multifamily or other income producing rental and secure very long-term land leases (100 years), structures would revert to the city at the expiration of the term. § This approach would be income producing to fund other areas of the project and provide additional housing or high-quality office / retail / restaurants / social halls or other amenities to residents.
o Securing land leases and land disposition are two high level ways to fund other areas of the project and to ensure that The City can deliver on the promise of a large public facing green space / park.

Even in the event of long-term land leases or targeted disposition, The City can still retain control over the activities of developers provided that proper documentation is in place to control such transactions over the short, medium and long term.

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7 o Key targets (if not already responding to this Letter of Interest) would be the developers of the Playa Vista Community such as Brookfield Residential, Lincoln Property Co., Phoenix Property Co., and Alcion Ventures. Additionally, Boston Properties can be a likely candidate for potential office park expansion. o Other developer targets are FivePoint, Lennar, Toll Brothers, Williams Homes, KB Home, Tri Pointe Homes, Richmond American Homes.
o A wonderful park surrounded by residential, retail & nightlife can potentially be funded in part by outside developers. Examples can be found in Irvine and other master planned type communities.

OUR PROPOSAL
As mentioned earlier in this Letter of Interest, CRG would like to position itself as a “Trusted & Proven Partner” alongside the City of Santa Monica regardless of what initiative the future holds for the site of The Santa Monica Airport. Our fees for services can likely be covered by the revenue streams for initiatives that we have recommended or by initiatives that may be presented by others in the event we are selected to execute.

We are aware that major regional and / or global entities will likely be involved with any type of redevelopment of The Santa Monica Airport, but we are confident that we can play a key role at some point in the process for this exciting project.

Our rates below can apply to a variety of scenarios, however we open to dialog and discussion regarding our rates depending on what role we can play for this once in a lifetime redevelopment opportunity in the City of Santa Monica.

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8 Cost Proposal
Transaction Type CRG as sole broker
percentage or flat fee
* With Tenant Representative / Outside Broker
“Additional Broker”
Month-to-month or less than
1 year – new agreements or
renewals
1 Month’s rent or by using hourly rates
described below in the following
section, whichever is greater.
* If the tenant is represented by a tenant
representative broker, then their fee shall be an
additional 4% over CRG fee
New leases up to 5,000
square feet
Years 1-5: 4% of gross aggregate
lease value
Years 6-10: 2% of gross aggregate
lease value
Years 11-20: 1% of gross aggregate
lease value
* Years 1-5: An additional 2% of gross aggregate
lease value
* Years 6-10: An additional 1% of gross aggregate
lease value
* Years 11-20: An additional 0.5% of gross aggregate
lease value
** New leases over 5,000
square feet
Years 1-5: 3% of gross aggregate
lease value
Years 6-10: 1% of gross aggregate
lease value
Years 11-100: 0.5% of gross
aggregate lease value
* Years 1-5: An additional 3% of gross aggregate
lease value
* Years 6-10: An additional 2% of gross aggregate
lease value
* Years 11-20: An additional 1% of gross aggregate
lease value
Lease Renewals
Years 1-5: 2% of gross aggregate
lease value
Years 6-10: 1% of gross aggregate
lease value
* Years 1–5: Additional 2%-4%
*Years 6-10: Additional 1%-2%
Lease Expansions
Years 1-5: 2% of aggregate lease
value
Years 6-10: 1% of aggregate lease
value
• * Years 1-5: An additional 2 to 4% of aggregate lease value.
•
• * Years 6-10: An additional 1% to 2% of aggregate
lease value.
* If there is an outside / tenant rep broker involved (CRG as “Sole Broker” + The “Additional Broker”), the additional fee for the outside broker plus CRG’s fee shall collectively amount to one full market rate commission commonly used in Santa Monica.

If CRG is the sole broker, we pass along the savings, which shall result in a significant discount for the City. ** This section represents a discount for larger transactions.

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9 CONCLUSION
We understand that major regional or global partners may be involved with this extraordinary opportunity to re-shape the landscape of Santa Monica and we are confident that we can add value to the transition of the Santa Monica Airport. Having worked with the City of Santa Monica for approximately ten (10) years, most of which have been projects within the Santa Monica Airport, there very few firms that are as knowledge as CRG with regard to the innerworkings of the Airport and the operations at The City of Santa Monica and its approval processes.

We are open to discussions with The City with respect to any role that we can be a part and would be proud to continue our strategic partnership of adding value, generating revenues and educating The City with respect to real estate best practices.

Sincerely,
Craig Zund
Principal
Hourly Rate Schedule
Personnel Hourly Rates Percentage of Scope of
Work
Craig Zund / Principal $295 Per Hour 90%
Associate Brokers $200 Per Hour 10%
Project Manager • $ 150 Per Hour On Demand
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A brief introduction of the organization, including relevant experience and qualifications, and a statement on the proposed Public-Private Partnership, listing any other partners and their respective roles and responsibilities (if applicable).

Crow Comedy Inc and The Crow - who are we?

MISSION STATEMENT
Crow Comedy Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that is a community driven “3rd Space” using the art of comedy, storytelling and music for multi-cultural expression, healing, and social progress through live performances, educational classes, and professional development. We empower people with joy and laughter, ensuring access for those whose stories might otherwise go untold. The Crow, located inside the historic Bergamot Station Arts Center artist colony, provides a stage and safe space for all ages, genders, sexual orientations, races, religions, backgrounds, abilities, and socio-economic classes, and leans into empowering individuals to find their voice and express their point of view through writing and performing.

VISON
Crow Comedy Inc.’s vision is to build bridges and connections in society through the art of storytelling and comedy and to drive social change through understanding each others’ stories, creating compassion and empathy for all.

Relevant experience and qualifications:

Since May 2022 Nicole and Mickey Blaine own and operate The Crow, both a nonprofit [ComedyReflectsOurWorld.org] and for-profit [CrowComedy.com] comedy venue and education space that consistently programs comedy, storytelling, and music shows promoting and featuring marginalized voices. Previous experience includes:

President of The Tennant Association of Bergamot Station Arts Center: 2022-2024 organized and produced the quarterly “Bergamot Open” community events and facilitated all tenant, city and property management communication. During my time as President I hosted and led monthly tenant meetings, organized youth orchestras (SMYO, Geffen Academy), to play in art galleries and on a stage outside the Metro, brought in multiple food trucks (specifically ones owned by BIPOC women), photographers, street artists, videographers, and live comedy acts.

UNDER the 501c3 Crow Comedy Inc:

Kids Comedy Camp at The Crow [2022 - present]
Storyectomy [2022 - present] Learn More HERE. Partners are:

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END CANCER, Storyectomy: American Cancer Society [100% of our ticket sales to ACS and they co-market the program with their newsletters and social media, and RadNet is our funder.] FAMILY PRIDE, Stroyectomy: Partnered and fully funded by City of Santa Monica, with additional funding from David Bohnett Foundation.

UNHOUSED, Storyectomy: Partnered with City of Santa Monica (2025) and Santa Monica History Museum (2024)
BABY BUMPS, Storyectomy: Partnered with Maternal Mental Health Now (2023 - present) Bergamot Comedy Fest [2022 - present] Partners/Sponsors: City of Santa Monica (2024), Santa Monica Travel and Tourism (2024, 2025), Santa Monica Brew Works (2024, 2025), Comedy Gives Back (2024, 2025), MasterClass (2024, 2025), Ladies of Comedy Association (2024), Imprint Revolution (2024), Working Families Party (2025), Rustic Canyon Group (2025) Cabaret at The Crow: partnership with Drag Arts Lab to help bring more visibility and support to the Drag Queens using comedy and music.

Stand-Up, Storytelling Educator for 15 + years at LVUSD, Crossroads, Brentwood School, Santa Monica High School, The Crow [Nicole’s Educational Bio] Comedy & Music Fundraisers: There are so many, here is a short list of partners: DCRC (2023, 2024, 2025), Black Deaf Project (2023, 2024), SMMUSD (2022 - present), Motion Picture TV Fund, Kids for Kololo to name a few!
Theater Director/Teacher for 20+ years [Mickey Blaine is currently teaching at Crossroads School] Camp Director at Tumbleweed Day Camp [Nicole & Mickey Blaine 1999 - 2006] Westside Comedy Theater, Executive Producer of Comedy Festivals, live shows, and open mics for females [Nicole Blaine 2012-2022]
A high-level description of the proposed project including approximate space needs and if any of the existing structures can be reused / adapted to support this LOI.

I am a current tenant of Bergamot Station Arts Center’s 30-year-long Artist Colony, and knowing that Bergamot Station Arts Center is going to be turned into subsidized housing in three years, I’d like to propose having a NEW and significantly improved Artist’s Colony that is owned and supported by The City of Santa Monica Arts & Culture at SM Airport.

In this Artist’s Colony there would be a dedicated area of arts and cultural businesses that are dedicated to building community through their art form. Arts and Cultural businesses that not only have art to see, explore, experience and buy, but also are venues that give Santa Monica residents opportunity to become artists themselves - educational arts programs for ALL ages. Imagine an area with a theater (Ruskin!), a comedy club (The Crow!), makers studios, a dance studio, music Item 7-A
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studio, pottery, painting, creative writing, culinary arts, etc., where the community can gather to see and create art!
Similar to how Bergamot Station Arts Center selects tenants, there will be a criteria for Artistic Business and Cultural Organizations to meet in order to be selected for this opportunity. The City of SM would give a subsidized rental rate, similar to how it is at Bergamot Station currently. The new set of criteria will focus on bringing in a variety of arts and cultural businesses that promote affordable and free artistic and community driven experiences.

In this area, a dedicated outdoor space for shows and concerts would be utilized throughout the year by all venues. Like when the SM Pier was revitalized by hosting Twilight on the Pier music festival, weekends will be filled with family friendly programming with outdoor music concerts, dance shows, comedy shows, storytelling nights, poetry slams, open mic nights, art fairs, culinary art food festivals, drag shows, outdoor movie nights, you name it! The Santa Monica Airport used one of their parking lots during the pandemic as a drive-in movie theater and it was quite successful!
With a dedicated area that is set up with proper AV, sound, lighting, staging, seating, the central arts area can be like a small outdoor Greek theater setting, either on a large sloped grassy hill or like The Greek at Santa Monica High Schoo.. This could be like an outdoor Santa Monica Civic Light Operal or Miles Playhouse. A true epicenter made to celebrate live arts performances and experiences.

Some events will be FREE and open to the public and others will be ticketed. Each artist business will get an opportunity to program both ticketed events and will be required to provide a free night for the public on a rotating basis. This will bring in a local and tourist community that will ultimately begin to support those local businesses on a regular basis.

A high-level description of the community benefits, any joint-use opportunities anticipated by the concept submitted, and sustainability / circularity / resiliency concept(s).

Community Benefits
Having a dedicated hub of cultural arts in Santa Monica not only is essential for building a strong community, but will also become an epicenter of inclusivity! With a mission to highlight the beauty of our diverse community, to use art to connect with others, learn about cultural diversity through artistic expression, we will not only help our community grow stronger through these events, we will build stronger community relationships with partnering arts organizations and nonprofits. Los Angeles is rich with arts and culture organizations that can certainly be connected to us more intentionally.

Joint-Use Opportunities
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At The Crow, I’ve partnered with multiple outside arts organizations to help cross promote our works! One example is that I have an ongoing monthly partnership with Drag Arts Lab. Together we put on a Cabaret show! Not only does this collaboration provide Drag Queens more opportunities to perform, but it’s also for my 13-year-old closeted drag queen son - so he sees himself on stage and starts to feel safe in this world. Each arts business will be able to bring in outside arts organizations to help highlight and build communities we weren't reaching ourselves.

Having a central “Greek Theater” area can also provide an epicenter to help with local Santa Monica arts business and give them a space to rent from us and use! This will be more revenue for the City! We can host children’s outdoor music concerts from the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra or our local public schools. We can host battle of the band nights for local schools or music clubs, we can have art fairs, or host KCRW artistic events, storytelling slams, the list goes on.

Other than partnering with arts programs, many businesses that are not arts focused also need a place to host fundraisers or events that have entertainment. Having a dedicated and equipped stage and area that can put on these events will bring in a ton of revenue.

Circularity
Construction: Designing this outdoor greek theater with cement seating or a [fake] grass sloped hill with the intention of it being used daily is sustainable.

Social Equity: By giving the selected tenants arts business subsidized rents, in return they will be required to provide free open to the public events quarterly.

Press Opportunities: At The Crow, with a focus on using art for social progress and having so many partnerships, I have been able to get a ton of press from The LA Times, SMDP, The Argonauts and so many more magazines and journals. With my background in marketing in PR, I feel confident that this will be a huge source of press opportunities and will lead to more and more people coming to the SM Airports Art District! ;)
Please see some press here:
https://crowcomedy.com/press
https://www.comedyreflectsourworld.org/press-media
A high-level financial plan summary outlining projected costs, revenue generation strategies, and potential funding sources. Examples of recently completed, similar projects are acceptable if they are within Southern California and contacts for those projects.

I’m truly not the best person to supply a financial plan - but I am certain that I can find someone to do so if you are interested and want me to prepare this fully.

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Renting out the outdoor “Greek Theater” will bring in a ton of revenue. Comparable rental rates vary from $2K to $20K a day, depending on their needs.

Adding paid parking on busy days/nights is another way to increase revenue.

Additionally, we have the artistic tenants pay their monthly CAM charges that will also go into a SM Airport Arts Community Fund that can be used for the collective. I would suggest organizing a SM Airport Arts NonProfit Organization that applies for funding from the City of Santa Monica and local donors. Similar to how DTLA has a thriving Arts District, there will be a cohesive team that coordinates this effort. There will need to be a board of directors, an executive director, a marketing person who can help with a website, social media outreach, press, and mass communication.

After we become a nonprofit 501c3, potential funding sources can also be local SM businesses that want to give to the arts, get a tax write-off, and sponsor these community nights (ie. Google, Lions Gate, or SnapChat).

A timeline for project implementation, from initial planning to completion (assuming a start date of January 1, 2029 or later).

Now - end of 2025: Review of the land, work to see how to build the area properly.

Q1 2026: Establish the SM Airport Arts nonprofit organization. Organize the bylaws, form a board, and begin the legal process to become an official 501c3.

Q2 2026: Establish the criteria for tenants, what their reduced rental rate is, and what their requirements are to maintain their tenancy. (Similar to how BSAC has all Bergamot tenants do free arts education and shows each quarter.)
Q3 2026: Begin fundraising for the new organization, bringing in possible donors, partners, etc. (KCRW, Google, Chamber of Commerce, UCLA, etc.)
Q4 2026 - Q1 2028: Building of the outdoor space and subsequent building that need to be usable for arts entertainment and education.

Q2 - Q3 2028: Open applications for possible arts tenants.

Q4 2028 - January 2029: New tenants move in!
Any additional information that demonstrates the feasibility and community benefits of the proposal in alignment with the community engagement and City Council direction to date.

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My experience running Crow Comedy Inc and The Crow for the past three years has proven to me how necessary an inclusive arts community is. I have seen first hand how healing art can be for a community. The Crow is the first place that 12 year old Bobby got to write his chosen name and gender on a name tag before comedy class started. It’s a stage where 75-year-old Angela was able to finally find her voice and stand center stage with a microphone and tell her origin story she had never told before. It’s where 55-year-old Jason wrote his personal story about how as dad he only wanted to raise a son but recently came to love and accept his newly transitioned daughter.

Art can be used not just for community but for healing. For celebrating all cultures and backgrounds and abilities. For bringing all ages together. Providing free and accessible art programs and inspiring our next generation will make our world a better place. Focusing on art that is inclusive and vibrant will keep our city members engaged and happy - thus leading to a better Santa Monica.

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Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project
Letter of Interest
May 5, 2025
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2 Curious Creative is a Santa Monica–based experience design company specializing in story + design across theme park shows and attractions, nighttime spectaculars, museum exhibits, and showcase pavilions. With a deep focus on the guest experience, we craft environments that inspire wonder, foster connection, and reflect the communities they serve.

We bring together a multidisciplinary team of artists, writers, designers, planners, and project managers to turnkey your project from first spark to opening day. Our process blends top-tier creative talent with innovative production pipelines, ensuring seamless collaboration, creative clarity, and on-time delivery. Whether reimagining a legacy space or launching a bold new vision, we create unforgettable moments and destinations designed to invite, inspire, and engage.

More information at: www.curiouscreative.design
AboutUs
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3 Matt Parker, Creative Director
As a native Californian and long-time Santa Monica resident, I’m honored and inspired by the opportunity to help transform the Santa Monica Airport into a vibrant, inclusive community park. Santa Monica isn’t just home—it’s where I’ve built a life surrounded by creativity, diversity, and renewal. This project has the potential to reflect that spirit and welcome people from across Los Angeles and beyond.

The site is extraordinary, offering rare urban views of both the Pacific and the downtown skyline. But more than its beauty, it’s an opportunity to dream—to create a space rooted in artistry, equity, and community. Inspired by time spent in New York’s Central Park and Prospect Park, I believe in designing spaces with rhythm and emotional resonance—moments that invite reflection and connection. This isn’t just about building something new; it’s about shaping a place that honors the land, connects its people, and becomes a true home for all.

Thank you,
Artist Statement
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Guest Experience
Show Set Design
Master Planning
Media Direction
Interactive Design
Project Management
Graphic Design
In-Field Art Direction
Our Services
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Our Approach
Imagine. Engage. Evolve.

IMAGINE ENGAGE EVOLVE
Beginning with a blank slate, we
consider the goals of public and private
stakeholders, plus community feedback
to create a bespoke guest experience.

We use real-time, 3D engines to
visualize environments and engage
with our clients, providing access
and tools from day one.

Iterative changes are quicker, costeffective, and flexible. We encourage active client collaboration across the
project pipeline.
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SHOWCASE EXHIBITS NIGHTTIME SPECTACULARS RIDES & ATTRACTIONS PUBLIC SPACES & EVENTS Our Projects
15 pavilions at the 2020 Dubai
Expo to touring museum exhibits
with the California Science Center.

Enchanting Hogwarts Castle at
Universal Parks & Resorts to
education and entertainment at
Sea World Abu Dhabi.

From rides and shows to touring
exhibits and experiences, Curious
Creative has designed a plethora
of attractions across the industry.

Whether transforming parks and
public spaces into entertainment
overlays, or finding a respite in the
midst of a bustling cityscape.
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Project Proposal
7 ‣ Based on the guiding principles, the history of Santa Monica Airport, the surrounding businesses, and the local community, we see a unique opportunity to support the City of Santa Monica, its residents, and future tourism to create a public hub and destination for peace, play and productivity.
‣ Taking inspiration from public spaces across the country and around the world, such as New York’s Central Park, Brooklyn’s Prospect Park, San Antonio’s River Walk, Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens, and Lijiang’s Old Town, this reimagination brings with it transformative possibilities that are rich with culture, ecology, and entertainment. ‣ While ‘story’ and ‘immersive’ are keywords often used liberally these days, consider that in spite of a story “spine” that drives design, perhaps it is the opportunity for an ever-shifting canvas that inspires design — meaning a design approach that is not tethered to one story, but rather, a design approach that lays the foundation for story integration to transform with those who shape it. ‣ Many of the existing structures could be considered for reuse, however, without a proper investigation of the structural integrity, it is impossible to determine at this time. Some examples of use-cases for existing structures include: Artist residences, retail and dining, community gardens and greenhouses, and administrative facilities.

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Community Benefits
8 ‣ A central hub that is the beating heart of Santa Monica’s legacy, diversity, coastal connection, and charm. ‣ A destination for families and friends, visitors and residents alike offering amenities, entertainment and relaxation. ‣ Seasonal overlays and opportunities such as Descanso Gardens’ Enchanted Forest of Light. ‣ Attraction takeovers such as Sensorio in Paso Robles or Foresta Lumina in Quebec. ‣ Permanent art+technology installations such as Surreal at Dubai’s Expo 2020. ‣ Revenue opportunities for lessors and lessees, commercial events and private buyouts. ‣ Community engagement and interaction with shared spaces for education and volunteering. ‣ A mix of density zones ranging from large gathering meadows to tucked away enclaves. ‣ Invites an “interwoven” approach, encouraging bordering business and neighborhoods to engage and enmesh, thereby removing the hard edges and boundaries of the current site layout.

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Financial Strategy & Timeline
9 ‣ Assuming a start date of January 1, 2029 for onsite work, the following are rough allocations of duration and fees for creative development:
‣ Concept Design | Duration (4) Months | ~ $770,000.00 USD Further define the design intent based upon the current designs provided by Sasaki. This initial phase will focus on space allocation (or massing models) to understand layouts, circulation and capacity, while also defining the ‘North Star’ and/or organizing principles that unifies the site.
‣Schematic Design | Duration (6) Months | ~ $1,045,000.00 USD This secondary phase will focus on schematic design, including but not limited to: Layouts, landscape designs, elevations, sections, material callouts, and finishes to ascertain design direction and relative costs. The massing model will evolve and refine with further definition and detail across the entire site.
‣ Detailed Design | Duration (6) Months | ~ $1,630,000.00 USD USD Finalize all detailed drawings, layouts, elevations, sections, calculations, and models to deliver fully coordinated Design Documentation. The model will be detailed across the entire site and utilized for both creative review and across other vendors and sub-contractors as needed, for instance, clash detection, MEP & HVAC coordination, lighting and AV integration. ‣Tender Documentation | Duration (4) Months | ~ $591,000.00 USD Collaborate with vendors and sub-contractors to produce coordinated drawing sets. This documentation will provide information for the preparation of a robust set of tender pricing documents to include but not limited to layout drawings, details, sections, elevations, reflected ceiling plans, floor plans, schematics, etc. All documentation will be based upon both the 2D and 3D assets created in Revit (or similar) and Unreal.

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Matt Parker
+1 310 770 9452
[email protected]
https://www.curiouscreative.design
Contact
STAY Curious. INSPIRE Creative.

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May 5th, 2025
LETTER OF INTEREST - Santa Monica Ocean Park
Sustainable Lifestyle Event Destination and
Affordable Housing Campus
www.designbuildlabs.com page 1 of 7
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Section 1:

Introduction to Design Build Labs
We are pleased to submit this Letter of Interest in response to the City’s invitation for innovative Public-Private Partnership (P3) proposals. Our interdisciplinary team brings together deep expertise in community-centered development, sustainable design, modular construction, and renewable infrastructure, coupled with a shared commitment to inclusive and equitable urban transformation.

Our founders are long-standing residents and business owners within the local community, with over 25 years of combined experience in real estate, general contracting, and construction management. Their professional careers have focused on delivering high-impact projects across residential, commercial, and energy, with a strong track record of navigating complex entitlement processes and fostering collaborative relationships with public agencies, neighborhood stakeholders, and nonprofit organizations.

Our proposed project envisions a new model of urban living—centered around recreation, culture, and equity—anchored by affordable housing, clean energy, and publicly accessible open space. We are prepared to serve as both the lead developer and a long-term operational partner, supported by a team of expert collaborators specializing in distributed energy systems, modular housing technologies, sports venue management, and community land trust administration.

We look forward to the opportunity to engage further with the City and explore how our proposal can help realize shared goals for sustainable, inclusive, and future-ready development.

Relevant Projects

1. esVolta – Utility-Scale Battery Energy Storage
Multiple Locations | 5MW / 60MWh
Led architectural design, landscape development, entitlement processing, permitting, and full-scope project management for utility-scale battery energy storage systems across multiple California sites. Delivered mission-critical infrastructure supporting grid resilience, renewable integration, and sustainable energy goals.

2. 21st Century Fox – Corporate Campus Strategy & Delivery 300,000 SF | Los Angeles County
Directed workplace strategy, space planning, procurement, and project management for the development of 21st Century Fox’s 300,000-square-foot headquarters across multiple Los Angeles County locations. Supported the company’s dynamic growth with scalable, design-forward solutions aligned to long-term operational objectives.

3. The Recording Academy (Grammy) – Headquarters Development 67,000 SF | Ground-Up Construction
Managed the end-to-end delivery of The Recording Academy’s new headquarters, including ground-up construction and workplace strategy. Created a high-performance, brand-aligned environment tailored to evolving creative and operational needs, from concept through occupancy
.

4. Coda – Mixed-Use Residential and Commercial Improvements 136,500 SF | Los Angeles County
Oversaw renovation and tenant improvements across 36,500 square feet of mixed-use commercial properties throughout Los Angeles County. Scope included exterior enhancements and interior upgrades, elevating user experience, optimizing functionality, and increasing long-term asset value.

5. Seyfarth Shaw – Law Firm Office Development
81,000 SF | Los Angeles, CA
Provided comprehensive project management for the development of Seyfarth Shaw’s 81,000-square-foot Los Angeles office. Oversaw planning, coordination, and execution to deliver a high-performance legal workplace tailored to the firm’s operational, cultural, and client-facing needs. www.designbuildlabs.com page 2 of 7
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Section 2:

Project Vision & Description
We propose transforming the entire 215-acre site into a community-serving Lifestyle Events Center, thoughtfully integrated with affordable housing and dedicated homeless support services.

1. Revenue generating - completely self-sustaining financially.

2. Energy independent - enough solar to power the entire facility and surrounding communities.

3. Music Venue - The Santa Monica Bowl - best small venue in southern California - only one with an ocean view.

4. Arts Venue - Galleries, studios, and production space centered around the existing barker hanger.

5. Events Center - Weddings, events and learning with a view of the Pacific.Tiered space stepped into the side of the existing southwest grade

6. Sports Venue - 12 soccer fields with real restaurants and above standard public restrooms

7. Affordable housing - new sustainable structures to replace small hangers

8. Homeless services - indoor and outdoor residential facility

9. Community Gardens - a new model for The Great Park
Key Elements Include:

1. Affordable Housing: Mixed-income modular housing units, supported by Community Land Trusts (CLTs), Limited Equity Cooperatives, and Tenants-in-Common models. These structures promote long-term affordability, generational wealth-building, and community stewardship. We will deliver permanent affordability through non-speculative ownership structures and prioritize low- and moderate-income families, artists, educators, and essential workers. (more info in section 6)

2. Community Gardens: made available to residents of the low income housing communities within the park. Intended as a collaboration between these communities and other city residents.

3. Sports & Recreation: 12 regulation-size, convertible soccer/athletic fields with real grass and reclaimed water irrigation. Tournament-ready facilities, including locker rooms, restrooms, and integrated storage. Convert the existing terminal into the main tournament building complete with 300 person stadium seating for the main field.

4. Music & Arts Facilities: A 750-seat indoor/outdoor performing and visual arts venue, located at the very southwest corner of the property.. Artist-in-residence spaces, public art corridors, and event programming in collaboration with local cultural institutions. Flexible seating and event infrastructure for concerts and cultural festivals.

5. Mobility & Access: A new transportation spine: underground tunnel connecting Walgrove to Cloverfield, with 1,200-space subterranean parking, bike storage, and shuttle service. Pedestrian-prioritized “23rd Street Walk” linking Dewey and Ocean Park.

6. Revenue Generation: The entire facility is designed to operate as a self-sustaining venture, both economically and socially. It remains free and accessible in areas where public benefit is the priority, while strategically generating revenue through components where appropriate. Sports facilities, event spaces, and parking are all structured to contribute to the financial sustainability of the project. (Further details available in Section 4.)

7. Reuse of Structures:
a. The terminal building at the end of 31st street will become the low income housing community center entrance.
b. The Air traffic control building will be converted to a tournament management facility, approximately in the middle of the 12 new athletic soccer fields
c. The main terminal building will be converted to the sports tournament center - restaurants, rentable locker rooms, observation deck for the ‘stadium field’, massive public restrooms d. The Barker Hanger will be made the centerpiece of the new arts center. The side studios will be stripped off to return the structure to its historic significance
www.designbuildlabs.com page 3 of 7
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Section 3:

Community Benefits & Sustainability Framework
Our proposal is guided by a triple-bottom-line approach that maximizes social equity, economic opportunity, and environmental resilience.

Community Integration: Santa Monica is a world-class destination city but it remains under-resourced in the destination amenities that typically define such places. While the city is strong in education it lacks in the supporting facilities commonly found around academic campuses. Similarly, though Santa Monica boasts a vibrant arts community, it is limited in the infrastructure that enables creative production, exhibition, and engagement.We propose giving the residents and guests of the area the following:

1. Santa Monica Bowl: Santa Monica deserves an iconic outdoor amphitheater with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. The Santa Monica Bowl will provide a landmark venue for music, culture, and community events, designed to complement the natural beauty of the coastline and serve as a gathering place for residents and visitors alike.

2. Sports: Tournament facilities. The region currently lacks adequate tournament sports infrastructure within a 40-mile radius. This project proposes high-capacity, multi-field tournament facilities designed to host multiple simultaneous games—supported by permanent amenities such as quality restrooms, locker rooms, and on-site restaurants to enhance the experience for athletes and spectators.

3. Home Ownership: This plan introduces an innovative model for affordable and first-time homeownership through beautifully designed, high-end manufactured homes. These homes exceed CalGreen standards, are pre-plan checked for rapid deployment, and are offered through a low-cost land lease structure to ensure long-term affordability and community stability.

4. Homeless: Integrated into the residential development is a care facility dedicated to serving individuals experiencing homelessness. Funded by surplus revenue from the broader project, this facility is purpose-built for long-term success and reintegration, with the goal of rendering itself unnecessary through effective, dignified support.

5. Events: An ocean-view event center will provide flexible indoor and outdoor space for public gatherings, private events, and cultural programming. The facility will include public viewing terraces and rentable areas, creating a vibrant hub for celebration and civic life.

6. Arts: The project will also include a dedicated arts center featuring public galleries, artist studios, and flexible exhibition space, all with ocean views. Spaces will be available for public use and rental, fostering creative expression, cultural exchange, and community engagement.

Sustainability & Resilience:

1. Energy: Create the largest urban microgrid in the world, with solar rooftops, translucent solar over the sports fields, battery storage, and geothermal systems. All buildings are net-positive in energy; excess energy will be sold back to So Cal Edison and local communities.

2. Water: Industrial level underground rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and bioswales will eliminate potable water use for irrigation. Smart irrigation and permeable surfaces to manage runoff.

3. Materials & Construction:
a. Reclaimed airplane parts will be incorporated into every building and civic sculpture b. Manufactured construction for all housing and commercial spaces, minimizing on-site emissions and disruption.
c. Locally sourced, low-carbon, and recycled materials prioritized.

4. Biophilic Urbanism:
a. Native landscaping, rooftop gardens, and public green spaces integrated throughout. b. Urban agriculture zones and a permanent farmers market operated by local producers. www.designbuildlabs.com page 4 of 7
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Section 4:

High-Level Financial Plan:

Following construction and 5 years of operation, the development will have refunded all bond money and will be a profitable revenue generator for the city of santa monica. This project will be financed through a blended capital stack that includes:

1. Tax-exempt bonds and green infrastructure funds (for renewable systems and water infrastructure)

2. Philanthropic grants and NMTC/LIHTC programs (for affordable housing and community facilities) Revenue Generation:

1. Tournament fees for sporting events

2. Event fees and ticket sales at new Santa Monica Bowl

3. Rental fees for small medium and large parties in the event center

4. Donation revenue for exhibits and small performances at the art center

5. leasing revenue for commercial office, retail and restaurant tenants

6. Parking revenue in underground parking garage

7. Land lease to low income homeowners

8. Sell surplus photovoltaic power to surrounding communities www.designbuildlabs.com page 5 of 7
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Section 5:

Project Timeline
www.designbuildlabs.com page 6 of 7
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Section 6:

Additional Considerations
DBL is deeply committed to advancing housing inclusivity through a forward-thinking initiative designed to support first-time and low-income homebuyers. At the heart of this effort is the development of high-quality, customizable single-family homes that are factory-built to exceed CalGreen standards. These homes are engineered not only for long-term environmental resilience but also to respond to the evolving climate and living demands of Southern California.

The housing units are pre-approved through plan check, significantly reducing timelines for permitting, procurement, and site installation. This streamlined approach allows communities to scale more rapidly, without compromising design integrity or environmental performance. The homes themselves are architecturally thoughtful, highly adaptable, and designed to elevate both quality of life and neighborhood character.

Affordability and sustainability are built into the financial structure. Through a land lease model supported by special financing tools—including access to bond funding—the program recaptures costs over time. Price controls are embedded into the model to preserve affordability for future residents, ensuring long-term economic diversity and community stability.

This initiative offers a reimagined path to the American dream—one that delivers dignified, sustainable homeownership to more people, even within dense urban environments where affordability is increasingly out of reach. It’s not just a housing solution; it’s a community-building strategy rooted in equity, innovation, and environmental stewardship.

Renderings and Site Plan:
www.designbuildlabs.com page 7 of 7
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Surf’s Up in Santa Monica
Catch the Future: Santa Monica Surf Village
Introducing La Ola Group: Surfing, Reimagined
At La Ola Group, we wake up every day with one goal: to connect people to the power and joy of surfing.

We design and build advanced wave-generating technology that replicates the ocean waves' beauty, thrill, and rhythm — all within a controlled, sustainable environment.

Our wave systems are engineered to be versatile, safe, and environmentally conscious, allowing surfers of all levels—from absolute beginners to professionals—to engage with the sport yearround. More than that, our technology fosters well-being, connection, and community in every space we develop.

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We believe surfing is more than a sport — it’s a state of mind. One that fosters freedom, vitality, and presence. Now, we’d like to bring that experience to Santa Monica (https://laolagroup.com/en/landing).

The Vision: A Surf Park Destination on the Southern California Coast La Ola Group proposes a bold, first-of-its-kind development for Santa Monica: a world-class surf park, powered by La Ola's leading wave technology, located right in the heart of the city.

This will be Southern California’s first urban coastal surf destination, offering consistent, surfable waves year-round in a space designed to serve residents and visitors.

Key features of the surf park include:
• Ocean-quality waves in a safe, controlled setting
• Year-round access for beginners, adaptive surfers, and pros • Surf lessons, youth programs, and local partnerships with the Boys & Girls Club and PAL • A welcoming, inclusive environment for community gathering, fitness, and recreation The People Behind La Ola’s Surf Park
Sacha Wicher
Position: CEO & Founder – La Ola Group
Location: Argentina
Education: UTN Haedo
LinkedIn: Sacha Wicher
Sacha Wicher is the CEO and founder of La Ola Group, an Argentine technology company specializing in designing and constructing artificial wave pools. With a background in engineering from UTN Haedo, he leads the company’s mission to bring sustainable and surfable artificial waves to various parts of the world, aiming to transform lifestyles and break paradigms in the surfing industry.

Joaquín Lozada
Position: Co-Founder & Head of Research and Development – La Ola Group Location: Partido del Pilar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Education: University of Buenos Aires
LinkedIn: Joaquín Lozada
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Joaquín Lozada serves as the Head of Research and Development at La Ola Group. An engineer by training from the University of Buenos Aires, he leads the R&D efforts in developing artificial wave technology, focusing on innovation and sustainability to enhance the surfing experience in urban environments.

Ezequiel Fernández Lobo
Position: Co-Founder – La Ola Group
Location: Argentina
Education: IAE Business School
LinkedIn: Ezequiel Fernández Lobo
Ezequiel Fernández Lobo is a co-founder of La Ola Group, bringing a strong commercial and strategic vision to the team. He founded AP Surf and The Surf House, two established ventures in the global surf industry. This background gives La Ola Group a robust commercial foundation and deep knowledge of the international surf ecosystem. With a business degree from IAE Business School, he leads the company’s commercial development and strategic partnerships.

Eduardo Ostrogovich
Position: Managing Director, International – La Ola Group Location: Santa Monica
Education: UCLA
LinkedIn: Eduardo Ostrogovich
Eduardo Ostrogovich is an accomplished executive with over two decades of international experience in sports promotion, entertainment production, and strategic business development. As Managing Director, International at La Ola Group, he brings visionary leadership and a legacy of high-impact event execution to one of the most innovative wave technology companies in the world.

Prior to joining La Ola Group, Eduardo was the owner, founder, and Managing Director of Strategic Sports Group LLC for 20 years, where he produced and promoted three of the fifteen most attended soccer events in U.S. history—including the 2006 F.C. Barcelona vs. C.D. Guadalajara match at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which drew over 92,000 spectators. His work extended across major markets in the U.S., Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala, with successful productions in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Mexico City, and Guatemala City.

His earlier career included a key role with the World Cup Organizing Committee USA 1994, where he collaborated with Time Warner to build strategic partnerships across its entertainment divisions. His efforts supported the development of marketing synergies between the World Cup Item 7-A
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and brands such as HBO, Warner Music, DC Comics, and Warner Animation. He also worked alongside legendary filmmaker Bud Greenspan on promotional content for the tournament.

Before transitioning into sports and entertainment, Eduardo founded and served as Managing Director of Buelax Producciones, a multifaceted media company that included a record label, distribution operation, and Tower Records retail chain. Through Buelax, he played a pivotal role in film productions such as Gung Ho (directed by Ron Howard), and scouted locations for major films including Empire of the Sun, Evita, The Mission, Alive, and Highlander 2. As founder of the Argentine Film Commission in Los Angeles, he helped connect Hollywood studios with Argentine production opportunities.

The Technology Behind the Surf Park
At the core of the Santa Monica Surf Park is La Ola Group’s proprietary wave-generating system—a fusion of engineering innovation, fluid dynamics, and ocean-inspired design. Unlike traditional wave pools that rely on fixed, repetitive patterns, La Ola’s system is designed for versatility, precision, and performance.

What sets this technology apart is its modular, customizable structure, which allows for a wide range of wave types—lefts, rights, barrels, beginner rollers, and more—all at the push of a button.

This allows instructors to tailor conditions to learner needs in one session, while offering worldclass waves to advanced surfers the next.

Behind the scenes, the system is built on a compressed air-driven mechanism, engineered to produce consistent, energy-efficient waves with minimal mechanical wear and tear. This not only enhances reliability and operational cost-efficiency but also contributes to its sustainable footprint.

The wave pool layout has been strategically designed to optimize water circulation and minimize turbulence, giving riders a smoother, more natural ride that mirrors the experience of surfing in the open ocean. With smart digital controls, operators can program wave sequences, set safety protocols, and run multiple zones simultaneously—ideal for lessons, competitions, or recreational surf hours.

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More Than a Wave Pool: A New Kind of Neighborhood
To expand on the vibrancy of the surf experience, La Ola Group is working with Chateau Group to create a surrounding 20-acre residential development. This modern, sustainable community will complement the 5-acre surf park and bring new energy to the area.

Chateau Group is a privately held, vertically integrated real estate investment and development firm with a proven track record of delivering high-quality, thoughtfully designed properties across the United States. Specializing in mixed-use, multifamily, and residential developments, the company is known for creating vibrant communities that blend functionality, sustainability, and architectural excellence. With successful projects in key U.S. markets—including Texas, Florida, and California— Chateau Group brings deep market knowledge, disciplined execution, and a long-term vision to every development it undertakes (https://www.chateaugroup.net/).

Highlights of the residential Santa Monica Surf Village development:
• Mixed-use, walkable living spaces centered on wellness and recreation • A mix of market-rate and low-income housing to ensure broad access • Sustainable architecture and green public spaces
• A place to live, play, and connect—year-round
Together, the surf park and surrounding neighborhood form a lifestyle ecosystem rooted in movement, community, and coastal innovation.

Why Santa Monica?
Santa Monica is already a global destination. But this project brings something new: a surf and wellness hub embedded directly into the urban landscape.

Unlike inland parks, this destination taps directly into Santa Monica’s brand of coastal creativity, health-conscious living, and global tourism appeal.

Community benefits include:
• Stimulating local tourism, business activity, job creation, and revenue for the city • Offering free and low-cost surf access through community programs • Creating a new recreational landmark for residents of all ages • Enhancing Santa Monica’s identity as a leader in sustainable, active development Item 7-A
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Built to Last: Sustainable, Inclusive, and Smart
This project is guided by environmental and social responsibility:
• Our wave systems are energy- and water-efficient
• All structures are designed to meet California green building standards • The development features public access, green space, and affordability • The surf park is designed for safe, inclusive, multigenerational use Santa Monica will be home to world-class waves and a community anchored in wellness, connection, and long-term resilience.

Financial Summary
Initial Investment Estimate
Based on international benchmarks for artificial wave surf parks:

Component Estimated Cost (USD)
Wave Pool (technology + build) $20,000,000
Vertical Construction (residential + commercial buildings) $65,000,000 Infrastructure (roads, utilities, landscaping, skatepark, etc.) $45,000,000 Soft Costs (design, permits, legal, marketing) $10,000,000 Contingency Reserve (approx. 10%) $18,000,000
Total Initial Investment $180,000,000
Projected Revenues (10 Years)
Residential Sales
• Total Built Area: 60,000 ft²
• Average Sale Price: $1,200/ft²
→ Total Revenue: $72,000,000
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Commercial Lease Income
• Built Area: 30,000 ft²
• Average Annual Lease Rate: $60/ft²
→ Annual Income: $1.8M → 10-Year Total: $18,000,000
Surf Park Operations
Metric Value
Daily Capacity 700 visitors
Average Ticket Price
$80 per hour for nonresidents; discounted
rate for Santa Monica
residents
Operational Days 300 per year
Annual Revenue $16.8M/year
10-Year Revenue $168,000,000
Summary – 10-Year Cash Flow
Item Amount (USD)
Total Investment $180,000,000
Total Projected Revenues
- Residential Sales $72,000,000
- Commercial Lease $18,000,000
- Surf Park Operations $168,000,000
Total Revenues $258,000,000
Estimated Gross Profit $78,000,000
Notes:
• Operating costs, taxes, financing costs and maintenance are not included.

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• Preliminary ROI (10 years): 43% gross return.
• Revenue could increase through:
◦ Brand partnerships, sponsorships
◦ Events
◦ Retail concessions
Project Timeline
• Pre-Feasibility Study: 6 months (site, power, soil, water, wind, EIA) • Engineering & Procurement: 8 months (design, supplier selection) • Construction: 14 months (pool, infrastructure, off-site tech fabrication) • Equipment Installation: 4 months
• Testing & Commissioning: 2 months
TOTAL DURATION: 30 months
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Letter of Interest (LOI)
Electra Proposal for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project Proposed Use: Decarbonized Regional Ultra Short Access Point (≤15% of site area) Introduction to Electra & Public-Private Partnership Concept Electra proposes a partnership with the City of Santa Monica, infrastructure developers and local stakeholders to develop a purpose-built mobility hub to serve both Electra’s EL9 aircraft and other forms of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). This facility would occupy no more than 15% of the current airport site and serve as a clean, quiet connector to the broader Southern California region. The remaining 85% of the land would be returned to the public as parkland, trails, and cultural or recreational space, consistent with Measure LC and the City's long-term vision. As Santa Monica transforms its airport for the 21st century, where quiet public space is prioritized, the EL9 offers the opportunity to retain regional air mobility benefits while maintaining community peace.

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Electra’s EL9 aircraft represents a breakthrough in sustainable regional aviation and an entirely new model of community-integrated air mobility. The aviation infrastructure would be fully modular and reversible, allowing future generations to reshape or repurpose it as public needs evolve.

The EL9 is designed to support a new travel model known as Direct Aviation (DA): regional transportation that connects communities directly rather than routing passengers through congested hubs. The aircraft provides the speed, safety, and cost efficiency of fixed-wing operations while requiring a footprint and infrastructure profile closer to that of a heliport. Although the EL9 may use ground chargers to increase the sustainability of flight, it does not require them and uses conventional Jet A or Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) such that it can integrate into current airports with no modifications to runways, fueling systems, or ground support equipment (GSE). As electric charging networks are developed and battery technology improves, the EL9 will act as a bridge to a more-electric future. The EL9 will allow for expanded, scheduled Direct Aviation route development directly from Santa Monica to cities that are currently accessible only through major airport hubs such as LAX, thus reducing overall travel time and emissions for Santa Monica’s residents and visitors.

At the core of this transformation is the EL9’s hybrid-electric propulsion system. This technology delivers up to 70% fewer emissions than a helicopter and 30% fewer emissions than comparable fixed-wing aircraft on short routes. By avoiding the need for high-capacity electric chargers, Electra bypasses the infrastructure barriers that constrain many battery-electric aircraft concepts today. The EL9 uses an onboard turbogenerator to extend range and power eight distributed electric motors, backed by four battery packs that ensure redundancy. This architecture allows the aircraft to take off, cruise, and land even in the event of a motor or system failure, offering superior safety alongside sustainability.

Perhaps most importantly for Santa Monica,
the EL9 achieves unprecedented reductions in
operational noise. Its flyover acoustic
signature is just ~55 dBA at 500 feet, and
approximately 75 dBA at 300 feet on takeoff,
an order of magnitude below conventional
aircraft and helicopters, a noise level
compared to road traffic. These acoustics make the EL9 compatible with densely populated areas and allow for meaningful reductions in community noise exposure.

EL9 Performance
Max Payload 2,700 lb (1,225 kg)
Required Runway 200 – 500 ft (60 – 150 m)
Economic Cruise 155 kts (290 kph)
Range (w/ IFR reserve) 1,100 nmi (2,000 km)
Final Approach Speed 35 kts (56 kph)
Takeoff Noise 75 dB at 300 ft (91 m)
Inclement Weather FIKI and IFR capable
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In addition to being quiet, the EL9 is slow where it matters: its takeoff and landing speeds are just 30–40 knots, allowing approach paths and maneuvering zones to be shorter and safer. This is particularly beneficial in areas with constrained airspace or nearby structures. The aircraft’s 8:1 approach slope, consistent with FAA Advisory Circular 150/5390-2D, provides further integration flexibility and development opportunities near the Ultra Short Access Point.

Passenger experience is central to Electra’s
aircraft design. The cabin includes an aisle,
modern finishings, and ample space for
nine passengers. Two separate doors, one
forward for passengers and one aft for
baggage, simplify boarding and turnaround
operations. The aircraft is designed for
accessibility, allowing wheelchair-bound
passengers to board via ramp or lift. It can
be reconfigured to carry stretchers for
medical missions or expanded cargo loads
in a freight configuration, making the EL9 a
highly flexible community asset.

The EL9 is an Ultra Short aircraft that
combines blown lift aerodynamics with a
hybrid-electric propulsion system, enabling
it to safely take off and land from spaces as
small as a soccer field and act as a bridge to fully electric aircraft. This capability allows the EL9 to operate from smaller-scale community infrastructure, including repurposed airport sites like Santa Monica, rather than relying on traditional, large-scale airports. By significantly reducing space and noise constraints, the EL9 enables equitable access to cleaner, quieter regional travel and the transformation of airports into green, small Access Points to aviation.

Through this partnership structure, Electra would provide design and technical expertise to the aviation facility, with support from operational, architectural, and workforce development partners.

The result would be a landmark demonstration of how aviation infrastructure of the past century can evolve to be sustainable, compact, and community-friendly, setting a new standard for postairport development in the 21st century.

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Expanded economic range of the EL9 relative to EVTOLs results in more markets that may be directly served and greater value to Santa Monica.

2. Project Description and Spatial Requirements
Electra proposes the development of a compact, community-compatible aviation facility that delivers outsized benefits with a minimal footprint. Anchored by a ~5,000 square foot terminal building, the facility will serve as the operational and public-facing center of what is envisioned as a next-generation air mobility hub. The terminal will include space for passenger processing, light amenities, and potential educational or interpretive programming. Adjacent to the terminal, an operational takeoff and landing area for multiple types of AAM vehicles will be positioned strategically to minimize noise and provide safe and efficient flight paths in and out of the facility.

A dedicated taxiway will link this core operating area to aircraft parking area, allowing for efficient boarding, turnaround, and light servicing. Customer parking, designated drop-off zones, and multimodal access points, including bike infrastructure, shuttle connections, and public transit links, will support seamless connectivity to the broader city mobility network. The design will prioritize pedestrian safety, clear circulation, and integration with adjacent park paths and trails.

The entire aviation infrastructure will be limited to no more than 15% of the current 192-acre airport footprint. By releasing more than 160 acres back to the community as parkland, cultural space, and ecological restoration, the proposed “Ultra Short Access Point” will reflect a balanced vision of mobility and open space. Importantly, Electra’s facility will be strategically sited to avoid encroachment on planned public uses and to preserve key viewsheds, habitat corridors, and recreational zones. Where feasible, existing hangars or aviation-related buildings may be adaptively reused to reduce environmental impact and maintain architectural continuity with the site’s legacy.

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Footprint of the Ultra Short Access Point highlighted in yellow Renderings by Paul Bennet Architects and Landings.co
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Conceptual Ultra Short Access Point taking up only 15% of the total acreage.

Renderings by Paul Bennet Architects and Landings.co
The proposed Ultra Short Access Point is intentionally designed to serve multiple purposes and constituencies. First, it provides residents of Santa Monica with a direct, local access point to regional destinations up to 500 miles away without requiring a lengthy commute to a major commercial airport or extended travel by car, bus, or rail. Second, it offers this connectivity at an accessible price point through Electra’s per-seat, sustainable air service model that is significantly more affordable than traditional general aviation. Third, by limiting the aviation footprint and preserving most of the site for community-driven redevelopment, the facility creates space for inclusive, multi-use public programming while demonstrating that small-scale aviation infrastructure can be clean, quiet, and coexist with parks.

In essence, the Ultra Short Access Point is not a replacement for the existing airport, it is a transformation. It redefines how aviation infrastructure can function within a post-airport environment, not as a barrier to community life, but as an asset that supports clean mobility, equitable access, and thoughtful land stewardship.

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3. Community Benefit, Sustainability & Resiliency
Electra’s proposal for a compact, clean air mobility hub delivers a wide range of community benefits that directly reflect the intent of Measure LC and the Guiding Principles adopted by the City of Santa Monica. By leveraging sustainable aviation technologies, minimizing land use, and prioritizing public integration, the proposed Ultra Short Access Point is designed not only to avoid disruption, but to actively enhance the quality of life for Santa Monica residents and the wider region.

Connectivity lies at the heart of the proposal. The Ultra Short Access Point will serve as a regional mobility hub, connecting residents, workers, and visitors to destinations up to 500 miles away using a decarbonized, ultra-quiet air service. This facility offers a new alternative to long car commutes, crowded hub airports, or inefficient transit links, reducing travel time, vehicle miles traveled, and overall emissions. The use of AAM platforms such as the EL9 enable frequent, flexible service between secondary cities, educational institutions, medical centers, and underserved rural areas.

For Santa Monica residents, it represents a new form of local access to the broader region.

Equity is embedded in both the design of the facility and the service model it supports. Unlike traditional general aviation or charter services, Electra’s EL9 is designed to operate on a per-seat basis, making clean, regional air travel affordable to a much broader segment of the population.

Communities that have long been excluded from the benefits of time-saving air mobility due to cost or location will now have access to safe, reliable, and quiet travel options. This democratization of air access is a cornerstone of Electra’s mission and a key reason for locating such a hub within a diverse, transit-oriented city like Santa Monica.

Sustainability is both an operational priority and a design commitment. The EL9’s hybrid-electric propulsion system generates up to 70% fewer emissions than a helicopter and 30% fewer than comparable turboprop aircraft on short-haul missions, making it one of the cleanest aircraft in its class. As a hybrid system, it is also a bridge to more-electric and ultimately full-electric aviation as batteries improve and ground-charging networks are developed. This performance allows the city to add connectivity without compromising its climate goals or increasing environmental burdens on the surrounding community.

Resiliency is a vital, often underappreciated benefit of the proposed Ultra Short Access Point. The EL9’s ability to take off and land in short distances on grass, dirt, or paved surfaces makes it uniquely capable of supporting public safety missions. In times of disaster, medical emergency, or regional disruption, the Ultra Short Access Point can serve as a launch point for critical operations, whether that’s airlifting medical personnel and supplies, evacuating at-risk populations, or restoring logistics connectivity. With its fixed-wing payload capacity and helicopter-like footprint, the EL9 fills an essential gap in California’s emergency response toolkit and is not interrupted if local electrical grids are down.

Education and workforce development are key components of the long-term vision for the site.

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programs to create pathways into the aviation, green tech, and infrastructure sectors. These partnerships will emphasize job access for historically underserved communities and create a talent pipeline for next-generation roles in sustainable transportation. From aviation maintenance to electric propulsion systems, the mobility hub will serve as both a workplace and a learning environment.

In sum, the proposed Ultra Short Access Point offers not only new physical connections between cities but also stronger social, economic, and environmental connections within Santa Monica itself. It reflects a vision of infrastructure that does not divide, but unites, and that amplifies the values of equity, sustainability, and resilience for future generations

4. Financial Strategy
The project will be funded through a blended finance model that includes private capital investment, infrastructure and sustainability funds, and targeted public-sector grants. Additional resources will be sought through programs such as the FAA Airport Improvement Program (AIP), Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), California’s Clean Transportation initiatives, and Environmental Justice-focused allocations at the state and federal levels.

Revenue generation will come from a diverse set of sources, creating long-term operational resilience. These include per-seat ticket revenue, landing fees, ground handling charges, lease agreements with service providers and terminal tenants, and integrated logistics services. As a facility designed for flexibility and scalability, the Ultra Short Access Point can accommodate multiple use cases, ranging from passenger transit and air cargo to medical missions and public charters, thereby enhancing both revenue diversity and social utility.

A critical driver of this project’s financial viability is the transition from low-frequency, private general aviation activity to scheduled, high-frequency air service. Today, Santa Monica Airport averages a modest number of general aviation landings per day, with most aircraft carrying only one or two passengers. In contrast, Electra’s vision introduces predictable, daily regional service to multiple cities using nine-passenger aircraft. This approach would result in a significantly higher volume of passengers utilizing a far smaller operational footprint than the current airport model.

For example, five scheduled round-trip flights per day, each serving different destinations such as San Diego, Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Fresno, could result in 90 or more daily enplanements, a substantial increase over the typical general aviation throughput. This higher passenger volume translates directly into increased fare revenue, higher concession potential, and improved financial returns on infrastructure investment, all without adding to surface traffic or environmental burden. By consolidating regional travel demand into short-hop, decarbonized flights, the Ultra Short Access Point helps reduce car traffic on congested freeways, lowers regional emissions, and improves regional access.

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site as a future-proof mobility node. This layered transportation approach maximizes the site's utility and supports additional revenue streams from ground partnerships and municipal agreements.

Taken together, the proposed financial structure demonstrates that the Santa Monica Ultra Short Access Point can be both an environmental success and a sustainable business, generating new public revenue while reducing the carbon footprint and expanding equitable access to the skies.

5. Implementation Timeline
This proposal is a phased implementation strategy designed to align with the City of Santa Monica’s broader redevelopment timeline for the airport site. This approach ensures minimal disruption to public realm improvements and allows for thoughtful integration of aviation infrastructure within the evolving open space and community landscape.
• 2029 – Planning, Environmental Review, and Permitting:

The initial year will focus on finalizing the facility concept, conducting community engagement and EL9 demonstration flights, completing environmental assessments and related frameworks, and securing the necessary entitlements. This phase will also include refinement of the facility footprint to ensure compatibility with the surrounding parkland and mobility corridors.
• 2030–2031 – Site Preparation and Infrastructure Development:

Over the course of two years, Electra will collaborate closely with the selected infrastructure development partner to prepare the site for operation. Coordination with the City’s park development schedule will remain a central priority to ensure compatibility with public improvements and shared community goals.
• 2032 – Operational Launch and Program Integration:

The facility is expected to commence service in 2032, coinciding with the activation of park spaces and public amenities across the broader site. Initial air service offerings will focus on scheduled regional routes, with the potential for phased expansion based on community feedback and demand.

This timeline is structured not only to support city planning processes, but also to coincide with the maturation of regulatory frameworks governing advanced air mobility and hybrid-electric aviation.

Electra’s proposed Ultra Short Access Point is positioned to be among the first federally compliant, community-embedded hubs of its kind.

By progressing in parallel with regulatory development and public space transformation, the Santa Monica Ultra Short Access Point will serve as both a demonstration site and a functional mobility asset, pioneering a new model for environmentally conscious, neighborhood-scale aviation.

6. Feasibility & Alignment with City Direction
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Electra’s proposal is intentionally crafted to align with the policies, vision, and constraints outlined in Measure LC and the City of Santa Monica’s adopted guiding principles. Occupying less than 15% of the 192-acre airport footprint, the proposed Ultra Short Access Point maintains a small physical presence while delivering significant regional and community benefit. Under Measure LC, any future use of the airport land must support parks, public open space, or cultural and educational facilities unless otherwise approved by a public vote. Electra’s concept adheres to both the letter and the spirit of that mandate.

First and foremost, the proposed Ultra Short Access Point is reversible and modular, designed to evolve with future community priorities. The core idea is not to preserve the airport, but to honor its legacy by transforming a limited portion of the site into a forward-looking, environmentally friendly hub for next-generation aviation technologies. This approach allows the vast majority of the land to be repurposed for park and community-serving uses while preserving Santa Monica’s historical ties to aviation and expanding access to clean mobility solutions for a broader portion of the population.

From an environmental standpoint, the Ultra Short Access Point is deeply compatible with the City’s sustainability goals. The EL9 aircraft produces minimal noise and emissions compared to legacy aviation technologies, and its hybrid-electric system positions Santa Monica to lead in progressive decarbonization. Importantly, the EL9’s onboard batteries can be charged using commercially available fast-charging systems (e.g., CCS standards from the automotive industry), reducing the need for expensive, specialized infrastructure. As battery technologies and electric charging networks continue to mature, the aircraft is well-positioned to transition to longer-range, zero-emission operations, helping the City achieve its climate goals without requiring future reinvestment in fleet replacement.

The Ultra Short Access Point is also culturally and programmatically integrated with the future park. It is designed to coexist with educational and recreational programming, offering opportunities for public art, STEAM-oriented exhibits, and aviation-themed learning installations.

With 85% of the land returned to public use, the project makes space for a diversity of voices to shape the broader redevelopment, from restored landscapes and gathering spaces to performance areas and interpretive trails.

Finally, the project is financially self-sustaining, requiring no long-term public subsidy. The proposed business model leverages private investment, public-private partnerships, and a scalable operational plan to ensure that infrastructure, operations, and maintenance are covered through revenue generated by mobility services and related uses. This ensures that the City can deliver on its vision for the site without diverting resources from other priorities.

In sum, the Electra Ultra Short Access Point embodies a practical, forward-looking response to community goals: a place where quiet, clean aviation coexists with public green space, and where Santa Monica’s legacy of innovation is extended into a cleaner, more connected future.

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Frieze Events Inc.
247 Centre Street
New York, NY 10013
May 5, 2025
Amber Richane
Principal Design and Planning Manager
1685 Main Street
Mail Stop 15
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Dear Ms. Richane:

Frieze Events Inc. is submiQng a LeSer of Intent for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project.

Our proposal offers several variaXons of an opportunity to create an event space on the developed site.

Frieze is a leading global contemporary art organizaXon, renowned for its art fairs, publicaXons and digital presence. Founded in 1991 with the launch of frieze magazine, the brand has grown to encompass seven of the most significant art fairs worldwide in ciXes including Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York and Seoul. These events aSract leading arXsts, galleries, collectors and insXtuXons, fostering innovaXve dialogues and pracXces within the art community.

Thanks to our long history of operaXng large-scale cultural events, Frieze is perfectly posiXoned to advise on how best to create a mulX-use event space
In addiXon, the recent news that Frieze will become a cornerstone of a new global events company founded by Ariel Emanuel, former CEO of Endeavor, confirms and conXnues our longstanding commitment to Los Angeles.

Introduc)on
Frieze Art Fair launched Frieze Los Angeles in 2019 at Paramount Pictures Studios. The fair was held there for two years; however, the pandemic and site constraints limited Frieze's ability to conXnue use. In 2022, Frieze uXlized a temporary vacant piece of land in Beverly Hills. A`er an extensive SoCal venue search, Santa Monica Airport became the home of Frieze LA and a place we hope to remain well beyond 2028 and the anXcipated redevelopment of the airport site.

In its six iteraXons, including three years in Santa Monica, Frieze LA has aSracted over 30,000 visitors annually with over 95 galleries parXcipaXng in the most recent ediXon. 60% of the audience was non-local, generaXng significant economic impact throughout Santa Monica and the wider LA County.

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AddiXonally, Frieze LA brings a mulXtude of benefits and partnerships to Santa Monica, including:

Frieze Projects is a temporary public art program featuring new arXst commissions curated by the Art ProducXon Fund. It occurs in public spaces adjacent to Frieze LA, acXvaXng the Airport campus. In 2025 Frieze Projects presented Inside Out, featuring site-specific works by Lita Albuquerque, Jackie Amézquita, Claire Chambless, Joel Gaitan, Madeline Hollander, Greg Ito, Ozzie Juarez, and Dominique Moody, in an exploration of perspective: how personal histories and experiences shape an understanding of Los Angeles, its culture and landscape.

Art Bank Partnership: Frieze LA and Santa Monica's Cultural Affairs and Arts Commission partner on an annual Art Bank purchase from Frieze Los Angeles' much-celebrated Focus section, growing Santa Monica's fine art collection. As part of the Art Bank Partnership, the city acquired LA-based artist Edgar Ramirez's painting Bajio in 2023. This artwork hangs in the Council Chambers at City Hall. In 2024, the city purchased LA-based Gary Tyler's In Memoriam of an Ashanti Warrior, which was recently unveiled and now hangs in City Hall, and 2025, acquired LA artist Edgar Arceneaux's work Skinning the Mirror (Winter 9).

The Opportunity
Frieze sees the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project as an exciXng opportunity for Frieze and the city to create a permanent home for Frieze LA and a year-round arts, culture, and mulXpurpose space that benefits the Santa Monica community.

The live events market in the US has steadily grown since the end of the pandemic, with some esXmates projecXng it to reach $1.2tn by 2032 (a 100% increase from 2022). Santa Monica is uniquely posiXoned to provide a purpose-built venue designed for arts and culture.

Already a desXnaXon for Angelenos and tourists alike, Santa Monica has a unique idenXty that combines heritage, culture, and leisure. Easy access from the Westside and Los Angeles InternaXonal Airport (LAX) posiXons Santa Monica as the ideal locaXon to host events that cater to an internaXonal audience and those underserved by venues in the west of the county.

Proposed Project Descrip)on
The opXons that Frieze would like to propose, in order of preference, are:

OpXon 1 – Purpose-Built Event Venue On The Site
Our first preference would be to develop a permanent fixed venue for Frieze LA, as tented events inherently more vulnerable to external condiXons such as weather. A fully serviced building would also allow us to elevate the overall experience for parXcipants, offering greater comfort, stability and producXon quality.

By developing a purpose-built venue on the site, Santa Monica can meet the core needs of largescale event operators with a build that prioriXzes sustainability and minimizes environmental impact. A state-of-the-art venue has the potenXal to provide a significant revenue stream for the Item 7-A
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city and help offset overheads incurred by the proposed park development. The creaXon of such a venue would support a wide range of cultural programming – from awards ceremonies and fashion weeks to culinary and design events.

Frieze’s Building Needs:
• 150,000 sq ` of open column-free space
• Easy loading access for large-scale artworks/building materials • High ceilings (15' minimum)
• Climate controlled
• Ability to use own vendors for specific elements (e.g., gallery booth build) • 24-hour access to the site
• Significant parking within the immediate vicinity (1,500 cars at one time) • High floor & freight elevator weight loading
• Liquor license allowing the ability to serve & sell alcohol • Onsite catering and restroom faciliXes
• Ability to bring in own caterers
• 16 days of tenancy per year
Frieze proposes a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model to create the venue. The specific structure of PPP would be developed in collaboraXon with suitable partner/s, along with the exploraXon of funding models. A PPP structure would allow Frieze to establish Santa Monica as the long-term home for Frieze LA, providing a revenue stream for the city at its new state-of-theart venue. It would also deepen investment in the arts ecosystem and wider communiXes of Santa Monica, reinforcing the impact of Frieze Week, which energizes creaXve communiXes across the region each year.

A menu of ideas might be considered, including potenXal capital investment in exchange for:
- Sign a long-term lease as an anchor tenant with guaranteed tenancy and first right of refusal on dates
- Profit share on revenue brought in through addiXonal events Other ideas will be determined as subsequent stages or opportuniXes are explored.

Alongside commercial events that provide revenue for Santa Monica, we recommend that the venue also be used for iniXaXves led by the community.

The proposed Xmeline for OpXon 1 is as follows:
- 2026-28 – Capital partners secured
- 2028 – The design of the building developed
- Q4 2028 – Decommissioning of Santa Monica Airport
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- March 2029 – Build commences (Santa Monica would need to reserve temporary space for Frieze LA to conXnue hosXng the event onsite while construcXon takes place 2030- 31).
- February 2032 – Frieze LA opens in the newly built structure OpXon 2 – Reuse of Part of ExisXng Tarmacked Runway for Placement of Temporary Structure Rather than creaXng a purpose-built events venue, the availability of a large flat tarmacked area could allow Frieze LA to move from our current posiXon at the Interim Lot to a larger, more accessible site on the exisXng apron of the airport.

Our proposal for consideraXon would involve retaining a porXon of the exisXng runway alongside ensuring core uXliXes and infrastructure are added to the site to opXmize the running of largescale events. This added infrastructure would also make the locaXon desirable for event operators.

Our requirements for reusing a porXon of the tarmacked runway include*:

General
• Min c. 320,000 sq ft, with min 260,000 sq ft clear of trees – size needs is also impacted by the shape of the site
• Removeable, or no, landscaping or infrastructure (e.g. lamp poles) • Flat area – little to no gradient (will need more time and space if there’s a gradient) • Ability to stake into the ground
• Min. 57 day tenancy
• Significant parking within the immediate vicinity (1,500 cars at one time) • 24hr access permitted (need to know if there are additional costs if not) • Ability to use own vendors for specific elements (e.g., gallery booth build) • Good surrounding road access for trucks / art shipping • Easy guest access with multiple routes into site for efficient vehicle ingress/egress • Ability to connect to mains water and electricity preferred (would mean less space required too, potentially)
• Ability to fix dates for min 3 years
Power
• Minimum 15 x 400amp 3 phase camlock connections in various locations around the site for easy access
Water
• Connection to city water and sewage
Internet
• Scalable broadband for approximately 10,000 users, ideally fiber connection in various locations for easy access
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*The site needs summary above is an overview based on projected needs assuming a nonsloping surface. Further discussions on the new venue and other events' interests may yield supplementary venue enhancements or modificaXons.

In this scenario, Frieze proposes acXng as a consultant, advising on how the site can best be planned to make it an aSracXve opXon for large-scale event operators. The site could also be used for other tented events, outdoor fesXvals, and music performances.

This opXon would require upfront capital investment from the City of Santa Monica or another source to be determined to pay for the required infrastructure. This cost could be recouped through the site rental. Revenues generated would help offset the iniXal capital investment and cover the maintenance and overhead costs associated with park development.

Exact costs and revenues will be determined based on the site, infrastructure upgrades, etc.

The proposed Xmeline for OpXon 2 is as follows:
- 2026-28 – Site design and infrastructure agreed
- Q4 2028 – Decommissioning of Santa Monica Airport
- February 2029 – Frieze LA takes place on a tarmacked runway site for the first Xme - March 2029 – Site uXliXes and infrastructure build commences - December 2029 – Site uXliXes and infrastructure completed - February 2030 – Frieze LA opens, uXlizing all-new infrastructure OpXon 3 – CreaXon of Flat Open Green Space for Placement of Temporary Structure Like OpXon 2, creaXng a flat, open green space would allow Frieze LA and other events to operate at Santa Monica Airport Park. However, in this opXon, the event site needs would be incorporated into the wider plan, ensuring harmony between the proposed park plan and a large green open space that could double up as addiXonal recreaXon space for the local community when not used for events.

In this opXon, the site infrastructure and uXliXes listed out in OpXon 2 would also need to be installed to ensure that the site is opXmized for the efficient running of events.

Our requirements for the green open space include*:

General
• Min c. 320,000 sq ft, with min 260,000 sq ft clear of trees – size needs is also impacted by the shape of the site
• Removeable, or no, landscaping or infrastructure (e.g. lamp poles) • Flat area – little to no gradient (will need more time and space if there’s a gradient) • Ability to stake into the ground
• Min. 57 day tenancy
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• Significant parking within the immediate vicinity (1,000+ cars at one time) • 24hr access permitted (need to know if there are additional costs if not) • Ability to use own vendors for specific elements (e.g., gallery booth build) • Good surrounding road access for trucks / art shipping • Easy guest access with multiple routes into site for efficient vehicle ingress/egress • Ability to connect to mains water and electricity preferred (would mean less space required too, potentially)
• Ability to fix dates for min 3 years
Power
• Minimum 15 x 400amp 3 phase camlock connections in various locations around the site for easy access
Water
• Connection to city water and sewage
Internet
• Scalable broadband for approximately 10,000 users, ideally fiber connection in various locations for easy access
*The site need summary above is an overview based on projected needs assuming a non-sloping surface. Further discussions on the new venue and other events' interests may yield supplementary venue enhancements or modificaXons.

Similarly, like in OpXon 2, Frieze proposes acXng as a consultant, advising on how the site can best be planned to make it an aSracXve opXon for large-scale event operators. The site could also be uXlized for outdoor fesXvals, music performances, and other tented events, generaXng the revenue needed to cover the iniXal capital investment and the ongoing overheads associated with the park's running.

Exact costs and revenues will be determined based on the site, infrastructure upgrades, etc.

The proposed Xmeline for OpXon 3 is as follows:
- 2026-28 – Site design and infrastructure agreed
- Q4 2028 – Decommissioning of Santa Monica Airport
- February 2029 – Frieze LA takes place in a tented structure on Interim Lot - March 2029 – Park site uXliXes and infrastructure build commence - February 2030 – Frieze LA takes place in a tented structure on Interim Lot - December 2030 – Park site uXliXes and infrastructure completed - February 2031 – Frieze LA opens for the first Xme on new green site DemonstraXon Project
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execute an event on the runway to show how it works in pracXce, including placement of temporary public art.

Working in partnership with the city, Frieze LA could help innovate and demonstrate:
- Proof of Concept (e.g., show how the Santa Monica Airport Park space could be used going forward)
- IdenXfy Issues (e.g., help idenXfy benefits and challenges of using the runway or other new areas for events, public art, parking, etc.)
- Learning Tool (e.g., generate data and experience that can help refine and improve future use of the site)
Proposed Xmeline for DemonstraXon Project:
- 2026-28 – Discuss the DemonstraXon Project and clarify goals. - 2027-28 – IdenXfy the runway site and begin planning. IdenXfy if any grant funds or other funding sources may be available to help underwrite the demonstraXon project and data collecXon
- 2028-29 – Frieze LA and the city work in partnership on the DemonstraXon Project - Q4 2028 – Decommissioning of Santa Monica Airport
- February 2029 – Frieze LA is the first event to take place in the new park and is a demonstraXon project
- Summer 2029 – Working with Frieze LA, city reports about DemonstraXon Project or incorporates learning into actual development
Connec)ons to Guiding Principles & Project Goals
Our project approach is shaped by collected and extensive community input. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that Frieze LA conXnues to bring art and culture to Santa Monica while honoring the planned development of the site and the needs of the local community.

The principles most directly supported by our proposal include:

Inspire Wonder
Provide a space for community connecXon welcoming to all with spaces for events, celebraXons, to showcase creaXvity and art.

Balance Economics
Achieve economic equilibrium by balancing revenues with construcXon, operaXons, maintenance, and programming costs.

Amplify VersaXlity
PrioriXze ameniXes for daily use, support acXve recreaXon, balance acXve and passive spaces, provide space for performing arts and big events.

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Frieze LA's desire to have a permanent home embraces these guiding principles and overall Airport Conversion project goals, including incorporating elements that generate sustainable revenue and fostering partnerships to enrich project offerings and experiences. The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project provides a perfect opportunity to explore creating a permanent home for Frieze LA in Santa Monica, continuing to strengthen Santa Monica's position as an arts hub within Los Angeles County and beyond.

Our Team
Simon Fox – CEO
Simon joined Frieze in April 2020. Previously he was CEO of Reach plc (one of the UK’s largest commercial news publishers including the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and 80 other regional brands) and CEO of HMV Group plc
Jon Ashman – CFO & COO
Jon leads finance, event producXon and venue negoXaXon at Frieze. Previously he served as Finance Director and Strategy Director at the Ministry of Sound and Sky Kristell Chadé – ExecuXve Director Frieze Fairs
Kristell manages Frieze Fair Directors, Exhibitor relaXons and our global VIP team. Kristell has been with Frieze for 12 years and previously worked at galleries and FIAC in Paris.

Romilly Stebbings – Director of Business Development
Romilly leads strategic growth iniXaXves across the company. She has been at Frieze for 10 years, prior to that she ran a London based arXst residency programme and private art collecXon.

ChrisXne Messineo – Director of Americas
ChrisXne leads our fairs in the US, including Frieze LA. She has over 15 years’ experience working in the arts, having previously been a partner at Bortolami gallery in New York, and a Director at Hannah Hoffman gallery in Los Angeles.

Louise Dixon – ExecuXve Director of ProducXon
Louise leads the event producXon globally and has worked in the events industry for 25 years specialising in art-led events.

We look forward to conXnuing our partnership with the City of Santa Monica. Please contact ChrisXne Messineo ([email protected]) or Romilly Stebbings ([email protected]) for any quesXons.

Best Wishes,
ChrisXne Messineo
Director of the Americas, Frieze
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Letter of Interest
Airport Conversion Project
1 Reimagining the Santa Monica Airport
Site as a Car-Free Destination Submitted by
GoCarFree.org
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GoCarFree.org proposes a bold and achievable vision:
transform the Santa Monica Airport site into the nation’s first large-scale civic destination designed from the ground up to be completely car-free.

With 18 years of expertise in single-occupant vehicle (SOV) behavior change, community engagement, and sustainable
transportation consulting—including nearly a decade for one of the largest urban metro systems in the country—we are
uniquely positioned to serve as strategic lead consultant and integrator for the mobility components of this landmark redevelopment.

Executive Summary
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3 Letter of Interest: Reimagining the Santa Monica Airport Site as a Car-Free Destination To: Airport Conversion Project Team
I am writing to express my enthusiastic interest in contributing to the future of the Santa Monica Airport site as a lead consultant and strategic advisor on car-free mobility, sustainability, and public engagement.

My proposal is simple and bold: Make the entire 200-acre site completely car-free.

Not car-lite. Not transit-adjacent. Truly car-free. Including all the attractions, venues, educational and cultural centers, facilities, and residential and commercial developments on the site. All car-free.

As the founder and Executive Director of GoCarFree.org—and the author of the bestselling book How to Live Well without Owning a Car: Save Money, Breathe Easier, and Get More Mileage Out of Life — I have spent nearly two decades helping individuals, institutions, and municipalities shift away from driving. I bring to this project a proven 18-year track record in commuter behavior change, mobility engagement, and public sector consulting — including nearly a decade for one of the largest metro systems in America.

The Vision: America’s Largest Civic Destination Designed from the Ground Up to Be Car-Free This project represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine not just land use, but lifestyle itself — a chance to demonstrate what’s possible when we design for people, not parking lots.

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4 Imagine an iconic public space that becomes a national model for sustainable, equitable, and humancentered design. A park and destination where people arrive by transit, shuttle, walking, biking, micromobility — and experience arts, culture, sports, and green space without the noise, pollution, danger, and sprawl of private automobiles.

This is not a fringe concept. It’s a scalable vision aligned with California’s climate goals, the City’s existing mobility and sustainability plans, and the values of Santa Monica residents. And with the right strategy and oversight, it’s achievable.

Our Role: Lead Strategy + Oversight for Car-Free Success As part of the project team, GoCarFree.org would serve as lead strategist and integrator for all mobility elements of the car-free vision. My team would:

Develop and oversee the master plan for car-free mobility on the site Collaborate with infrastructure, transit, facilities, equity, and accessibility stakeholders Align the strategy with local and regional transit connections (including Metro and Big Blue Bus) Design public engagement and education campaigns to build community buy-in and support Ensure every vendor, venue, and activation within the site supports the car-free framework Our role would not be to replace engineering firms or mobility providers, but to knit all the pieces together under a cohesive, effective, and inspiring vision — and ensure it works in real life.

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Let’s Build a National Model
With its progressive values, dense walkable grid, and beachfront brand, Santa Monica is uniquely positioned to lead the way in climate-forward urban design. The Santa Monica Airport site can be the first epic-scale public destination in the United States designed from the gound up to be completely car-free.

I welcome the opportunity to speak further, present concept visuals, and contribute to the next phase of planning. Thank you for considering this proposal — and for your bold leadership in shaping a more sustainable future for our city.

With admiration and enthusiasm,
Chris Balish
Executive Director
GoCarFree.org
1223 Wilshire Blvd. #104
Santa Monica, CA 90403
[email protected]
310-880-3181
GoCarFree.org
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Save $10,000,000 to $50,000,000+ on Infrastructure
Eliminating cars on and around the airport site allows the city to avoid building and maintaining expensive parking facilities and other costly car infrastructure, and decreases wear and tear on surrounding roads and bridges. See page 7.

Making the SMACP Car-Free Will Deliver Massive Value
Grants and funding opportunities are available through USDOT, FTA, FHWA, Caltrans, NSF, etc., for innovative programs that reduce emissions and foster sustainable transportation.

Federal & State Grant Opportunities
Boost Inclusion and Accessibility
Eliminate the transportation barriers disproportionately affecting underserved and marginalized communities.

The airport project represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show the world Santa Monica’s innovation and commitment when it comes to green design and sustainability. Expect extensive worldwide media coverage.

Elevate Santa Monica’s Global Green Reputation
6 Cut GHG emissions, improve air quality, lower fossil fuel consumption, reduce SOV trips, and promote sustainable transportation.

Achieve City Sustainability Goals
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Making the Santa Monica Airport Project a
totally car-free site will save tens of millions
of dollars in parking infrastructure alone.

That money can be spent on other uses.

Avoid Building New Parking Structures on the Airport Site Surface parking construction = $5,000 per space
Parking Infrastructure Is Expensive ($$$$)
Garage parking construction = $50,000+ per space
Instead of building more parking, reduce parking demand with Go Car-Free
Potential savings of $10,000,000 - $50,000,000+
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We help individuals, organizations, and entire
communities stop driving, and go car-free or car-lite
GoCarFree.org TM
TM
Cleaner air, less pollution Better health, fewer crashes Reduce SOV trips & VMT Lower GHG emissions
Solve traffic & parking problems Reduce car infrastructure costs 8 Federal & state grant opportunities Achieve city sustainability goals

BENEFITS
Positive publicity Community support
A Professional Services Mobility Consulting Firm
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Greetings, Santa Monica!
Being an evangelist for the car-free and car-lite movement is not just my job, it’s my life’s work and mission.

Back in 2006, I wrote the bestselling book How to Live Well without Owning a Car: Save Money, Breathe Easier, and Get More Mileage out of Life.

The book inspired thousands of people to ditch their cars, and go car-free or car-lite. Since its publication, readers have saved more than $100 million in car expenses and prevented 210,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

The book launched my consulting practice, GoCarFree.org, which has an 18-year track record of successfully getting people and organizations to stop driving – from Cal State Long Beach (41,000 students) to Warner Bros. & Sony Movie Studios.

Our Go Car-Free programs are unique in the marketplace. They deliver the elusive but critical component missing from virtually all TDM, transit, rideshare, and commuter programs: a proven ability to change driving behavior.

Transportation infrastructure is important, but it’s not enough. Inspiring people to change their solo driving behavior and form new habits is the holy grail -- and Go Car-Free has cracked the code. Plus, we’ve been optimizing our programs for 18 years! If a community has an existing commuter program, discount transit passes, rideshare and carpool assistance, EV programs, microtransit, or other TDM solutions, we can amplify those investments and increase mode shift by 10% or more.

Thank you for exploring this vision. We’d love to work with Santa Monica and be part of something truly transformative.

Chris Balish, Executive Director, GoCarFree.org
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Great Park Coalition Arts Working Group
Ideas for the Airport Park Space
On behalf of the Arts Working Group of the Santa Monica Great Park Coalition, we would like to submit a vision for arts and culture programming on the Airport site.

This proposal outlines a framework that both honors existing assets and presents a bold plan for inclusive, innovative, and community-rooted cultural development.

Existing Assets
While aviation services will cease at the end of 2028, the site’s current arts and recreation tenants—Ruskin Group Theater, Santa Monica City's Bungalows and Artist Studios, and the Museum of Flying—along with the existing sports field, playground, and dog park, will remain.

These assets provide a rich foundation upon which to build a vibrant park community.

Performing Arts Pavilion
We propose a flexible-use indoor-outdoor Performing Arts Pavilion, inspired by venues such as CalArts’ Wild Beast (see Addendum 2). Designed to harmonize with its natural surroundings, the pavilion would feature:
● The building's design will reflect nature, incorporating elements such as vertical gardens and native plant landscaping.
● A multi-purpose performance hall with retractable doors to convert the space from intimate indoor events to expansive outdoor presentations. ● Amphitheater-style hillside seating for up to 700 attendees, with lawn and bench options. ● State-of-the-art acoustic and lighting design to accommodate diverse performance styles while minimizing environmental impact.
● A gallery space for curated exhibitions, event receptions, and interdisciplinary arts programming.
● An on-site café or restaurant to serve visitors and patrons, and generate revenue Visual Arts Pavilion
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reflect both global and local cultures. Programming would celebrate the diversity of the region, with a strong emphasis on artists from Indigenous and historically marginalized communities.

This Pavilion would also host:
● A Teaching Kitchen + Garden, where lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on classes explore global food traditions and sustainability.
● Coordinated hours with performance programming, encouraging cross-disciplinary experiences for visitors.

Satellite Pavilions
Scattered throughout the Great Park, smaller “cultural pavilions” would be built—either newly constructed or adapted from existing structures. These organically designed spaces would:
● Reflect the natural surroundings and cultural context. ● Feature both indoor and outdoor areas for flexible use. ● Support spontaneous and curated performances, workshops, and gatherings. ● Provide access to electrical power, shaded areas, and other necessary amenities.

These pavilions would serve as connective tissue between the various park elements—each a unique node in a larger cultural ecosystem.

A Monumental Landmark: The Spiral Ziggurat
GP Working Group member, Bob Ramirez, proposes a Tongva-inspired spiral-ramped Ziggurat constructed from recycled runway materials and enveloped by native plants. The structure would enclose a rainwater cistern for sustainable collection and distribution. Rising to a scenic promontory, the Ziggurat would offer panoramic views of the mountains and Santa Monica Bay—serving as both a contemplative space and an iconic symbol of the park’s transformation.

Steps and paths are aligned with the points of the compass, and secondary alignments of elements indicate the sun and moon at the solstice and equinox to inspire connection with the cosmos.

Additional information about Mr. Ramirez’s idea has been submitted under a separate LOI.

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Sharing Spaces & Reknitting our Social Fabric
Art and culture should be threaded through daily life. To this end, culture and arts spaces can be imagined as shared with other practices and partners. A small public health station could demonstrate a culture of care and fill a public need for vaccines and blood pressure checks while also attracting funding sounds that would otherwise fall outside of arts philanthropy.

Spaces could also be offered for community and family occasions, business pop-ups, holiday celebrations, civic events, and through this range of programming, the Park would be a dynamic public space serving multiple needs and the broadest possible community.

Program Partners/Ideas
UCLA is a natural anchor partner for the arts and culture components of the Great Park. As the “arts flagship” of the UC system and the nation’s top public research university, UCLA offers unmatched resources in global arts and cultures. As the campus lacks sufficient exhibition and performance space, the Great Park can offer physical infrastructure to complement UCLA’s intellectual and creative assets.

UCLA’s longstanding ties to Santa Monica—as a major local employer, property owner, and alma mater to many of its professionals—make this partnership both strategic and community-aligned.

We also propose engaging Cal Earth, the Hesperia-based nonprofit known for training people around the world to build sustainable, fire- and earthquake-resistant adobe structures. Founded by Iranian immigrant artist Nader Khalili, Cal Earth could play a key role in designing and constructing some of the park’s small pavilions and earth-based hardscape, while offering ongoing public workshops and training on site.

As a global hub of culture, arts, and entertainment, Los Angeles is home to a wealth of dynamic artists and organizations doing impactful work across disciplines and communities. Here are a few examples of people and organizations that could be invited to help program the Park spaces:
● IndieCade
● Sounds Like LA
● Arts and Healing Initiative
● Jacob Jonas Dance
● Natural Nexus Institute
● Meztli
● Da Camera Society
● Elemental Strings
● So La Academy
● UC Master Gardener Program
● Halau Keali’i O Nalani
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● Daniel Ho Creations
● Santa Monica Ballet Folklorico
● Kuruvungna Village Springs–Gabrielino-Tongva Springs Foundation Funding Possibilities
In addition to earned income from performances, cafes, and events, possible philanthropic and institutional funders include:
● The Herb Alpert Foundation
● Oak View Group (part of the Revitalization Partner Group RPG) ● The Recording Academy (headquartered in Santa Monica) ● The Levitt Foundation (has previously funded music venues) ● June and Simon Li (private philanthropists who support arts and nature-based projects) ● Game and Toy Companies (Naughty Dog, Riot Games, Activision, Mattel) Both UCLA and CalArts’ music schools already receive support from the Herb Alpert Foundation, presenting an opportunity for aligned investment in this new civic arts space.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss this vision in greater detail and collaborate with the City to bring this inspiring community resource to life.

Sincerely,
Members of the Great Park Coalition Arts Working Group
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Great Park Coalition Arts Working Group (Spring 2025)
Marla C. Berns, Ph.D.

Shirley and Ralph Shapiro Director Emerita of the Fowler Museum at UCLA; former Director of the University Art Museum at UCSB; specialist in the arts of Africa; recipient of the medal of chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters of the French Republic; conferred the Arts Council of the African Studies Association’s Leadership Award for lifetime achievement; extensive experience in publishing, curating, public speaking, executive administration Julius Reder Carlson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Mount St. Mary’s University; Co-Founder, Sounds Like LA music education nonprofit; Artistic Director, The Da Camera Society of Mount St. Mary’s University Julia Carnahan
Creative producer and arts administrator working in Los Angeles and internationally; 1990 & 1993 Los Angeles Festivals; International Festival of Arts & Ideas, New Haven; World Festival of Sacred Music, Los Angeles; UCLA Boethius Initiative. Member of the Santa Monica Public Art Committee
Karen Ginsberg
Treasurer, Santa Monica Travel & Tourism Board of Directors; Board of Directors, Santa Monica Conservancy; former Director, Community & Cultural Services, City of Santa Monica Ping Ho, MA, MPH
Founder/Director, Arts & Healing Initiative (the power of the arts enhanced by mental health practices made accessible to all); award-winning author of The Innovative Parent: Raising Connected, Happy, Successful Kids Through Art; founding administrator, UCLA Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology; Steering Committee Member, UCLA Integrative Medicine Collaborative; creator, UCLA-research-based curriculum: Beat the Odds®: Social and Emotional Skill Building Delivered in a Framework of Drumming and Certificate Program in Social Emotional Arts (SEA)
Susan Jain, Ph.D.

Santa Monica Arts Commissioner; Westside Co-Lead, UC Master Gardener Program (LA County); Board Member, Sounds Like LA; former Executive Director, UCLA Confucius Institute; Former Co-President, Santa Monica High School Orchestra Parents Association Bob Ramirez
Architectural Designer and Construction Director, Ramirez Design Inc; President, Gabrielino/Tongva Springs Foundation; Santa Monica Arts Commissioner Allison Mia Starcher
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Gardener’s Companion, Fine Gardening Magazine and Better Homes and Gardens. Allison is a UC Master Gardener and urban agriculture educator
Addendum 2
The Wild Beast @ CalArts Herb Alpert School of Music
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1 Thank you for the opportunity to submit this Letter of Interest to the City of Santa Monica. The known lack of public open spaces in Santa Monica (as shown in statistics) — and the urgent need to balance the present and future demand in building more housing in the city — underscores the importance of protecting the airport site from development and transforming it into a regenerative public park. Our group is responding to this moment with creative and collaborative solutions that re-integrate nature into the urban fabric, fostering resilience, innovation, mental health, economic vitality, intergenerational connection, restorative justice, food security, creativity, and more.

This letter sets forth a proposal to create a 192-acre ecological Great Park in Santa Monica, centered around four foundational elements. These features will support a range of community activities while most importantly restoring Nature to help rebalance the built environment, reduce ecological harm, and ensure a thriving future:
• The Oak Forest
• The Native Meadow
• The Regenerative Farming Innovation Center
• The Freshwater Creek and Restored Aquifer System.

This letter also intends to map a collaborative vision of how our Great Park Coalition - Sustainability Working Group can lead the formation of a Great Park Land Trust. This Trust would organize and activate mission-driven partners to:
• Reimagine and fund the 192-acre ecological Great Park. • Design programs to generate revenues.
• Adapt and reuse the existing buildings to support these programs and expand income streams.
• Steward and run operations on the model of other successful California State/County/City parks.

The model that we propose (mapped in the diagram below) is also the inherent vehicle to develop (and simultaneously be informed by) the roadmap for a Green Circular Economy plan for Santa Monica to propel our community into an environmentally sustainable new economy.

Our team of visionary and mission-driven professionals sees the urgent need and great opportunity of using the airport conversion to prioritize the development of a Green Circular Economy plan to provide support and new opportunities for our local businesses, our school system, and our growing population needs.

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2 Santa Monica’s Sustainability Leadership and Legacy
Santa Monica’s sustainability leadership has broadened and deepened with the support, knowledge, expertise and imagination of dedicated community members — from scientists, students, master gardeners, and teachers to activists, lawyers, artists, entrepreneurs, etc. – along with numerous local, regional and state environmental and climate organizations, many home-grown and typically made up of multi-generations. Over many years, people have stood with the City to take bold, profound actions in protecting our local natural ecosystems as fundamental to our human health and thriving.

Critical Points
We address key questions to help elucidate this proposal and its viability.

How does a Land Trust fund a large regional ecological project? The Great Park Land Trust will be created in partnership with a large educational organization, such as part of the UC system (or comparable institutions) to support and set the goals of the Regenerative Farming Innovation Center to be an innovative outdoor research hub in regenerative practices that will directly support and serve our local community and school system to increase food health and food security.

The Great Park Land Trust will also partner (among other likely-minded organizations in education, arts, and sustainability) with:
• the Theodore Payne Foundation to plan and implement the restoration of native plants and pollinator habitats, absolutely fundamental to regenerative farming food production, besides creating one of the largest and most valuable urban pollinator corridors in our region to foster biodiversity at a large scale.

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3 • the Gabrielino/Tongva community to reintroduce Indigenous sustainable practices to steward and honor our land, but also to hold space for Indigenous artists. • The Cayton Children Museum to make the Great Park with its food production Regenerative Fields, Oak Forest, and Native Meadow a laboratory for the arts and science for the new generations.
• Multibenefit Recharge Basin Non-profit organization.
• Community Kitchen organizations like Alice Waters’s Edible Schoolyard Project. • The UCLA Institute of Environment & Sustainability.
• The UCLA Department of Ecological Medicine and Psychedelics Studies.

What is the City’s sustainability leadership advantage and how is that shared with City leaders and the community?
Sophisticated capacity and confidence come with more than 30 years of Santa Monica’s sustainability leadership and accomplishments, highlighted by the establishment of the Sustainability Rights Ordinance recognizing the Rights of Nature and the community rights as fundamental. The City of Santa Monica’s (City) forward-looking sustainability goals, actions, and leadership are set forth in Article 12. Sustainability of the City of Santa Monica Municipal Code of Ordinances, which states:
“The City of Santa Monica Sustainability Code is created and exists for the purpose of codifying Santa Monica’s commitment to achieving sustainability by among other things: (a) restoring, protecting and preserving our natural environment and all of its components and communities including, but not limited to, the air, water, soil, and climate upon which all living things depend; (b) creating and promoting sustainable systems of food production and distribution, energy production and distribution, transportation, waste disposal, and water supply; and (c) to the full extent legally possible, subordinating the short-term, private, financial interests of corporations and others to the common, long-term interest of achieving environmental and economic sustainability.”
Through the City’s Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment and the ongoing education and advocacy by community members and organizations, elected leaders and diverse stakeholders are engaged in learning about the sustainability history and the expectations and opportunities of participating in or carrying out projects to accomplish the ambitious sustainability and climate goals and identify new ways of doing so.

What’s Regenerative Farming and why?
Regenerative farming is a land stewardship approach that goes beyond sustainability—it actively restores ecosystems. Through practices like composting, no-till planting, crop rotation, cover cropping, and integrating native plants, regenerative farming rebuilds soil health, increases biodiversity, captures carbon, and helps restore the water cycle.

In the context of the Great Park, regenerative farming offers more than ecological benefits. It becomes a vibrant educational hub where residents, students, and visitors of all ages can learn how food, soil, and climate are interconnected. It invites the community to participate in growing nutrient-rich food, healing the land, and reviving ancestral and Indigenous farming knowledge. This kind of hands-on engagement fosters ecological literacy, food justice, and a sense of shared purpose.

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4 By including a Regenerative Farming Innovation Center at the park, Santa Monica takes a bold step toward becoming a model city for climate resilience, community nourishment, and a truly regenerative future.

Why Arts and Cultures at the helm?
Arts and culture have long been catalysts for transformation—shaping how societies see themselves, connect with one another, and relate to the Earth. Placing arts and cultures at the helm of the Great Park ensures that this space becomes not just ecologically restored, but soulfully alive. Through storytelling, music, ceremony, visual arts, and cultural expressions rooted in ancestral and contemporary traditions, we awaken a deeper sense of place, belonging, and care.

Santa Monica has long been a hub for creativity and innovation. By anchoring the Great Park in artistic and cultural expression, we position it as a visionary landmark—one that reflects the city’s identity while modeling an ecological future. Nature speaks in patterns, rhythms, and symbols—much like art. When restoration is guided by cultural wisdom and artistic imagination, the result is a park that doesn’t just look beautiful, but feels meaningful. It becomes a living canvas where diverse communities can gather to celebrate heritage, imagine new futures, and co-create stories of reconnection with the land.

By centering arts and cultures, the park becomes not just a destination, but a regenerative cultural ecosystem—where beauty, justice, and ecological awareness flourish hand in hand.

Why the Oak Forest and the Native Meadow Habitat?
Oak forests are ecological anchors—one mature oak can support hundreds of species, from birds and pollinators to fungi and mammals. As a keystone species, oaks improve soil health, sequester carbon, store rainwater, and help regulate temperature. For people, being among oaks has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, support immune function, and inspire feelings of wonder and grounding. Their towering presence evokes reverence and reminds us of our place within the web of life.

For the Tongva people—the Indigenous stewards of this land—oak woodlands were essential to cultural, spiritual, and physical well-being. The acorns from native oaks were a primary food source, harvested with care and gratitude through intergenerational practices rooted in reciprocity with the land. These groves were gathering places for ceremony, kinship, and the transmission of ecological knowledge. Restoring oak forests is not only an ecological act, but a gesture of cultural remembrance and respect.

Native meadows complement these groves by offering vibrant, open landscapes filled with native grasses and wildflowers that support pollinators and seasonal renewal. Together, the oak forest and native meadow form a living mosaic that restores biodiversity, supports climate resilience, and offers a healing, inspiring connection to the land—for present and future generations.

Why food justice is fundamental and what is the current challenge to affording healthy food? Re-learning as humans how to grow our own food is fundamental to achieve social equality in the long run. Teaching members of the community how to grow their own food and providing a Item 7-A
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5 space where lessons on Regenerative Farming can be easily shared is a fundamental foundation for sustainable food justice. This is especially crucial for those who live in housing that lacks a yard or garden. The far-reaching health benefits penetrate deeper than recreation, impacting the nutritional, physical and mental fitness of the participants. An outdoor demonstration kitchen will also allow for preparation and instruction using the produce grown on the farm.) [not sure if this is the direction you are going but this is what is important to me after years of participation at Ishihara Learning Garden. A kitchen/lab/craft space adjacent to the garden is what I long for every time we have a community event).

How is the 192 acre Great Park going to protect our coastline and the local marine ecosystems? The park promises to confer a myriad of benefits to ocean ecosystems and wildlife through natural and technological pollution controls.

Specifically, the Great Park will help mitigate downstream effects of urban runoff by reducing runoff volume and filtering its pollutants. It will also filter the air and bio-sequester CO2, thus reducing Santa Monica’s carbon footprints-linked to both ocean acidification and climate disruption.

The Great Park can also function to help reclaim and recycle water for numerous purposes, including recharging the aquifer and bolstering purple pipe supplies for irrigation and other nonpotable uses.

Financing
Exploring the financing possibilities for a Great Park Land Trust involves drawing from a broad range of possibilities. We intend to identify priorities and feasibility of resource opportunities and commence the efforts to secure funding from sources that follow (not an exhaustive list):
• Conservancy, e.g. a Friends of the Park
• Measure V (prop tax fund)
• Public-private partnerships
• Public support (any different than the 1st one?)
• Sponsorships, e.g. adopt a grove of trees
• Measure W
• Clean Power Alliance community benefits program
• Climate fee opportunity (see state law)
• Selling carbon offsets
• Low-interest loans
• Bond measure
• Land & Clean Water Fund (state)
• CalFire grants
• Climate resilience (state)
• Statewide park development and revitalization development (state) • Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (state)
• Urban agriculture funding from state
• CA Naturalists and Climate Stewards
• CA Native American Preparedness Tribal Grant
• Environmental Water Resources Projects (US Dept. of Interior Bureau of Reclamation)
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6 Conclusion
As the capstone of Santa Monica’s park system, the Great Park will stand as a living example of a community in harmony with nature – “The Living Community” —rooted in the City’s commitments to both the Rights of Nature and human rights. Through the leadership of the Great Park Land Trust, this 192-acre ecological haven can come to life: restoring public land, revitalizing our urban ecosystem, honoring the ancestral homeland of the Gabrielino-Tongva people, and offering a place of beauty, wonder, and belonging for generations to come. —Co-Authored by Paola Vezzulli, Sylvie Rokab, Michael Brodsky and Cris Gutierrez— The Great Park Coalition - Sustainability Working Group A growing group of devoted environmentalists, sustainability leaders, climate activists, lawyers, and advocates have joined the Great Park Coalition- Sustainability Working Group. Currently, the participants include:
• Michael Brodsky, Airport2Park
Board Member, Airport2Park; Professor Emeritus, Loyola Marymount University; CA State Certified Environmental Educator; Education Staff, Resource Conservation District of Santa Monica Mountains; Santa Monica Spoke, Board of Directors • Kate Davies, Team Marine
Co-captain, Team Marine, Santa Monica High School; Member, SMMUSD Sustainability Steering Committee; Senior Student, Santa Monica High School; Speaker and Beach Captain, Heal the Bay; aspiring environmental biologist and United Nations Environment Programme member.
• Emmy Fay, Team Marine
Co-captain, Team Marine, Santa Monica High School; Member, SMMUSD Sustainability Steering Committee; Senior Student, Santa Monica High School; aspiring marine scientist, artist, and surfer.
• Stephanie Gebhardt Rath, Heal the Bay
Heal the Bay’s Senior Watershed Specialist, Central Santa Monica Bay. • Cris Gutierrez, Clean Power Alliance, Santa Monica Community Gardens Co-Chair, SaMo Safe Streets Alliance; SaMo Safe Streets Advisor to Youth Leadership Collective; Chair, Santa Monica Community Gardens Advisory Committee; Co-Founder and Advisory Board Member, Climate Action Santa Monica Climate Action Santa Monica; Community Advisor, Clean Power Alliance, regenerative gardener and eco-peace activist. • Ann Hoover Bowman, Santa Monica Great Park Coalition
Co-Chair, Civic Center Task Force (advocated to realize Historic Belmar Park); Santa Monica Recreation and Parks Commissioner; former Member, SMMUSD Facilities District Advisory Committee; former Chair for Direct Donation, Santa Monica High School Orchestras Program; Item 7-A
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7 former Vice President of Organization, Santa Monica High School PTSA Executive Board; former Co-President, Franklin Elementary School PTA; retired attorney. • Susan Jain, UC Master Gardener, Santa Monica Arts Commission Santa Monica Arts Commissioner; Westside Co-Lead, UC Master Gardener Program (LA County); Board Member, Sounds Like LA; former Executive Director, UCLA Confucius Institute; Former Co-President, Santa Monica High School Orchestra Parents Association. • Dylan Jericiau, Team Marine
Co-captain, Team Marine, Santa Monica High School; Member, SMMUSD Sustainability Steering Committee; Junior Student, Santa Monica High School; ceramic artist. • Ben Kay, SM Clean Beaches & Ocean Parcel Tax Citizens Oversight Committee Adjunct Associate Professor, Santa Monica College Life Science Department; Life and Environmental Sciences Instructor, Santa Monica High School; Member & Former Chair, Clean Beaches Committee, City of Santa Monica; Member, SMMUSD Sustainability Steering Committee; Former Member, SMC Environmental Affairs Committee; Advisory Board Member, Climate Action Santa Monica; Co-Founder & Faculty Advisor of Team Marine, SaMoHi; Science Advisor, Surfrider Foundation Los Angeles; soccer player, surfer, angler, and activist. • Kyle Drees, Patagonia Santa Monica
Enviro Team Lead, Patagonia Santa Monica.
• Dean Kubani, SM Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice, & the Environment , Loyola Marymount University
Chair, Santa Monica Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment; Adjunct Professor, Loyola Marymount University Department of Environmental Science; Principal, Kubani & Associates, LLC; Former Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Santa Monica; Former Assistant Director of Public Works, City of Santa Monica. • Jing Liu, Santa Monica College Geography/GIS Department Geography Professor teaching Physical Geography and GIS (Geographical Information Science) at Santa Monica College.
• Andreas Kemkes, Verdant Venice
Retired from a career in computers and software, Andreas is now busy hacking the urban environment for a happier and more sustainable future. If you don’t catch him with his hands in the dirt, you might spot him running through the neighborhood or occasionally attending Venice community meetings.
• Scott Morris, The Low Carbon Initiative
Managing DirectorManaging Director, The Low Carbon Initiative • James Oliver, Centre for Applied Ecological Remediation Soil Ecology and Bioremediation Researcher; Community Science Educator; former Resident Mycologist at Metabolic Studio.
• Sarah Wauters, Verdant Venice
Chair of the Venice Arbor Committee; lawyer, solar energy developer and photographer/journalist.

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8 • Cynthia Rose, Santa Monica Spoke, SaMo Safe Streets Alliance Executive Director, SM Spoke; Co-Chair SaMo Safe Streets Alliance; environmentalist and community advocate for safe streets, and community gardener. • Joe Pertel, Santa Monica Great Park Coalition
Organizer, Santa Monica Great Park Coalition; Santa Monica Airport Commissioner; Steering Committee, Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS); Past President, Elemental Strings; Past Vice-President, Team Santa Monica Aquatics Swim Club; Former Board member, Santa Monica Surf Youth Soccer Club; Past Personnel Commissioner, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District; Former Member, Executive Committee, Los Angeles County Bar Association, Indigent Juvenile Defender Program; Supervising Staff Attorney, Loyola Law School Project for the Innocent.
• David Pettit, SM Sustainability Commission, Center for Biological Diversity Senior Attorney, Center for Biological Diversity; former Senior Attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council; member, Santa Monica Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and the Environment.
• Sylvie Rokab, Love Thy Nature
Filmmaker, Mentor and Founder of Love Thy Nature; certified Forest Bathing guide, mindfulness teacher, and Emmy nominated filmmaker.
• Jerry Rubin, Urban Tree Forest Task Force
Community activist; Member, Urban Forest Task Force.
• Bill Selby, Rediscovering the Golden State
Dedicated environmentalist and wildlands explorer; Author, Rediscovering the Golden State and The California Sky Watcher; Emeritus Professor, Geography and Earth Science at Santa Monica College, Advisory Board Member, Climate Action Santa Monica. • Allison Starcher
Professional illustrator specializing in plants and insects; master gardener. • Paola Vezzulli, Collective Fields, Regenerative Farming Architect and systems designer; Principal, Design Director, Founder of Collective Fields; Regenerative Farming.
• Laurene von Klan, Climate Action Santa Monica
Co-Chair, Climate Action Santa Monica.

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C I T Y O F S A N TA M O N I C A

A I R P O R T

C O N V E R S I O N

P R O J E C T
L e t t e r o f I n t e r e s t M a y 5 , 2 0 25
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GRE YSTAR
1 3625 Del Amo Blvd, Suite 270
Torrance, CA 90503
May 5, 2025
Amber Richane
Principal Design and Planning Manager 1685
Main Street; Mail Stop 15
Santa Monica, CA 90401
[email protected]
Dear Ms. Richane:

The Greystar team is excited by this opportunity to provide a Letter of Interest (“LOI”) for housing development to generate revenue to support the City of Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project (“SMACP”). Our team has great interest in forging a long-term, mutually rewarding partnership with the City of Santa Monica for this once in a lifetime opportunity to serve current and future generations.

Project Understanding
Project Description & Community Benefits: Greystar understands that housing is one of several uses currently under consideration for the Airport Conversion Project. We believe housing is vital community infrastructure and that a development partnership can be structured in such a way to generate a significant and reliable revenue stream to support the SMACP’s construction, infrastructure, community programs, and long- term maintenance and operations while meeting the goals of the City of Santa Monica and local community. We can scale up and down based on SMACP’s needs, whether that is a single residential building, or a collection of products and uses, ranging from market rate, mixed-income, student, and senior/55+. We believe a blend of densities for a wide variety of residents will result in a diverse population that enhances the viability of the Great Park. Further, the housing can be designed with supporting uses and indoor and outdoor amenities serving residents and the broader community. We are open to working collaboratively with the City to site plan based on the SMACP’s goals and collaborating to ensure financial viability, which may include exploring both adaptive reuse and new construction.

Financial Plan: As a leader in the rental housing industry, Greystar has a strong reputation in the capital markets and maintains best-in-class institutional capital markets relationships across equity, debt, and public sources, including the municipal bond market. Further, as a privately owned company, Greystar hasflexibility to consider alternative deliverymodels and financialstructures, including fee simple acquisition, joint ventures, long-term ground leases, and public-private partnerships. As described later in this LOI, Greystar has significant P3 experience, with over 52,000 beds/units delivered or in development and ~$6B in transaction volume. We tailor each P3 approach based on our partner’s objectives, and we are confident that we can collaboratively devise a structure with the City of Santa Monica that generates funding upfront or over the long term to support the SMACP’s capital and operating needs.

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2 4.1.1

LETTER OF INTER EST
Timeline: Greystar is eager to work with the City as soon as practically possible after all required milestones are achieved, including partner solicitation, CEQA entitlement, and securing all local approvals (including Measure LC). Upon completion of design and permitting, the first units of a residential building can typically be delivered within 20 to 24 months of starting construction.

Greystar Qualifications
The following are the primary reasons we believe that Greystar would be extremely qualified to deliver housing as a component of the Airport Conversion Project and achieve the City’s goals and priorities for this P3 effort.
■ The Leader in Rental Housing: Greystar is a leading, fully integrated global real estate company offering expertise in property management, investment management, and development services in institutionalquality rental housing. In North America, Greystar has developed over $25 billion in assets resulting in over 65,000 units/beds. We build a variety of housing, including multifamily, student housing, active adult (55+), build for rent, and essential housing to serve a wide range of residents. In 2025, Greystar was ranked the #1 Developer and #2 Builder by the National Multifamily Housing Council. ■ Proven P3 Partnership Success: Our half century of long-term Public-Private Partnerships with public institutions has given Greystar the knowledge, experience, and flexibility to create transformative developments that achieve each project’s design, schedule, and financial goals. Greystar has partnered with colleges, universities, and other government entities to deliver more than 70 P3 projects across the country.
■ Southern California Market Experience: Greystar Development has offices in Torrance, Newport Beach, and Solana Beach, and the Southern California development team covers the entire Southern California region, from the Mexican border up to Santa Barbara. Since its founding in 2012, Greystar has sponsored over 30 projects in Southern California resulting in over 10,000 units/beds in the region and maintains a strong development pipeline, covering various product and construction types.

Greystar is vertically integrated, with the team benefiting from in-house construction expertise and full support for all pursuits. We have
included examples of recently completed multifamily, active adult, and student housing projects in Southern California to highlight our experience at delivering high-quality rental housing to a diverse set of residents in the region.
■ Dedicated to Placemaking: Every project the Greystar Development and Construction team takes on is guided by a commitment to excellence, a belief in hands-on management, and an understanding of how what we build influences cities. We are passionate about details, design, and operational efficiency, and every project starts with a vision that aligns a thoughtful site plan with the ultimate needs of the people destined for the final product.

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3 ■ Property Management Expertise: Greystar is the largest operator of apartments in the United States and manages over 96,000 units in Southern California, giving us deep national and local knowledge to inform our approach to housing included in the MACP. Leveraging this wealth of data allows Greystar to make informed, strategic decisions and deliver exceptional results across its development projects, ensuring continued success in an ever-evolving market. ■ Delivering Community Benefits: Many of Greystar’s projects are mixed-use and include active ground floor space for retail, institutional, and community use, and childcare. Many of our projects in Southern California and across the country include a number of affordable units, reflecting Greystar’s recognition of the need for attainable housing throughout the U.S. and our commitment to delivering more attainable rental housing opportunities for key populations. One prominent example is Neptune Marina in Marina del Rey, a Public-Private Partnership with the County of Los Angeles that includes 81 affordable units (see page 8).
■ Deep Financial Resources: Greystar has access to a wide range of potential capital partners, giving us an unparalleled ability to secure both equity and debt financing and robust access to capital from the largest institutional investment organizations in the world. As a private company, Greystar can be nimble and underwrite a wide range of transaction structures as we seek the structure that best meets the MACP’s objectives.
■ Commitment to Sustainability: Greystar has been recognized as a sustainability leader by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (“GRESB”), the environmental, social, and governance standard for real estate assets.
■ Trust and Transparency: Greystar is known in the industry for our commitment to true partnerships and open-book approach.

Greystar believes that the most important “P” in “P3” is Partnership, and it would be an honor to be the City of Santa Monica’s partner on the Airport Conversion Project. We look forward to upcoming engagement with the City in this procurement to further discuss your goals and aspirations.

Sincerely,
John Roberson
Senior Managing Director US
West Development
Andrew Kuo
Managing Director
Southern California
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4.1.1 LETTER OF INTER EST
MAY 5, 2025
4 Greystar Development
Greystar is a leading, fully integrated student and conventional housing developer offering global expertise in development and property management.

Founded by Bob Faith in 1993, Greystar has grown swiftly over the last 30+ years from a modest beginning with 9,000 units under management.

Headquartered in Charleston, S.C., Greystar now manages and operates approximately $320 billion of real estate globally with offices throughout North America, Europe, South America, and the Asia- Pacific region. #1
Developer in
the U.S.

Since the Southern California
Region’s founding in 2012,
Greystar has sponsored over 30
projects and maintains a strong
development pipeline, covering
various product and construction
types. With three
offices in the region, the Southern
California team offers ground-up
development services across the Orange,
San Diego, Riverside, Los Angeles, San
Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and
San Luis Obispo counties, as well as in
Hawaii.

NEWPORT BEACH
~$36B
Global Development
Assets

IN SOUTHERN

CALIFORNIA
34 Our team has experience in executing unique projects across all types of transaction structures, such as fee simple, ground lease, and joint venture All our projects meet strict codes for energy and resource efficiency, standards and represent a wide range of product types, including conventional multifamily, active adult, single-family, student, essential housing, and industrial. We are recipients of local and national awards due to our projects’ designs, community benefits, and operational excellence.

Total Projects
~$5.1B
Total Development
Capitalization
$1.2B
In Pursuit Across 10
Projects
Avila
Pasadena
The Weddington
Los Angeles
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5 Greystar Construction
The Greystar in-house construction team acts as the general contractor on the majority of our projects in Southern California — making us experts in the region.

The National Multifamily Housing Council (“NMHC”) in 2025 ranks Greystar as the No. 2 builder in the U.S. Our consistent volume of work enables the construction group to retain the most experienced construction executives, project managers, and on-site supervisors.

Because of our volume of work in the region, we enjoy competitive pricing from a roster of excellent subcontractors with quality crews, and we have the ability to motivate our large subcontractor base.

Having Greystar as the self-performing general contractor benefits our clients in multiple ways:
■ The client has a single point of contact, allowing for more accurate completion estimates.
■ There are fewer delays in construction because some tasks can be done in tandem.
■ When a single company is managing everything, the development and the client benefit from a singular focus.
■ A high level of coordination during the design process ensures accurate pricing, driving project efficiency through increased accuracy and transparency vs. the use of a third-party GC.
#2
Builder
in the U.S.
~$21B
General Contractor
Capitalization (since
2009)

IN SOUTHERN

CALIFORNIA
20 Total Projects
~8K
Total Units
~$3B
General Contractor
525 Olive Capitalization
San Diego
AMP Lofts
Los Angeles
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6 Greystar Property Management
Greystar Management boasts a significant presence across the Southern California region, overseeing more than 96,000 units under management — including 10 communities and nearly 2,000 units managed in the Santa Monica submarket.

This expansive portfolio gives Greystar Development unparalleled access to bestin-class data resources, providing valuable insights into multifamily operations.

Leveraging this wealth of data allows Greystar to make informed, strategic decisions and deliver exceptional results across its development projects, ensuring continued success in an ever-evolving market.

Greystar’s Beyond Expectations philosophy aims to raise awareness and promote consistency in customer satisfaction — then anticipate needs and go beyond their expectations to thrill our residents, increase their
satisfaction, and drive brand loyalty, differentiating us from the competition. Greystar’s pledge to customer service comes from the company’s three commitments to BE Positive, BE Pristine and BE Passionate for our customers.

Residents living at Greystar communities expect — and deserve — the best overall living experience. Providing the highest level of resident satisfaction is a core philosophy at Greystar, and the teams are carefully trained, measured, supported, and held accountable in their efforts to accomplish this.

At the core of Greystar and its overall operational experience are the company’s people. Greystar highly values hiring the right individuals for positions through a recruiting road map of user-friendly online job postings and career applications systems. We know from experience that the key to successful property management lies in having the right team in place.
#1
Property Manager in
the U.S.
1M+
Units & Student Beds
Under Management

IN SOUTHERN

CALIFORNIA
~400
Properties Under
Management
96K+
Units Under
Management
Cora
Ventura
Portofino
Santa Monica
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7 Greystar — Public-Private Partnerships
Greystar is a national leader with decades of experience building and maintaining successful public-private partnerships (“P3s”) with institutional and municipal partners across the U.S. The benefits of working with an experienced P3 developer include:
■ TRANSFERRING RISK to the private sector
■ SPEED OF DELIVERY — P3 projects save time.
■ LOWER COST for developments and operations
■ MISSION — Allow the university or municipality to focus on its core mission rather than development.

In the last five years, Greystar has executed P3 developments and acquisitions for partners stretching from California to the East Coast. These include:
■ University of Maryland — 788 beds, $144.6 millon in 2024 ■ University of Washington (acquisition) — 853 beds, $183 million in 2024 ■ UC Law San Francisco — 667 beds, $283.9 million in 2023 ■ University of Pennsylvania — 588 beds, $97.9 million in 2023 ■ University of South Carolina — 1,808 beds, $210 million in 2023 ■ Sacramento State — 1,100 beds, $164.2 million in 2021 This summer, Greystar will complete construction of its latest P3, a graduate student/faculty apartment project at the University of Hawai ‘i. 70+
Successfully Delivered
Public- Private
Partnerships
52K+
University/
Municipality Units &
Student Beds
Delivered &
Awarded
~$6B
University/
Municipality Projects
Delivered &
Awarded
Hornet Commons
Sacramento State
The Academe at 198
UC Law San Francisco
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8 Case Studies
Neptune Marina
Marina del Rey, CA
■ Product: Multi-family
■ Year Built: 2019
■ Units: 526 apartments,
174 boat slips
■ Construction: Type V
Podium
■ Structure: Ground lease
■ Awards: 2021 LABJ Gold
Winner - Best Multifamily
Project
2020 Gold Nugget Grand
Award - Best Multifamily
Community
2016 Gold Nugget Grand
Award- Best-on-the- Boards
Multifamily Project
The Gabriel
Pomona, CA
■ Product: Multi-family
■ Year Built: 2022
■ Units: 312 apartments
■ Amenities: 1,200 SF retail,
clubhouse, pool, fitness
center
■ Construction: Type V
Wrap
■ Structure: Fee Simple
■ Awards: 2023 Multifamily Development of
the Year - CoStar
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9 Case Studies
Sand Canyon Plaza
Santa Clarita, CA
■ Product: Multi-family, for-sale, commercial/retail,
assisted living, open space
■ Year Built: 2026 and 2027
■ Units: 520 rental and for-sale
■ Construction: Type V Wrap, 3-Story Townhomes
■ Structure: Fee simple
Palisade at Westfield UTC
San Diego, CA
■ Product: Multi-family
■ Year Built: 2019
■ Units: 300 apartments
■ Amenities: Rooftop sky
lounge, resort-style pool,
fitness center, co-working
cafe, private event space
■ Construction: Type I
high-rise
■ Structure: Fee simple
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10 Case Studies
Union Grantville
San Diego, CA
■ Product: Student
Housing
■ Year Built: 2023
■ Units: 250 apartments
(638 total beds)
■ Amenities: Structured
parking, courtyards, pool
deck, fitness center
■ Construction: Type III
Podium
■ Structure: Ground lease
with San Diego
Metropolitan Transit
System
Everleigh San Clemente
San Clemente, CA
■ Product: Active Adult
(55+)
■ Year Built: 2023
■ Units: 150
■ Amenities: Pool, spa,
fitness center, game
room, theater
■ Construction: Garden
■ Structure: Fee simple
■ Award: Voted Southern
California’s Best 55+ Rental
Community at 2025 SAGE
Awards
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CITY OF SANTA MONICA

AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT

LETTER OF INTEREST
May 5, 2025
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GRIFFITH COMPANY |2| AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT LETTER OF INTEREST City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street, Mail Stop 15
Santa Monica, CA 90401
ATTN: Amber Richane, Principal Design and Planning Manager Subject: Proposal for onsite Material Recycling and Processing yard Dear Amber Richane,
We are submitting this Letter of Interest (LOI) in response to the City’s request for proposal for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project announced by the City of Santa Monica. We are submitting this letter to provide the background and history of Griffith Company. The purpose of this LOI is to outline and present a mutually beneficial partnership between the City, Griffith Company and the surrounding west side communities.

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GRIFFITH COMPANY |3| AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT LETTER OF INTEREST I. Introduction
Griffith Company
Established in 1902, Griffith Company is among California’s oldest general contractors. With over 120 years of construction experience, we are the third oldest contractor still operating in the State of California. From our inception as a full-service contractor, Griffith Company has evolved into a general engineering contractor serving both private and public sector clients on projects across Southern California, with project values ranging from $100,000 to $800 million. Our extensive project portfolio includes a wide range of construction endeavors in transportation, infrastructure, and site development. Our self-performing capabilities include demolition work, earthwork, concrete, structures, underground utilities, landscape, materials, and environmental division.

License 88 Classifications A, B, C8, C12, C-27, HAZ
Airport Experience
We have completed extensive work at our regions Airports, including ongoing work at LAX, airside, landside and terminal work, including hazardous material mitigation, Burbank Airport (replacement terminal airside), Van Nuys Airport (airside taxiway work), Long Beach Airport, landside and airside work, San Diego Airport (airside demolition and expansion of taxiway, runways, structures) We have completed more than $1 Billion of airport improvements over the past 20 years in Southern California.

Environmental Testing, Reporting and Mitigation
Our environmental division has been instrumental in keeping operations smooth and seamless at these projects.

Airport work, rail work, port work seems to go hand in hand with unforeseen environmental cleanup conditions. Our Environmental division is able to test for hazardous materials and develop reports that included material processing protocols to mitigate hazardous materials in a timely manner. This has been accomplished for LAWA and LA Metro.

In addition, we are currently assisting with hazardous waste clean up as part of the Eaton Fire clean up operations for the Army Corp of Engineers.

Materials Division Experience
Griffith has provided construction materials for projects throughout Southern California for over 100 years.

An important aspect of our long term business plan includes the processing, recycling and selling of a variety construction materials (i.e. sand, aggregates and miscellaneous base products). Over the years, Griffith has created a network of partners which includes material suppliers, other contractors, and subcontractors. We are keenly aware that regional material needs have increased due to the dwindling material sites in the Southern California. Griffith has the resources, relationships, and reputation in the Southern California contracting community to maximize the material collected from this project site and sell any viable materials at a competitive price to the benefit of the City and the local construction community.

Our Materials Division is a key element of Griffith Company’s future growth and sustainability goals. We are committed to a sustainable future in alignment with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): We have Certified Envision Sustainability Professionals (ENV SP) on staff.

Statement of Partnership
Griffith Company proposes to assist the City of Santa Monica with the transition of Santa Monica Airport to a future sustainable park development. The demolition phase of this project can have a wide impact on the surrounding community. Griffith proposes options on completing this phase sustainably; a short term or long-term commitment, both providing financial opportunity for the City.

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GRIFFITH COMPANY |4| AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT LETTER OF INTEREST II. Objectives, Space requirements and location
Objectives
Asphalt and concrete rubble are commonly produced from demolition jobs involving older structures, sidewalks, roadways, and parking lots. During a construction project, this rubble debris is typically transported off-site to landfills or disposal centers. Subsequently, subgrade materials such as Crushed Miscellaneous Base are brought in for roadways and site development.

This process results in considerable trucking traffic within the city and surrounding areas, increased CO2 emissions locally, wear and tear on city roadways, and additional materials being deposited in landfills.

In our experience, recycling and processing construction debris within active geographic footprint of a construction project is mutually beneficial to the local community as well as to the project it serves by significantly negating these issues.

Estimated airport material to be recycled from the acreages provided by the RFP Punctured asphalt- 15.5 acres = 15,504 Tons
Building, 17.8 acres = 26,705 Tons
Concrete 120 acres = 180,048Tons
Tarmac 13.8 acres = 34,508 Tons
Plaza/Path 2.2 acres= 2,200 Tons
Transportation of this material offsite equates to 18,497 Super 10 Truck Loads, 961,844 truck miles, and 4,046.45 tons of carbon emissions into the local and surrounding communities.

Location and space required
Griffith Company is proposing that the City of Santa Monica offer a location of 5 to 10 acres of the 192-acre airport site, located near Bundy Drive in the Northeast quadrant of the site, to be utilized as a concrete and asphalt recycle site.

This area will be depressed 10’ from existing grade, and berms will extend along the existing slopes along Bundy, as well as creating slopes surrounding the site on North, West South sides. The slopes will then be planted with trees, irrigation and groundcover. The operation will not be visible from the street.

The existing airport road to the west will be utilized as access to Bundy drive as needed. The final location and design of site area can be confirmed with City prior to installation.

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GRIFFITH COMPANY |5| AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT LETTER OF INTEREST III. City of Santa Monica and surrounding community benefits Recycle Site functions and operation

1. Recycling asphalt and concrete materials from the demo phase of this project on site minimizing truck traffic off site.

2. Benefits of reducing off-site trucking:

Eliminates 18,498 Super 10 truck trips, for disposal of existing concrete/asphalt. Saving the City 964,883 miles on the roadways and freeways. Eliminating 3,890.82 tons of carbon emissions from these trips.

3. Re-use of imported base material will keep minimize offsite truck traffic.

4. Ability to use Recycled materials
• Class II base or CMB is used as a solid base course for supporting new roadways, sidewalks, and buildings in construction. The recycled base product produced is tested to meet specified requirements for State, Federal and local jobs.
• Class II Base: (Caltrans Specifications)
• Crushed Miscellaneous Base (CMB) Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction (SSPWC), “Greenbook” specifications a sub-base to create typography on the project site, hills, mounds.

5. Local projects will be able to purchase this recycled base and reduce trucking costs of this material to these projects.

6. Recycling base material can create a revenue for City of Santa Monica to utilize for maintenance operations at this future park.

7. Creates a local recycle center for the city and west side to recycle asphalt and concrete from local projects. This location would reduce trucking and overall costs of local city projects.

8. Intent is the crushing operation will not be visible from the street, actual crushing of material will only occur between the hours of 9am-4pm when needed.

IV. Financial plan

1. Royalty Agreement: This typically depends on the rubble intake at a site. The city gets paid according to the amount of material processed... We benefit together - higher intake means higher payments for the city. We have a similar agreement in Orange County.

2. Construction Material Savings: It is our understanding that the Airport Conversion Project will be compromised of multiple construction projects within the city creating a need to dispose of asphalt and concrete, and or to purchase Class II Base. In general terms:

General Terms
When the City of Santa Monica has a need to purchase base and or dispose of demolished concrete and asphalt, we would offer to recycle and sell the materials needed at a pre-determined rate to the City of Santa Monica and its developing partners. This could lead to a significant amount of savings compared to the costs you may presently incur by purchasing these construction materials from non-local sources and hauling from neighboring cities.

In addition, reducing miles traveled to move any rubble locally significantly reduces the carbon footprint, with far less truck traffic within the city. Griffith Company tracks all incoming material deliveries and can provide periodic diversion reports to prove compliance with the State requirements. We will credit back to the City any salvaged structural steel and miscellaneous metals.

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GRIFFITH COMPANY |6| AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT LETTER OF INTEREST San Diego Stadium
San Diego, California
Griffith Company Materials Division worked as a sub under Clark GGG to assist in crushing 215,000 tons of rubble created from the demolition of the San Diego Stadium. The material was crushed and then used as a Class II base onsite to help build the new stadium.

The Irvine Company
Irvine, California
Value Approx. $ 771,000 Value Approx. $ 2.5 Million/Year Griffith Company has worked closely under the management of “The Irvine Company” to help the City of Irvine in their expansion and development of the city since August 1st, 1998. Griffith currently operates a recycling site off Jeffery Rd just north of Portola. We bring in rubble from local demo jobs and crush and/or screen into different materials. The primary product is Class II base. But we have the ability to screen and make different types of rock and sand products. This location operates under a royalty/rental agreement with a sliding scale with the city.

The materials that are generated from this site are used for SWPPP, Road repair purposes. We have implemented our own SWPPP during rainy seasons as well as a dust suppression system during operation. This recycling operation in partnership with the City of Irvine is an important part of Griffith Company’s sustainability plan.

March 2021-August 2021 August 1998-Present
Where have we done this before
Griffith Company’s Materials Division has been operating up to four material sites over the last five years in southern California. We own and operate two portable crushers that can produce 1500 to 2500 tons of material per day, depending on the required material specification and recycled rubble composition. These are operations that utilize demolished concrete and asphalt from local/nearby jobs that we recycle into a usable product and sell for new construction. By making this material available to construction projects, this saves on trucking and construction cost by providing locally sourced materials.

Recent temporary sites include the Diamond Bar Golf Course Project in Diamond Bar and the SoFi Stadium Project in the City of Inglewood as part of the paving of the parking lots for the SoFi Stadium.

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GRIFFITH COMPANY |7| AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT LETTER OF INTEREST V. Timeline
Timeline
Once agreement has been executed and approved by the City, the mobilization of the equipment and support facilities for the crushing operation can begin.
(These items can and should be coordinated and installed prior to January 1, 2029 targeted operation date.) • Confirm 3 phase power connection is available at site. • Confirm water connection is available at site.
• Driveway opening to connect to existing airport road on Bundy Drive. • Delivery of portable crusher and site equipment/installation.

Once equipment is up and running, we can begin accepting concrete/asphalt for recycling.

VI. Closing Statement
Closing Statement
Griffith Company believes this proposal benefits both Griffith Company and the City of Santa Monica:
• Reduce truck traffic
• Reduce CO2 emissions
• Reduce wear and tear on City Roadways
• Reduce aggregate material costs by having preferential pricing • Generate revenue/royalties on incoming materials
We would like to discuss the details of how Griffith Company can assist the city. Griffith Company specializes in providing comprehensive support for urban development projects, including infrastructure construction, environmental sustainability initiatives, and community engagement programs. Our team has extensive experience of working with municipalities to tailor solutions that meet their specific needs.

Please let us know if a meeting is possible to review the proposal. During the meeting, we can delve into the specifics of our approach, review past successful projects, and outline the benefits our partnership can bring to the city’s growth and development.

For questions or additional information, please contact me at (562) 754-2177 or [email protected]. We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate and make meaningful contributions to the city’s future.

Sincerely,

Sadaqat Rana
Griffith Company
Manager, Materials Division
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“ The Griffith Way: Honesty, Integrity, and the Commitment to deliver on our promises.”
griffithcompany.net
Griffith Company
Corporate Headquarters
3050 E. Birch Street
Brea, CA 92821
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1 The Art of Shaping the Space In Between

CITY OF SANTA MONICA

REQUEST FOR LETTER OF INTEREST - SANTA MONICA AIRPORT
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Ground Review, Brandywine Homes, OMGiving, and MIG are uniquely positioned to demonstrate its deep understanding of the Santa Monica community and greater Los Angeles County.

Ground Review was founded in 2020 by veteran real estate retail development specialists, Roman Ciuni and Jason House. Roman and Jason have over 30 years combined brokerage and development experience that began in 2004. From 2015-2024, Roman and Jason led all leasing and development for Lab Holdings, developer of the Anaheim Packing House, The Lab and The Camp. In 2020, Ground Review began offering brokerage and development consulting services to third party property owners and has grown into a best-in-class, full-service commercial real estate broker and development consultant, specializing in community-focused retail and mixed-use projects.

We have extensive experience and have successfully executed PPP transactions with cities such as Garden Grove, Anaheim, San Marcos, Corona, and Long Beach.

Our economic development work includes negotiating purchase agreements, development agreements, licensing, parking management plans, leading and managing entitlement process, design development, retail curation, leasing, revenue pro forma, programming strategies, property management, project operations, community engagement, and presentations to planning commission and city council.

Ground Review Executive Team: Roman Ciuni and Jason House Brandywine Homes is a family-owned homebuilder with over 30 years of experience specializing in infill development within established Southern California neighborhoods. We focus on converting underutilized properties into vibrant for-sale residential communities that enhance their surrounding context. Backed by a leadership team with more than a century of combined experience, Brandywine has entitled, developed, and built over 100 successful communities across the region.

Brandywine Executive Team:
• Brett Whitehead: CEO/Principal
• Alex Hernandez: President
• David Barisic: Principal
• Mario Urza: CFO
Core Competencies
• Infill development in high-demand submarkets
• Creative land planning and entitlement navigation
• Efficient construction management
• Strong relationships with municipalities, consultants, and local brokers • Market-sensitive design, sales, and marketing strategies Financing Strategy
Brandywine employs a disciplined capital structure tailored to project needs:
• Equity: Sourced from internal capital and long-standing private investors; offers strong alignment and quick decision-making. • Debt: Structured with experienced lenders who understand the nuances of California residential development. Brandywine has existing relationships with banks and private lenders for acquisition, development, and construction financing.

Introduction
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Project Description
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The proposed project concept strives to deliver a multi-cultural experience and community serving uses that builds upon the amazing arts focused uses already existing.

The project strives to create a village with nature featuring an Artist Colony, Culinary Collective, mixed-use Wellness Campus, residential housing opportunities, amphitheater, expansive open space, and nature trails, all thoughtfully designed to be integrated into the lush park setting. One of the top priorities of the project is to find creative ways to reuse as many of the existing structures as possible to keep with the history of aviation and to commemorate the aviation history that influenced their design. To complement the existing structures, we envision a potential for new construction and installation of prefabricated F&B and retail units. The project will feature 5 distinct zones.

Zone 1: Artist Colony & Maker’s Alley – Zone 1 is the core of the project’s community engagement by expanding on the 18th Street Arts Center. This zone strives to create multi-use incubator space for independent artists, designers, builders, and makers. The spaces will be offered at an affordable rent to help young and seasoned creatives develop their craft. Built over an expansive area, Zone 1 will include a mix of uses incorporating the existing venue operation at the Barker Hangar, outdoor gardens, community gathering areas, and Zone 2 uses as described below. • Artist and makers incubator space.
• Adaptive reuse of existing sheds.
• Potential for 20,000 – 35,000 SF of artist studios and maker’s sheds. • Potential for retail support such as an art supply shop and coffee shop. • Community engaging art programming – art walks, community live music, open-galleries Zone 2: Culinary Collective – Zone 2 is the core retail amenity for the village. The Culinary Collective will feature 10-18 food, beverage, and retail operators. Whereas food trucks are typically a temporary use for Barker Hangar events, the Culinary Collective is a permanent amenity that allows for continued gathering after events at the Barker Hangar. The goal of the Culinary Collective is to create a destination with a collective of local and regional operators delivering an authentic and entertaining dining experience unique to the City of Santa Monica.
• Potential adaptive reuse of existing metal buildings as shade structures with multi-use programming. • Covered common area dining.
• Modular F&B and retail units for an indoor/outdoor food experience. • New structures (Quonset huts, containers, Large shed structure with modular units inside, food truck park). • Units range from 500-1500 SF.
• (10-18 tenants) - 20-30k SF total.
• Potential for 1 or 2 larger restaurants.
• Range of different development structures depending on cities goals. • Potential for market rate rental revenue.
• Destination amenity for the local community and dining offering for park visitors.

Zone 3: Wellness Campus & Co-Working Office – Zone 3 blends health and wellness with day-time office uses to create a unique active life-style experience. This portion of the project spurs a growth of creative offices at a smaller scale which complement the existing creative offices north of the runway. The campus features 15,000 – 25,000 Project Description
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SF of co-working office space surrounded by lush park landscaping. Adjacent to the office is the health and wellness core featuring 8,000 - 12,000 SF for uses such as pilates, yoga, cross-training, climbing, and running/cycling retail shops. The campus will include 1,500 – 3,000 SF of retail support for a coffee shop, juice shop, healthy food stall, and grab-n-go.
• Adaptive reuse of existing structures.
• Potential for modular pods for office use.
• Indoor/outdoor workout areas.
• Yoga and meditation gardens.
• Provides sustainable daytime use with revenue potential. • Wellness core invites the local community to participate in activities. • Multiple programming opportunities.

Zone 4 & 5: Residential Housing Opportunities – The residential area, bordering the former runway, includes four product types designed to blend with the surrounding context. The east features 3-story townhomes and stacked flats at ±27 du/ac, with potential for senior, affordable, or workforce housing. The west offers small-lot detached homes and a mix of 2- and 3-story townhomes at ±16 du/ac, ensuring a smooth scale transition. Both areas prioritize walkability, with compact blocks, mews-style layouts, and shared paseos linking to green spaces. The design focuses on sustainability, livability, and flexibility, with green infrastructure, low-water landscaping, and higherdensity units near transit to support affordability.Four product types: Single Family homes, 2- & 3-story townhomes, and stacked flats (including affordable/workforce options).

Project Description
EASTERN Portion (17 acres)
Blend of 3-Story Townhomes and Stacked Flats
3-Story Townhomes @ 20 du/ac: 9 acres → 180 units
Stacked Flats @ 30 du/ac: 8 acres → 240 units
Total Units (North): 420 units
Total Acres: 40 OR 19.75du/ac
Total Unit Count: 790 units
Western Portion (23 acres)
Mix of Small Lot Detached, 3-Story Townhomes, and 2-Story Townhomes Small Lot Detached @ 13 du/ac: 8 acres → 104 units
3-Story Townhomes @ 20 du/ac: 8 acres → 160 units
2-Story Townhomes @ 15 du/ac: 7 acres → 105 units
Total Units (West): 390 units
Runway Amphitheatre – A potential future activation is an outdoor amphitheater built into the nature park. The amphitheater could be located north of the runway and adjacent to the office/commercial core to mitigate noise and traffic during evening and weekend hours when the commercial buildings are typically unoccupied. • Broad programming options with a full calendar of events. • Potential extension or partnership with Barker Hangar events. • Potential income via ticketed events and rentals.
• Built into nature as part of the park allows for the community to use the space on non-event days. • Potential venue for local schools and organizations.

Runway Trail – The project envisions repurposing the existing runway as a pedestrian and bike trail connecting the east and west ends of the project. Extending streets and pathways north to south will intersect with the Runway Trail. Repurposing the runway celebrates a major piece of aviation history. • Single family homes.
• 2- & 3-Story townhomes.
• Stacked flats.
• Inclusion of affordable/workforce options.

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The proposed project’s mixed-use village design and programming will align with the City’s Guiding Principles. • Start With Nature: the project will be within a lush park/nature preserve setting using native planting, reclaimed irrigation, and sustainable design. • Inspire Wonder: interactive and immersive experience with art, makers, activities, education, and retail. Culturally relevant branding and marketing to attract creatives, entrepreneurs, and the local community.
• Balanced Economics: the project will have opportunities for retail operators, artists, and makers of all income levels while producing sufficient net revenue to pay for all operating, management, and leasing expenses. The actual project construction cost, projected revenues, and expenses will be estimated after masterplan design is completed.
• Amplify Versatility: the project will offer a dynamic mix of daytime uses, evening uses, and inclusive programming to maximize community engagement. The project’s spaces will offer flexibility for all types of programming and uses for the community to engage with. • Celebrate Place: place making is a key pillar of our project development and operations. The project’s goal is to save and reuse as many structures as possible which will provide a unique and historically significant canvas to create great spaces. • Recreational and Community Gathering Spaces – each zone is designed and programmed to engage the local community. Locals and visitors will enjoy the rich artist colony, watch makers work on crafts, participate in health and wellness activities, and attend a full calendar of social events including craft fairs, food fairs, outdoor markets, and concerts.
• Community Partnerships – with the City’s help, we’d like to develop strategic partnerships with local schools, museums, and potentially non-profits organizations to maximize the community engagement benefits of this project. • Adaptive Reuse & Sustainability – the project will strive to meet or exceed the City’s sustainability goals. At its core, this is an adaptive reuse project. Our intent is to reuse all the existing structures on the property; however, the feasibility will depend on the condition and cost to rehabilitate each building. There will be a mix of new construction or modular units to increase the number of potential uses and enhance the overall mix of the project. The project is envisioned to be within a lush parklike setting providing moments of discovery, relaxation, and respite. • Celebrate Nature – the project will be set within a lush park setting featuring outdoor activities, nature paths, gardens, outdoor rooms, and outdoor community gathering areas.
• Financially Sustainable – the project’s revenues will pay for all project operating expenses and management expenses, creating a financially sustainable development.

Furthermore, the City could earn additional sales tax revenues from the commercial components of the project. Please note the project will require an initial minimum investment to complete building shell improvements, demising, storefronts, interior improvements, site work, utility upgrades, and possibly structural engineering improvements.

Community Benefits
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The following financial summary is a high-level estimate of potential project cost and revenues. Estimates are a best guess based on the project program described in Section 2 and the team’s experience with current and past projects. Actual cost and revenues cannot be solidified until completion of a master plan inclusive of studies for engineering, MEP, design, site work, utilities, soils, and site limitations are understood.

Ground Review will lead design, leasing, operations, and management of all commercial spaces. Financing could be a combination of a strategic public and private partnership with the City to meet the City’s long-term goals for the project, uses, other special partnerships, land lease vs. fee ownership of the properties, and availability of traditional financing.

We have had success working with municipalities to structure PPP redevelopment deals. For example, the Anaheim Packing District began as a PPP agreement to redevelop the historic Anaheim Packing House (APH) and adjacent properties for retail and F&B. The agreement included an operating agreement, lease, and purchase option. APH became the catalyst project to spur new development within downtown. Today the district includes multiple commercial projects and hundreds of new housing units built by third party developers. The district has created nearly 300 jobs in the service industry since opening in 2016. Important to note, that this project would not have been possible without funding from the City of Anaheim. You may contact Sergio Ramirez, Economic Development Director with the City of Anaheim for more information.

Zone 1 and 3 assumes rehab and adaptive reuse of all buildings totaling approximately 65,000 SF.

Finanacial Summary
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Zone 2 assumes new construction for retail, food and beverage uses.

Zone 4 & 5 Residential
Brandywine is a leading Southern California in-fill developer with over 30 years of experience, having developed 100+ communities and 1,820 residential units. The company secures capital from a broad range of investors, private equity firms, and banks. Initially relying on high-net-worth individuals, Brandywine now partners with large family offices and institutional investors, including recent collaborations with a major private equity group on multi-family projects. The company also secures construction financing from top U.S. banks, typically funding 80-85% of costs, with equity partners covering the rest.

PRODUCT TYPE TOTAL COST OF SALES
STACKED FLATS $163,938,266
3-STORY TOWNHOMES $215,666,700
SINGLE FAMILY $105,091,043
2-STORY TOWNHOMES $104,516,791
TOTAL COSTS $589,212,801
Finanacial Summary
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10 Recent Projects
Proposed - Anaheim, California
The Boroughs is a design collaboration
with Studio One Eleven architects,
Brandywine Homes, and Linc Housing.

The proposed project encompasses five
distinct neighborhoods with three retail
zones. The proposed program includes
127 apartment units, 104 townhouses,
83 affordable apartments, 32,000 SF of
community retail, 1,000 linear foot art
walk, and over 80,000 SF of open space.

The project strives to become a new
model of urban living that provides a wide
range of housing opportunities, exciting
retail amenities, community spaces, and a
sustainable economic redevelopment for
Anaheim.

The Boroughs
In Development - Corona, California
Ground Review in partnership with the
City of Corona is embarking on a visionary
project to revitalize the city’s downtown.

Located at the corner of S. Main St. and
E. Sixth St., the project includes nearly
65,000 SF of community-engaging
entertainment retail. The project will
become home to an exciting collective
of retail, restaurants, entertainment,
and active uses. The project is poised
to be a one-of-a-kind experience in the
Inland Empire and a catalyst for Corona’s
downtown revitalization.

The HUB
Completed - Riverside, California
The Farm House Collective celebrates
Riverside’s culture and history with a new
social experience set against the backdrop
of the restored historic Farm House Motel.

The Farm House brings together makers,
chefs, students, neighbors, and families to
connect and explore. Featuring inspiring
local art shows, lively concerts from local
bands, holiday celebrations and new
cuisines from the best regional eateries,
the Farm House Collective is a place to
listen, relax, create, enjoy, and foster
community connection.

Farm House Collective
groundreview.com
In Development - Whittier, California
The Whittier Packing House is the
revitalization of a century-old citrus packing
facility preserving historical architecture
and thoughtfully blending in new ideas and
concepts. While the project celebrates the
irreplaceable packing house facility, it also
creates people space around uniquely curated
social garden space.

The Whittier Packing House will build a new
community park to connect to the Whittier
Green Way Trail, a bike path that connects Los
Angeles County to Orange County.

The project seeks to build community around
the famous King Richard’s Antique Mall with
the addition of some of the best local food and
beverage concepts, makers retail spaces and
active social uses.

At its core, the Whittier Packing House will be a
destination for the community to gather, drive
culture, and celebrate a historic landmark for
the city of Whittier.

Whittier Packing House
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11 Recent Projects
Completed - Santa Ana, California
In the heart of Orange County, The
ROW emerges as a village for the next
generation. In a rapidly evolving and
bustling neighborhood, the project offers
the amenities of urban living balanced by
a community gathering space built in a
garden setting that is designed to bring
people together.

The ROW retail district is a living room
for the community and an escape from
the business of everyday for the project’s
1100 new residential units.

The Row
Completed - Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach,Tustin,
California
Ground Review has helped Rye Goods roll
out to be Orange County’s premier organic
sourdough bakery with three locations in
some of Orange County’s most soughtafter locales – Newport Beach’s Lido Marina Village, Downtown Laguna Beach
and a central baking facility in Tustin.

The Ground Review team assisted in site
identification, design, and execution on the
construction and opening processes.

Rye Goods is an organic sourdough
bakery and deli living in each season.

Using ingredients as indicators of time
to let us know where we are at in the
year. Working with small farm west coast
heritage grains to make sourdough breads
and pastry, highlighting the importance of
local fruits and vegetables.

Rye Goods
Completed - Anaheim, Long Beach, Ontario, San
Diego, California
Ground Review has helped the Smoke and Fire
team secure three key locations, enabling them
to brew and distill their own craft beverages
for all restaurants.

Villains Brewery, Anaheim: 13,000 sf brewery
with a brew-house, beer garden, pool, and
cocktail bar in a historic craftsman, Anaheim
Packing District.

Broken Spirits Distillery, Long Beach: 3,900
sf space with cocktail bar, seasonal menu,
and full distillery—formerly California’s first
distillery pub.

Craft by Smoke and Fire, Anaheim: 5,000
sf restaurant/bar, first location in Anaheim
Packing District, revived a quiet downtown
block.

Smoke and Fire, Ontario: 5,786 sf former
Applebee’s, now a fast-casual BBQ spot in
Ontario’s retail core. Opened March 2025.

Villains Brewery, San Diego: 5,802 sf brewery
pub in East Village, one block from Petco Park.

Opening late 2025.

Farm House Collective
groundreview.com
Completed - Long Beach, California
City Center Motel
Paloma Communities came to Ground Review
with a need to secure a best-in-class Long
Beach restaurateur for the redevelopment of
the historic City Center Motel. Paloma wanted
an operator that could create a culinary
destination on the edge of downtown Long
Beach.

Ground Review partnered with Chef Phil
Pretty, owner of Heritage LB, a gourmet deli
by day and seasonal tasting menu fine-dining
restaurant by night, to create a new dining
concept that met the goals of the City Center
Motel redesign. The resulting concept became a
multi-layered offering.

OR Bagels: Walk-up gourmet bagel deli and
coffee shop
Olive and Rose: Neo-bistro serving a seasonal
chef driven evening menu and complimentary
cocktail program
Chef Phil Pretty has received Long Beach’s
first Michelin star with Heritage and is excited
to continue to elevate the Long Beach culinary
scene.

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20 Partners
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groundreview.com
Jason House
Lic: 02059358
C: 949-701-1793
[email protected]
Roman A. Ciuni
Lic: 01424416
C: 213-842-1539
[email protected]
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1 Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project
Le4er of Interest
March 28, 2025
Hollywood Balloon LLC

Aerophile is based in Paris, France and has been manufacturing tethered helium balloon rides since 1994. They currently have over 100 balloon rides installed in over 40 countries including two in southern California. One of these balloons has been operaBng at the Wild Safari Park in San Diego since 2005 and another has been operaBng at the Great Park in Irvine since 2007.

Especially notable is Aerophile’s commitment to safety as illustrated by not having any major accidents in their 32-year history. In addiBon to manufacturing the balloon, Aerophile will be providing the technical support and operator training for the balloon at the Santa Monica Airport.

Hollywood Balloon LLC is a startup formed by Chris Nye in 2024 for the purpose of owning and operaBng an Aerophile balloon in Los Angeles County. Sam Plumptre is the Chief OperaBng officer and Bonnie Schoch serves as the Chief Financial Officer. Hollywood Balloon LLC will oversee the startup process and provide the capital, markeBng, website, Bcket sales, and daily operaBon of the ride. Hollywood Balloon LLC has been approved by Aerophile to operate their balloons.

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2 Hollywood Balloon LLC Execu7ve Team
Chris Nye – Chief Execu7ve Officer
Summary of experience: Over 30 years in the lighBng industry primarily in sales and markeBng.

This included extensive experience in senior sales and markeBng management, new product development and strategic markeBng formaBon.

Most Recent PosiBon: General Manager, Leotek USA. Led a small Taiwan based LED traffic signal company to become the leading manufacturer of LED street lights in North America with products assembled in San Jose, CA.

EducaBon: BA Economics, San Francisco State University
MBA – University of California, Berkeley
Sam Plumptre – Chief Opera7ng Officer
Summary of experience: Ecommerce, FinTech, AdTech execuBve with over 20 years of experience working across early stage and growth businesses Most Recent PosiBon: CEO, Cali Kitchens Inc. (DBA VyBlee) – Built digital restaurant business using social influencers as the primary markeBng vehicle.

EducaBon: BA AccounBng, Monash University, Melbourne Australia ExecuBve MBA – London Business School
Bonnie Schoch – Chief Financial Officer
Summary of experience: Over 30 years of accounBng and management experience in the wine industry.

Most Recent PosiBon: CFO, Cuvaison Winery, Napa CA – ResponsibiliBes for all financial planning and reporBng, capital management, and direcBng accounBng and HR teams.

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3 2. A high-level description of the proposed project including approximate space needs and if any of the existing structures can be reused / adapted to support this LOI.

The proposed project is a tethered helium balloon ride operated at the Santa Monica Airport following its closure in 2028.

This short video illustrates the ride - heps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiiI4pHMlg The ride will be 10 minutes and rise to approximately 500’ from ground. The gondola can hold a theoreBcal maximum of 30 riders, but because of typical ocean breezes, the maximum per ride will normally be 15-20 riders. Loading and unloading passengers will take about two minutes allowing for approximately five rides per hour.

The ride will offer a unique opportunity to experience a balloon ride while viewing the ocean, Pacific Park, Catalina Island, Santa Cruz Island, Santa Monica Mountains, Century City, etc. The balloon will soar to almost four Bmes the height of the Ferris wheel on the pier.

Balloon operators will all have backgrounds in comedy and provide informaBve and funny stories, music, etc. Every ride will be a family-friendly show.

Adjacent to the balloon will be an exhibit which will showcase the history of hot air ballooning - especially in California. We would recommend that there also be space for food trucks, sales kiosks, picnic tables etc. If the city doesn’t wish to manage those businesses, Hollywood Balloon would be willing to do that with some kind of shared revenue arrangement.

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4 LocaBon Details:

The balloon requires a circle with a diameter of 213’ to allow for all of the points to moor the balloon when it is not flying (at night, inclement weather etc.). Although some kind of portable Bcket booth will be necessary, no new permanent structures will be required. An ideal locaBon would be across Airport Ave. from the Museum of Flying as shown here:

While numerous areas on the exisBng airport would be feasible for the balloon ride, the shown locaBon offers some specific advantages:
• Easy access to exisBng roads for tourist busses, ride sharing services, parking etc. • Available restrooms at the museum
• Riders would be able to kill Bme visiBng the museum while waiBng for their ride Bme. • ConstrucBon could begin prior to airport closing allowing balloon ride to open immediately amer closing date.

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5 3. A high-level description of the community benefits, any joint-use opportunities anticipated by the concept submitted, and sustainability / circularity / resiliency concept(s).
• Unique Experience
The balloon ride will be a fun, safe, educational and affordable activity for the entire community. This will likely become a signature activity for residents to bring out-oftown visitors to as they get to view beautiful Santa Monica from a new and extraordinary perspective.
• Tourist attraction
Often tourists to LA area will skip Santa Monica because they may not feel it is worth it.

The heavily promoted balloon ride will give them another reason to come here and also visit the pier, 3rd St., local stores, restaurants etc. • Honor the history of the airport
The balloon ride is an aeronautical attraction that could easily join with the Museum of Flying to celebrate the history and joy of flight in southern California. With additional exhibits that highlight the history of ballooning (focusing on California), this would ensure that flight history here would continue to be celebrated indefinitely. School field trips could be a regular feature where museum docents would teach about flight history and careers in aviation followed by a balloon ride.
• Fast installation
Because this project doesn’t require any new structures with building permits and the proposed location isn’t on an active runway or tarmac, the balloon could be installed before the airport closes. This would allow the ride to open soon after the airport closes providing one signature activity that could be enjoyed immediately while the rest of the park is being developed.
• Compatible with different park designs.

While diverse park designs and aesthetics are being discussed in the community, the balloon could be consistent with many different styles and concepts. Whatever final design is chosen; the balloon could most likely be incorporated into that plan easily. • Reliable new revenue source for the city.

The balloon ride will be a “for profit” enterprise and the expectation is that the rent will be commensurate with commercial rents in the area for similar undeveloped property.

This is incremental revenue for the city without raising any taxes or issuing bonds. • No startup or operating costs borne by the city.

Design and engineering expenses, cost of the balloon, installation, marketing and all ongoing operating expenses will be assumed by Hollywood Balloon LLC.

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6 • Employment opportunities
The Santa Monica Balloon will require a minimum of 15 full time positions in order to operate three shifts year-round. In addition, other jobs will be created in ancillary businesses such as sales of food and souvenirs. Also, the balloon is likely to have a positive impact on the overall Santa Monica economy.
• Minimal impact on traffic
Because of the balloon capacity (30 riders) and presold timed tickets, an average of only one additional private vehicle to and from the balloon per minute is projected. Because of the capacity, there can’t be any balloon ride “busy seasons” or “rush hours”.

In addition, public transportation and tourist bus options will be advertised and encouraged.
#14 Bus from Metro station is shown here -
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7 Tourist busses will likely be rerouted slightly to balloon ride as shown here – • Sustainable business
The balloon uses helium which is a non-toxic, non-flammable, non-explosive, nongreenhouse gas. The ride uses a single, quiet electric winch motor which uses approximately the same amount of energy as a typical cable elevator in a high rise building.
• Inclusive experience
The balloon ride is designed to be enjoyed by almost everyone. The base price point ($25) may be especially attractive to lower income residents who may not normally experience air travel, theme parks etc. Also, the balloon gondola is wheelchair accessible.
• Low risk for the city
All operators will be fully trained by Aerophile for safety protocols. In addition, strict rules for reducing number of riders or closing when safety is an issue will be rigorously enforced. Hollywood Balloon LLC will carry full liability, property and business interruption insurance. Also, all riders will sign waivers releasing Hollywood Balloon LLC and the City of Santa Monica from all liability prior to riding.

Finally, should the balloon venture ultimately fail, the space is easily converted back to empty land for repurpose.

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8 4. A high-level financial plan summary outlining projected costs, revenue generaJon strategies, and potenJal funding sources. Examples of recently completed, similar projects are acceptable if they are within Southern California and contacts for those projects.

Note – Complete pro forma financial statements are available Start-up Costs
Balloon $1,400,000
Installation (Incl Eng and Fees) $985,000
Marketing $200,000
Website, Ticket Sales System $120,000
Wages and Salaries* $300,000
Total Start Up Costs $3,005,000
Revenue Forecast Year 1 Year 5
Balloon Ride $3,000,000 $4,392,300
Special Events $300,000 $439,230
Balloon Sponsorship $500,000 $500,000
Drone Photography $100,000 $146,410
Total Revenue $3,900,000 $5,477,940
Expenses Forecast
Hosts (3) $150,000 $182,326
Pilots/Customer Service* (6) $480,000 $583,443
Shift Managers* (3) $300,000 $364,652
COO* $225,000 $273,489
CEO $50,000 $60,775
Rent $360,000 $437,582
Insurance $200,000 $243,101
Marketing $200,000 $243,101
Helium $300,000 $364,652
Maintenance $20,000 $24,310
Supplies/Utilities $50,000 $60,775
Website Maintenance $100,000 $121,551
Depreciation $100,000 $121,551
Total Operating Expenses $2,535,000 $3,081,308
*Includes benefits
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9 5. A timeline for project implementation, from initial planning to completion (assuming a start date of January 1, 2029 or later).

May 2025 – June 2026
• AcBviBes required prior to generaBng a lease such as - site evaluaBon, proposal definiBon, public hearings, community input, lease negoBaBon, council vote etc.

September 2026
• Minimum five-year (ten-year preferred) lease issued to Hollywood Balloon LLC conBngent on all government approvals.

October 2026 - September 2027
• SchemaBc drawings completed
• Government approvals obtained - (City Permits and Plan Review, Business License, FAA, CAL/OSHA etc.)
• Financing secured.
• Insurance secured (Note – likely same carrier as Irvine and San Diego balloon insurer) October 2027
• Balloon purchase order placed
October 2027 – December 2028
• Balloon sponsor secured
• ConstrucBon
o Electrical feed
o InstallaBon of balloon mooring system, landing plavorm and winch housing, o Portable Bcket booth and waiBng area
o Signage.
• Website and Bcket system development
• IniBal markeBng
• Balloon operators and customer service team hired and trained January 2029
• Balloon inflated
• Final safety checks
• Grand Opening of the Santa Monica Balloon Ride!
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10 6. Any additional information that demonstrates the feasibility and community benefits of the proposal in alignment with the community engagement and City Council direction to date.

Example of material that could be presented in balloon history exhibits:

We believe that this concept offers a financially viable, community-enhancing, historically relevant, and sustainable attraction that aligns with Santa Monica's vision for post-airport development. We look forward to working with city officials and stakeholders to bring this exciting project to life.

Sincerely,
Chris Nye
Hollywood Balloon LLC
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LETTER OF INTEREST
Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project
May 5, 2025
I. Executive Introduction: Why Hyperquake
There are few moments when a city has the chance to write a new chapter in its collective story. The transformation of the Santa Monica Airport is one such moment.

At Hyperquake, we believe that great public spaces are not measured by what is built—but by what is felt. By the memories they hold, the futures they ignite, and the communities they empower. Our purpose is to help others unlock the deep, human potential of place—not through technology and aesthetics alone, but through story, stewardship, and shared imagination.

We are an independent strategy and experience design studio that partners with forward-thinking institutions and cultural leaders to bring narrative clarity to complex challenges. We see a clear role for ourselves in this project: to serve as your lead creative and experience designer — shaping the unifying vision, story architecture, and collaborative framework that will guide zoning, partnerships, programming, and long-term activation.

Our strength lies in our ability to turn big ideas into implementable strategies and immersive experiences. We have the ability to create, manage and execute your entire project in-house from storyline to concept, to opening and beyond.

Link to Hyperquake Capabilities and Work
II. Our Role: Creative Prime, Vision Architect, and Community Ally Hyperquake is not a general contractor or landscape architect. We are the connective tissue — the synthesizer of cultural insight, stakeholder priorities, and future-forward ideas.

As creative prime, we will:
● Develop the master narrative and experiential framework that guides site-wide planning
● Lead community-engaged storytelling and experience design processes ● Facilitate collaboration between City departments and third-party partners www.hyperquake.com | 310 Culvert St #401, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Item 7-A
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● Create flexible, modular systems that allow phased implementation and long-term adaptability
● Help identify and scope budget frameworks for interactive media, wayfinding systems, and digital storytelling assets to inform early planning and partnership alignment We will help shape not just what goes where, but why — and how each spatial element connects to the whole.

III. Our Evolution: From Storytelling to Spatial Transformation Hyperquake began over 35 years ago with a simple but enduring belief: that the most powerful transformation begins with a well-told story. Initially rooted in brand strategy and narrative design, our early work helped organizations navigate complexity, culture change, and innovation through clear, human-centered communication.

But as the world grew more interconnected—and expectations around space, story, and impact evolved—so did we.

Today, Hyperquake operates at the intersection of the interconnected, with a team of over 70 thinkers, designers, technologists, and cultural strategists working across four global locations.

We've delivered more than 150 Experience Centers and immersive environments that fuse storytelling with technology, architecture, and community engagement.

This evolution positions us to serve not just as designers of moments, but as architects of meaning at scale. We specialize in translating abstract values into physical systems and experiential frameworks—ensuring that strategy, spatial logic, and emotional resonance align.

Our growth has been driven by one core insight: people don’t just visit spaces—they build relationships with them. That’s the kind of relationship we aim to help Santa Monica create.

IV. The Potion Acquisition: Merging Cultural Fluency with Spatial Technology In 2024, Hyperquake acquired Potion, a Brooklyn-based studio known for interactive installations, spatial storytelling, and cultural technology. Potion has worked with some of the world’s leading museums and institutions, including The Smithsonian, Library of Congress, Museum of Natural History, and more. Their work is deeply attuned to public dialogue, discovery, and layered storytelling. With Potion now fully integrated into Hyperquake, we bring expanded capabilities across:
● Interactive and proximity-based storytelling
● Generative installations and media
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● Digital layer design for parks and civic environments ● Multi-user public engagement systems
This means we can concept, test, and implement cultural experiences that blend physical, digital, and emotional layers—a key asset for a 21st-century park.

V. Relevant Experience: Proven Leadership in Complex, Experiential Projects Below are highlights from our portfolio that illustrate our ability to lead projects of scale, narrative depth, and cultural complexity:

Honeywell Global Experience Centers
Creative Lead, 5 global sites
Hyperquake led the strategy, storytelling, and spatial design for five immersive Experience Centers across North America, Europe, and Asia—each tailored to regional needs while anchored in a shared global narrative system. We developed a modular content architecture that translated Honeywell’s complex technology portfolio into clear, human-centered stories that informed every layer of the guest journey.

Our work included spatial planning, interactive content design, executive messaging, and AV coordination—ensuring cohesion across locations while allowing each center to flex to its audience and culture. This project demonstrates our ability to create narrative-driven environments at scale, coordinate with global stakeholders, and deliver experiences that resonate across diverse user groups.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) Executive Engagement Center Strategic Visioning and Experience Design
Hyperquake partnered with HPE to develop the strategic narrative and guest experience framework for their multi-building Executive Engagement Campus. This environment serves as the centerpiece of HPE’s customer relationship strategy—designed to showcase their portfolio of cloud, AI, and edge technologies through immersive storytelling, spatial cohesion, and modular activation zones. We helped architect a unified guest journey that connects indoor and outdoor spaces, integrates dynamic content platforms, and aligns stakeholders across marketing, sales, and technology teams.

Illumina Executive Briefing Center
Strategic Narrative and Experience Journey Design
Illumina engaged Hyperquake to develop a unifying narrative and experience strategy for its flagship Executive Briefing Center in San Diego. We crafted a cross-functional story framework, aligning R&D, commercial, and marketing leadership around the theme: “Our Science in Service of Humanity.”
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Our work translated complex genomics into a layered, emotionally resonant guest experience.

We infused storytelling throughout the campus, designing interpretive environmental graphics, content zones, and interactive installations that stretch beyond the EBC into shared spaces. A signature light sculpture by Ray King anchors the space as a symbol of discovery and impact.

These projects demonstrate our ability to shape spatial narratives, align cross-functional stakeholders, and deliver high-value experiences that resonate deeply.

VI. Human Experience Framework: Designing for Real People and Lasting Impact At the heart of every Hyperquake engagement is our Human Experience Framework. This approach to creating a transformative guest experience, developed from our experience in both the institutional and theme park markets, taps into the cognitive steps that we, as humans, go through when engaging with someone or someplace for the first time.

The resulting framework allows us to create a thematic storyline and mobilize it into a flexible spatial communications plan that can be adapted to any layout or geography.

The storyline drives all of our creative work from environment and exhibit and graphic design to interactive, video, and content production and fabrication. We are media agnostic – working in all forms of communication – letting story, budget, and audience drive the experience. www.hyperquake.com | 310 Culvert St #401, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Item 7-A
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This framework comes to life through a phased methodology that ensures strategy, storytelling, design, and implementation are seamlessly integrated:

Narrative & Concept (N&C)
We begin with deep discovery that is grounded in stakeholder interviews, brand and community research, and functional needs programming. From there, we define a storyline and experience journey that becomes the spine of the spatial plan. Deliverables include:
● Key Takeaways Report from community and executive interviews ● Preliminary space planning and thematic concept sketches ● Final Narrative & Concept Package and a ROM Budget to support early fundraising and alignment
Creative Development (CD)
Building on the approved narrative, this phase translates the story into schematics. We develop content outlines, media frameworks, and interactive concepts while refining physical architecture, experience activations, and AV plans. Deliverables include:
● Schematic Design Rounds 1 & 2
● Content Matrix + Creative Briefs for all activations
● Interior architecture and exhibit design packages
● Prototypes for interactive and media systems
● Finalized detail design documents to support bidding and execution Production & Installation (P&I)
We lead production across all experience elements—ensuring the story holds strong across fabrication, media creation, AV systems, and install. This includes:
● Final media development (video, graphics, interactivity, scripts, VO) ● Oversight of fabrication and AV integration partners
● Digital and physical installation coordination
● Stakeholder walkthroughs, testing, and team training
● Handoff of a fully realized, high-integrity experience This layered process ensures that every activation we design is grounded in purpose, tailored to its audience, and sustainable across its lifecycle.
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VII. Community Integration: Co-Creation and Participatory Systems Great public space isn’t built for people—it’s built with them. Our process is built around inclusive engagement, where local knowledge, culture, and creativity become active inputs into design.

We propose:
● Community Listening Labs to capture multigenerational, multilingual insights ● Creative Residency Programs to co-develop prototypes with local artists, youth, and educators
● Story Mapping Workshops that identify emotional anchors and design opportunities across the site
● Participatory Prototyping of experiences that invite feedback before large-scale investment
This approach not only surfaces better ideas—it builds lasting ownership and pride.

VIII. Collaboration Infrastructure: Building the Right Team at the Right Time Hyperquake is not a closed system. We specialize in building modular coalitions of excellence based on the evolving needs of a project.

For SMACP, we anticipate coordinating with:
● Regenerative landscape architects
● Civic facilitators and equity-focused engagement partners ● AV and interactive media design firms
● Environmental remediation experts
● Urban planners, mobility strategists, cultural historians We will facilitate collaboration through:
● A shared vision architecture
● Modular zoning frameworks
● Cross-disciplinary design playbooks
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IX. Experiential Vision: The Santa Monica Commons
A Living Platform for Storytelling, Sustainability, and Collective Belonging We view the Santa Monica Airport site as a living platform for narrative, ecological restoration, and community resilience. Our experiential vision for the park honors the public’s desire for rewilding, cultural activation, and inclusive gathering spaces, while positioning the site as a model for 21st-century civic spaces.

Strategic Experience Zones
● The Story Spine: A connective artery weaving across the site, offering layered experiences that reveal the land’s evolution—from Indigenous stewardship, to aviation, to rewilding.
● Ecological Reclamation Zones: Spaces intentionally designed to restore biodiversity, engage youth in climate education, and model regenerative practices. ● Cultural Commons and Civic Flex Spaces: Adaptable public areas that can flex between outdoor performances, local markets, wellness activities, and informal gatherings.
● Wellness Trails and Sensory Landscapes: Interlinked walking, cycling, and reflection pathways integrated with sensory gardens and shaded respite zones. ● Adaptive Reuse Anchors: Select existing structures respectfully reimagined as cultural, civic, or entrepreneurial hubs—preserving history while creating value.

As we imagine this future, even naming becomes a narrative act. A name sets tone, intention, and emotional resonance. In this spirit, we took the liberty to imagine a place that might one day be known as:

Crosswinds Park: a nod to the site’s aviation history and to the dynamic convergence of voices, cultures, and ideas that shape Santa Monica. It evokes energy, movement, and the necessary tension that drives social progress and environmental healing. or
The Landing: a grounded, poetic name suggesting safety, homecoming, and new beginnings. It honors the aviation legacy while inviting people to arrive, pause, and belong.

These names, and the concepts they carry, are not final solutions—but starting points for dialogue and design. They embody the spirit of the transformation: from takeoff to touch down, from noise to stillness, from private utility to public imagination. www.hyperquake.com | 310 Culvert St #401, Cincinnati, OH 45202 Item 7-A
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X. Implementation Timeline and Financial Resilience Strategy An Adaptive, Phased Vision towards 2029 and Beyond
Recognizing that physical work cannot begin until 2029, Hyperquake can only propose at this stage a flexible, strategic roadmap focused on maximizing community engagement, ensuring feasibility, and building durable momentum.

Proposed Timeline Phases
2025–2026: Vision Refinement & Community Reaffirmation
● Refresh and validate community goals
● Facilitate interactive public workshops to test narrative frameworks ● Refine master storyline and experiential zones concepts to provide to guide overall design development
2027–2028: Scenario Testing & Pilot Installations
● Develop lightweight, low-barrier experiential prototypes as part of creative and detail design development
● Use public feedback to evaluate programming mixes and activation potential ● Align design direction with CEQA process and environmental priorities Late 2028: Regulatory Clearance & Partner Alignment
● Support City during CEQA completion and Council-led decision-making ● Finalize alignment with cultural, environmental, and funding partners ● Prepare phased design packages for production and installation 2029: Groundbreaking & Initial Activation
● Launch Phase 1 experiential environments
● Implement modular zones aligned with community priorities and fiscal readiness ● Continue public engagement as part of ongoing creative and civic feedback loop Financial Approach: Building Resilience Over Time
While it would be premature to commit to definitive financial projections, we understand that resilient financial strategies should be backed by urban park data and feasibility studies, and include:
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● Concessions and Rentals to generate mission-aligned revenue streams ● Grants and Philanthropy to fund initial infrastructure and cultural programming ● Community-Driven Events and Markets to foster local economic participation Operational cost recovery rates for comparable parks target 30–50% through diversified revenue models while maintaining equitable public access.

Hyperquake is prepared to assist the City in designing scalable, modular frameworks that balance cultural mission, community access, and financial sustainability.

A Shared Story Worth Building
What the Santa Monica Airport site becomes will say something powerful about what Santa Monica values.

We see this as more than a development opportunity. This is a moment to build trust, joy, reflection, and belonging into the very soil of a public place.

Hyperquake is ready to help you lead with vision, co-create with community, and imagine boldly. We would be honored to support you as you shape this next chapter.

Sincerely,
Melissa Kelly
President, Chief Operating Officer
Hyperquake
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Letter of Interest: Equestrian Zoning and
Community Facility at Santa Monica
Airport Redevelopment
Submitted by: Iman Naqvi Jenkins
April 2025

1. Introduction & Qualifications
My name is Iman Naqvi Jenkins, and I am a Westside LA resident, equestrian, and Venture Capital/Private Equity professional. Through this Letter of Interest, I am respectfully proposing that a portion of the Santa Monica Airport site be considered and zoned for equestrian use as part of the overall redevelopment. Zoning for this use now—whether or not it is built immediately—would preserve the opportunity to create a small, community-serving equestrian facility that aligns with the City’s long-term vision for public wellness, open space, and inclusive recreation.

In 2024, the equestrian community in Los Angeles suffered devastating losses. Fires in the Palisades and Altadena destroyed longstanding facilities, displacing horses and disrupting the lives of riders, families, and employees who depended on these spaces. One example close to my heart is Jigsaw Farms in the Palisades, where the entire barn burned to the ground. Their business, horse shelters, and employees’ livelihoods were all lost in a single night. The horses remain unhoused, and both adults and children have lost a treasured and healing pastime.

Jigsaw was one of the few accessible barns in Los Angeles that offered lesson horses to the general public, making its loss especially devastating for beginners and families without the means to lease or own a horse.

Despite the growing demand for outdoor recreation and therapeutic programs, most of Los Angeles proper is no longer zoned for equestrian use. Families and riders must now travel to Burbank, Palos Verdes, or beyond for access to horses and the well-established physical, emotional, and psychological benefits of riding. Even in those areas, most barns primarily serve boarders or lease clients, making affordable access to riding lessons nearly impossible for families without significant financial resources or horse ownership.

This proposal is not submitted by a developer or for-profit entity. I am not representing a formal organization at this stage, but am exploring the formation of a nonprofit or public-private partnership model to support the creation and stewardship of an equestrian facility on-site. I bring experience in capital raising, strategic planning, and partnership development. My Item 7-A
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husband, Kyle Jenkins, is a seasoned real estate developer with a strong network of design and construction professionals across Southern California.

Should the City express interest in this idea, I am prepared to help assemble a collaborative coalition—including nonprofit operators, funders, and community stakeholders—with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. I am also happy to help gather public support and demonstrate that this is a deeply desired and impactful community asset.

2. High-Level Project Description & Site Considerations The proposed equestrian facility may occupy approximately 5 to 10 acres of the redeveloped airport site. This range would allow for a thoughtfully designed, low-density facility including:
● A public riding arena for lessons, clinics, and community events ● A small barn or paddock area with shelter for 6–12 horses ● Safe turnout areas to support horse health and welfare ● Access to soft-surface trails or walking loops for riding or shared use ● A community viewing and gathering area, with shaded seating and educational displays
● Interpretive signage on local equestrian history, animal care, and wellness The flat, open character of the site may reduce grading or excavation needs. Existing roads or hardscape could be repurposed for loading, fencing, or entry points. The project would be quiet, nature-compatible, and designed to coexist with other recreational, environmental, or educational uses.

Unlike many private equestrian facilities in Los Angeles, which typically do not offer lesson horses due to the high cost of care, this facility could be structured to include a small number of trained lesson horses. With nonprofit support or subsidy, the site could enable access to horseback riding for residents—especially youth—who cannot afford to lease or own a horse.

3. Community Benefits, Joint Use & Sustainability
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The facility would provide critical benefits to a broad range of Santa Monica and Westside residents:

Community & Educational Impact
● Youth education programs in horsemanship, animal care, and nature connection (These programs are often unavailable at private barns due to the absence of lesson horses. This facility could help fill that gap.)
● Therapeutic riding programs for individuals with disabilities, veterans with PTSD, and those healing from trauma or mental health challenges, in partnership with PATH Intl.-accredited organizations
● Equity of access to horses in a region where riding is often prohibitively expensive or geographically out of reach
● Volunteer opportunities for teens, seniors, and community members ● Community recreation through shaded gathering areas, passive watching, and shared trails
Joint-Use Potential
● Schools (K–12 and colleges)
● Local nonprofits focused on health, education, and youth development ● PATH Intl. certified therapeutic riding organizations ● Veterans and first responder wellness initiatives
● Public mental health providers
Sustainability & Circularity
● Native and water-wise landscaping
● Composting of horse manure, with potential for onsite educational composting used by community gardens
● Solar lighting and renewable materials
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● Low-pavement layout to reduce runoff and support permeable surfaces

4. Financial Plan Summary
Based on updated research and comparable urban equestrian facilities, development costs for a small public equestrian center spanning 5 to 10 acres are estimated at $1.2 million to $2.5 million. This range accounts for core infrastructure including a barn for 6–12 horses, a public riding arena, turnout areas, soft-surface trails, shaded gathering space, and sustainability-focused site features.

These figures are based on high-level feasibility research—not a formal bid or architectural plan—and would be refined through a future planning and design process.

Should the City express interest, I would work with partners to develop a full feasibility study and operational model that reflects Santa Monica’s community goals.

Funding Possibilities
● Private philanthropy and donor networks
● City, state, or federal grants (parks, health, education) ● Program revenue from lessons, camps, or therapeutic partnerships ● Community fundraising (e.g., Jigsaw Farms’ GoFundMe raised $250K+) ● In-kind contributions from equestrian brands or local construction professionals Revenue Generation Strategies
● Fee-based youth programs, summer camps, and community riding lessons ● Partnerships with PATH Intl.-certified therapeutic nonprofits (grant-supported) ● Sponsorships or naming opportunities
● Facility use for public events or workshops
Comparable Urban Models
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● Compton Junior Equestrians: A nonprofit youth riding and empowerment program that operates with lesson horses and donor support. Their model shows that urban equestrian programs can succeed through community engagement and nonprofit infrastructure.
● Work to Ride: a nonprofit based in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park that provides free, long-term equestrian programming to underserved youth. Participants learn riding, horse care, and team-based equestrian sports like polo. Work to Ride is currently expanding its facilities with a new indoor arena to deepen community access. ● Detroit Horse Power: Offers free and low-cost riding lessons and horse care programs for underserved youth in Detroit, using equine experiences to teach life skills and build opportunity. They are also developing a 14-acre urban equestrian center to serve as a permanent year-round home for this work.

These examples demonstrate that urban-accessible equestrian programs can thrive with the right structure—especially when supported by nonprofit infrastructure, public-private collaboration, and thoughtful development.

5. Project Implementation Timeline (Assuming Start in 2029) Year Milestone
2025–2026 Community engagement and City dialogue
2026–2027 Fundraising, feasibility studies, partnerships 2028 Permitting, site planning, and pre-construction
2029 Initial build and programming launch
This timeline is flexible and could be adjusted depending on broader airport redevelopment progress and City interest. More information would need to be gathered before affirming a build timeline.

6. Feasibility & Alignment with City Vision
This proposal aligns with the City of Santa Monica’s adopted Guiding Principles for the airport site:

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● Public Recreation & Wellness: Riding supports mental health, outdoor movement, and community-building
● Equity & Inclusion: Equestrian opportunities are geographically and financially out of reach for most LA families; lesson horses and non-profit partnerships could change that ● Community-Oriented Land Use: The model is scalable, adaptable, and highly compatible with surrounding uses
● Environmental Harmony: The facility would blend with nature, preserve open space, and support circular systems like composting and manure reuse Should the City express interest, I am prepared to take the next steps—engaging potential partners, refining the vision, and building the local support needed to bring this opportunity to life.

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May 5, 2025
City of Santa Monica
Public Works Department
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Re: Airport Conversion Project – Letter of Interest – Embracing Quiet, Sustainable, Emissions-Free Aviation
To Whom It May Concern,
On behalf of Joby Aviation, a leading innovator in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, I am writing to express support for maintaining a portion of the Santa Monica Airport (SMO) as a platform for quiet, sustainable, and community-integrated aviation.

As the City of Santa Monica evaluates potential futures for this valuable land, we believe it is both visionary and practical to consider how emerging aviation technologies can support community goals related to clean transportation, economic equity, and public engagement. eVTOL: Quiet, Light, Safe, and Emissions-Free
Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft represent a new class of zero-emissions mobility—remarkably quiet, compact, and energy efficient. These aircraft operate at a fraction of the noise footprint of traditional helicopters or small planes and do not rely on fossil fuels. By supporting eVTOL infrastructure, Santa Monica can lead California in fostering a new era of clean, urban air mobility.

Critically, these aircraft are designed to operate in the existing national airspace system, cruising at altitudes above 500 feet—well above typical residential or recreational zones. At these heights, modern eVTOLs are engineered to be virtually inaudible from the ground during flight.

For example, Joby Aviation’s aircraft, which has undergone testing with NASA as part of the Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign, demonstrated exceptionally low acoustic profiles.

According to NASA, the Joby aircraft registers just 45 dBA during overhead flight and approximately 60 dBA during takeoff—levels quieter than normal conversation or the ambient sound of a residential neighborhood.
● NASA Test Results Summary -
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20220006729/downloads/Aeroacoustics2022_Pascioni _STRIVES5.pdf
333 Encinal St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 | (831) 201-6700 | (831) 426-5666 FAX | jobyaviation.com Item 7-A
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● Joby Press Release Announcing Low Noise Footprint -
https://www.jobyaviation.com/news/joby-revolutionary-low-noise-footprint-nasa-testing/ ● NYC Urban Noise Demonstration Video – showcases live decibel readings during real-time demonstration flights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX7rdJm5v6s These performance levels mark a dramatic improvement over helicopters, which often exceed 85 dBA at comparable distances. This new class of aircraft is designed to be both effective and unobtrusive—ideal for cities like Santa Monica that prioritize both innovation and livability.

Importantly, this is not a distant or speculative technology. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has made substantial progress in developing a regulatory framework for eVTOL certification. Joby is actively engaged with the FAA in final phases of approval. Santa Monica has a near-term opportunity to be at the forefront of this transition by integrating infrastructure and policy support for certified, emissions-free aircraft that are ready for safe, scalable use.

Figure 1. Joby’s S4 in-hover at our Pilot Production Facility at Marina Municipal Airport, CA 333 Encinal St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 | (831) 201-6700 | (831) 426-5666 FAX | jobyaviation.com Item 7-A
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Santa Monica Airport as a Unique, Existing Aviation Asset SMO is a rare and irreplaceable asset. It is one of the few general aviation airports located in a densely populated urban center, with access to major economic, educational, and cultural zones. Its value is not only in the land itself, but in the established zoning, airspace access, and historical role as a mobility hub. To lose this aviation capacity entirely would be to forfeit significant public potential.

Unlocking Economic and Transportation Opportunity
eVTOL technology opens the door for new forms of flexible transportation—air mobility that can serve short regional hops, emergency response, and commuter travel—without the noise or emissions concerns of the past. Maintaining a portion of the airport for aviation enables new private-public partnerships, innovation hubs, and service models that benefit everyday residents, not just pilots or private fliers.

From advanced air mobility service for workers commuting to underserved areas, to aerial firefighting or disaster response, SMO can be a platform for resilient, adaptive infrastructure.

The presence of eVTOL operations would add another accessible tool to the city’s transportation network, offering time-saving and clean alternatives.

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Repurposing Spaces and Creating Workforce Pipelines
We envision a future where parts of SMO are reimagined not only for aviation, but for public service: STEM labs, workforce apprenticeships, community makerspaces, and educational partnerships. The aviation sector is evolving and will require a skilled, diverse, and local workforce—offering meaningful jobs in software, systems, battery technology, safety operations, and beyond.

This evolution does not require major public investment. Through creative site planning and strategic collaboration with aviation innovators, Santa Monica can activate private capital to transform underused areas into hubs of sustainable mobility and community service.

A Call to Preserve and Reimagine, Not Erase
We urge the City to preserve and enhance a portion of the airport as an innovation hub—where clean aviation, public engagement, and economic development can converge. Rather than see SMO as a closed chapter, we encourage you to consider a hybrid future that reflects the city’s leadership in sustainability and equity.

We appreciate your leadership in thoughtfully considering the future of Santa Monica Airport.

We welcome the opportunity to collaborate and provide demonstrations, partnerships, or educational engagement to support your process.

Sincerely,
George Kivork
Head of State and Local Policy
Joby Aviation
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SPARK AT MIDTOWN

LONG BEACH, CA
Spark at Midtown activates the City’s vision to create vibrant public spaces for Long Beach residents through a community development model around a public-private partnership network with the city, its residents, medical centers, and local nonprofits and community groups. Spark is one of the first developments under Long Beach’s Midtown Specific Plan and is helping ignite Midtown into a thriving community, promoting healthy living, education and opportunity, neighborhood engagement, and connectivity.

Affordable housing serves 95 households earning less than 60% of the Area Median Income, including 47 homes for formerly unhoused individuals and families. As on-site service provider, Linc provides our signature Resident Services programming to all residents and offers an additional layer of support to formerly unhoused residents through Intensive Case Management Services. Linc led the identification of commercial tenants and the relationshipbuilding necessary to deliver this level of impactful public benefit.

Project Team and Roles
Developer: Linc Housing Corporation (Linc also
identified our ground floor community-serving
tenants and manages this commercial component
and its leases)
Contractor: Walton Construction
Property Manager: The John Stewart Company
Services Provider: Linc Housing
Corporation
Owner: Linc-Spark APTS, LP (Linc Housing as
controlling member)
Oversight: Anders Platt (Senior Vice President)
Project Manager: Cecilia Ngo (Director of
Housing)
Construction Manager: Andres Diaz

AT A GLANCE

ADDRESS
1900 Long Beach Blvd., Long
Beach, CA

DATE COMPLETED
February 15, 2021

RESIDENTIAL UNITS
95 Homes

AFFORDABILITY
30-60% of AMI
SITE ACREAGE:

0.93 HEIGHT
5 stories

TARGET POPULATION
Lower income families and
formerly homeless households

LAND PURCHASE STRUCTURE
Fee Title Purchase from
City of Long Beach $3,350,000
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Maximizing Community Benefit
Linc’s partnership model culminated in a mixed-use campus that connects affordable housing to a ground floor with a range of economic opportunities for residents and the broader community: • A public pocket park for the neighborhood responds to the park-poor context of the area. It is regularly activated with active and passive uses informed by community input during a creative visioning event and by current community needs. • The YMCA Community Development Branch’s Youth Institute uses technology as an integral mechanism for promoting positive youth development and developing pathways to post-secondary education and career readiness of low-income, culturally diverse high school youth. • The YMCA also houses digital media arts social enterprise Change Agent Productions, a family supportive services center, and a New American Welcome Center assisting new immigrant families acclimate to their new context. • A teaching kitchen shared with local organizations to bring healthy cooking and nutrition classes for both adults and youth, including weekly cooking workshops hosted by minority-owned social enterprise Urban Comfort Foods. Activities also integrate cultural programming teaching traditional Cambodian dishes. • A medical clinic operated by St. Mary’s/Dignity Hospital improving access to basic healthcare services and referrals, establishing a trusted provider to encourage regular visits for better health outcomes. • A meeting room for the community’s use to address the lack of meeting space for nonprofits and groups serving the neighborhood.

Structure of Public/Private Partnerships
The property was purchased from the City of Long Beach in 2019. Spark at Midtown features project-based Section 8 vouchers from the Housing Authority of the City of Long Beach, as well as Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool operating subsidy vouchers from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services. The project was developed in close partnership with the City of Long Beach and involves the creation of a pocket park on a public right-of-way.

Financing
Source Amount
Permanent Loan $10,317,700
Los Angeles County Residual Receipts Loans $10,720,000
City of Long Beach Residual Receipts Loan $3,000,000
California State Infill Infrastructure Grant $1,999,268 Federal Home Loan Bank AHP $940,000
City of Long Beach Impact Fee Waiver $526,661
9% LIHTC Equity – Raymond James Tax Credit Fund $24,113,092 Total $51,616,721
Community Engagement
To realize the pocket park, Linc Housing and nonprofit design studio City Fabrick collaborated on an innovative strategy for engaging neighbors and community partners while testing park design concepts for a new public open space at Linc’s Spark at Midtown. Because Central Long Beach has less parkland per capita than other parts of the city, plans for Spark included transforming a portion of a bordering street into a mini park for the neighborhood. The day long event engaging approximately 200 stakeholders from the neighborhood tested the park design in real time, with active programming and passive uses, engagement opportunities, food from a local restaurant, kiosks for Linc and future ground floor partner organizations to meet neighbors, share the project’s progress, and collect feedback from community member
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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS

INGLEWOOD, CA
Fairview Heights is a joint development of Linc Housing and National CORE with Los Angeles County, Metro, and the city of Inglewood. This transit-oriented affordable and supportive housing community creates 101 new rental homes between 30-80% of AMI and expands access to public transit along the new Crenshaw/LAX Metro ‘K’ line.

The homes serve low-income families and individuals in a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, and include 50 one-bedroom homes for formerly unhoused households. On-site amenities include private case management offices, program staff offices, a community center for resident programs, outdoor gathering areas, playgrounds, laundry facilities, bicycle parking, and a public transit plaza.

The property offers 6,300 SF of community-serving space for the neighborhood, including offices for local youth education nonprofit One For All offering community-building and academic scholarships, and an Inglewood Police Department community drop-in center. Linc is leading the identification of tenants for the 5,000 SF of commercial space and oversaw the construction of interior improvements such as bathrooms and air conditioning for potential tenants.

AT A GLANCE

ADDRESS
932 E. Redondo Ave.,
Inglewood, CA

DATE COMPLETED
January 24, 2022

RESIDENTIAL UNITS
101

AFFORDABILITY
30-80% of AMI
SITE ACREAGE:

1.43 HEIGHT:
4 Stories

TARGET POPULATION
Lower-income families and
formerly homeless households

LAND LEASE STRUCTURE
66-yr ground lease with Land
Valuation $5,325,000
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Project Team
Linc and CORE have equally shared roles as developer and guarantors and are co-Managing General Partners. In addition to shared responsibilities with our partner, Linc has been the primary partner involved in identifying tenants for the commercial spaces and ensuring the spaces are constructed.

Co-Developers: Linc Housing Corporation and National CORE Contractor: National CORE
Property Manager: National CORE
Services Provider: Linc Housing
Owner: LINC-CORE Fairview Metro, LP
Oversight: Anders Platt (Senior Vice President)
Project Manager: Cecilia Ngo (Director of Housing)
Construction Manager: Andres Diaz
Structure of Public/Private Partnerships
The project was the beneficiary of public financing from the county, including a 66-year ground lease from the County paid from residual receipts. The project was funded under the Los Angeles County Development Authority Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF), Mental Health Housing Funds (MHHF), Prop A, Measure H and features strong partnerships with the County of Los Angeles, Metro, the City of Inglewood and features Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool operating subsidy vouchers from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

Financing
Source Amount
Conventional Debt – Bank of America $9,019,000
County of Los Angeles General Fund $3,971,620
County of Los Angeles Mental Health Housing Program $1,882,534 County of Los Angeles Proposition A Loan $1,380,690
County of Los Angeles Measure H Loan $2,630,021
County of Los Angeles Value of Leased Land $5,325,000
9% LIHTC Equity - Raymond James $27,614,597
Total $51,823,462
Design
This 101-apartment development has two four-story, Spanish style buildings with a central courtyard. The frontage of the building is broken up with archways for doorways and windows to provide a sense of community integration while also offering some separation for residents for privacy. On-site amenities include private case management offices, a community center for resident programs, outdoor gathering areas, playgrounds, laundry facilities, and bicycle parking. The two courtyards total 8,181 SF of combined area and include extensive landscaping with seating areas, outdoor activity lawn, a variety of plant life, walkways, and barbecues. The property also features an innovative, multidimensional four-story mural celebrating community and the cultural heritage of Inglewood.

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SPRINGHAVEN

WILLOWBROOK, CA
A joint development with the County of Los Angeles, Springhaven is part of Linc Housing’s strong partnership with the County and our initiative to integrate affordable housing with family and health resources and other services for stronger neighborhoods. This affordable and supportive housing community creates 100 new rental homes within a quarter-mile of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Hospital, Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Public Health, Augustus Hawkins Mental Health Center, several public schools, and the Willowbrook/Rosa Parks Metro Station.

Springhaven also brings much needed child development services to the unincorporated Willowbrook community.

Linc partnered with community anchor Drew Child Development Corporation to house an 11,000 SF child development center on the ground floor open to the community. There are 88 early childhood educations spots for children aged 18 months to five years old.

Springhaven is emblematic of Linc’s deep partnership with the County of Los Angeles in Willowbrook fostered through our commitment to being a catalyst for neighborhood uplift. Employing a neighborhood approach, Springhaven is Linc’s second affordable housing community in unincorporated Willowbrook – the first was completed in 2017 and a third development is underway – and Linc now serves 212 households in total.

We apply this approach to our resident services work also, connecting our nearby properties to each other to create broader impact and achieve economies of scale. In Willowbrook and Watts, community partnerships are coordinated across three properties to offer health workshops and services and financinal empowerment classes, and host health fairs. Residents and on-site staff also connect with the surrounding community, collaborating with LA County Parks and Recreation to hold a park clean-up during Earth Day.

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AT A GLANCE

ADDRESS
11815 Willmington Ave.,
Willowbrook, CA
Unincorporated Los Angeles
County

DATE COMPLETED
January 28, 2021

RESIDENTIAL UNITS
100 Homes

AFFORDABILITY
30-60% AMI
SITE ACREAGE:

1.31 HEIGHT
6 Stories

TARGET POPULATION
Low-income and formerly
homeless families and
individuals

LAND PURCHASE STRUCTURE
Fee title purchase from County
of Los Angeles $2,292,000
Project Team and Roles
Developer: Linc Housing Corporation
Contractor: Walton Construction
Property Manager: The John Stewart Company
Services Provider: Linc Housing
Owner: LINC-WB2 APTS, LP
Oversight: Cecilia Ngo (Director of Housing)
Project Manager: Ana Tapia (PM)
Construction Manager: Andres Diaz
Structure of Public/Private Partnerships
The project was the beneficiary from public financing at the county and state level, including project-based Section 8 vouchers from the County’s Housing Authority.

Financing
Source
Permanent Loan $7,792,500
California Affordable Housing and Sustainable
Communities Program
$8,530,984
IIG $3,250,000
Los Angeles County Mental Health Housing Program $6,250,000 Los Angeles County General Funds $3,500,000
Los Angeles County Residual Receipts Seller
Carryback Loan
$2,242,000
Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco AHP $990,000
Deferred Developer Fee $2,591,245
Linc Contribution $1,423,850
9% LIHTC Equity - Raymond James Tax Credit Fund $14,296,304 Design
The 100-unit complex has one six-story residential building with a rooftop deck and central courtyard. The building also contains a laundry facility, elevator, fitness center, computer lab, parking facility, office area, community room, conference room, communal kitchen area, and storage room. Classical courtyard typology found throughout Southern California served as inspiration and encourages pedestrian connectivity and interaction to build a sense of community. Balconies, terraces, and open-air corridors help embed residents into the surrounding environment and neighborhood. The 10,000 SF interior common area provides space for resident services, including a double height multi-purpose space to host program
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9348 Civic Centre Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210
1-800-653-8000

Amber Richane
Principal Deisgn and Planning Manager
City of Santa Monica
[email protected]
May 5, 2025
RE: City of Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project – Letter of Interest Dear Ms. Richane:

Live Nation Worldwide, Inc. (“Live Nation”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Live Nation Entertainment, is pleased to submit the following response to the City of Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project – Letter of Interest (the “LOI”).

The City is seeking a plan for the Santa Monica Airport which will contribute to a vibrant and culturally rich community while enhancing connections and quality of life for residents, workers and visitors. Live Nation believes this is a unique opportunity to integrate entertainment to further deliver on the project’s goals.

Live Nation is uniquely positioned to work with the City and its chosen partners to collaborate on a shared vision for the site’s future. Integrating live music and entertainment early into the planning process will ensure maximum community and economic impact for the City.

Introduction to Live Nation
Live Nation has more than 50 years of history as a leading live entertainment company. We believe we are the largest producer of live music promoting shows and festivals around the world. We own, operate, and either have exclusive programming rights or a significant stake in 338 venues worldwide. This includes iconic venues in the U.S. such as The Wiltern and The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California, The Gorge in George, Washington and notable brands such as The Fillmore, House of Blues, Punch Line and The Brooklyn Bowl.

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9348 Civic Centre Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210
1-800-653-8000
In addition to operating this venue portfolio, our in-house team at Blueprint Studio has experts in venue design and construction. While Live Nation has a global footprint, our business is powered by our local teams who identify opportunities to partner with and invest in their communities. In each of these communities where we operate, we engage with municipalities and local authorities, schools, local business, sports organizations and cultural groups.

As venue designers and operators, we focus on creating the best hospitality experience for artists and fans at our venues. We use our expertise gained from operating a diverse portfolio of amphitheaters, theaters and clubs to create a venue that a fan will enjoy while giving the artists and crew effective and efficient operations from load-in to production and more.

Furthermore, we make sure to continuously invest in upgrading our venues to ensure they reflect the latest technology and remain best in class.

Importantly, Live Nation is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. As a company with deep roots in Southern California, we are excited about the possibility of partnering with the City of Santa Monica and investing in the future of live entertainment in the region. Many of our executives and employees live in the area and we would be honored to be part of this conversion project which will enhance the quality of life in the community.

Experience and Qualifications
Live Nation is well positioned to help the City identify the correct use for this site that enhances the cultural fabric of the community. We are experienced in integrating entertainment venues into mixed-use developments and public parks. Venues we operate in urban park environments highlight the best of what Live Nation has to offer – activating public spaces bringing in the widest variety of world-class artists to each community and creating the highest quality of concert experience for each visitor.

These venues also give us valuable experience operating in high-density areas alongside residential and commercial neighbors, while protecting adjacent public green spaces. We’re accustomed to working with city and state governments and park departments to ensure success for all stakeholders.

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9348 Civic Centre Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210
1-800-653-8000
In addition to this venue operating experience, our local concert promotion team has been successful in growing live entertainment in the Los Angeles metro area. Between 2018 and 2023 (excluding 2020/21 due to COVID), we've increased the number of shows and attendees at our events in the region, with a 74% increase in show count and a 35% increase in attendance. We believe that our organization offers the best of both worlds:
a strong national presence that understands touring as well as a local team that understands niche consumer preferences that will serve this site and the community well.

Community Benefits
Live Nation understands the importance of community partnership. We understand the potential impacts of live entertainment to the surrounding community and the necessary mitigation measures (including technological advances in sound mitigation) to minimize these impacts.

Live Nation also recognizes that any use of the Airport for these purposes will be a community asset, and residents must all be given the opportunity to share in the experience. Adding a venue to the master plan would serve as a community asset that could support a wide range of events like concerts, comedy shows, community celebrations, graduations, private events and more.

Additionally, Live Nation’s Green Nation Charter ensures that the planning of the site would be inclusive of sustainability goals. The Charter takes a holistic approach to improving environmental impacts across our events in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, addressing key areas within Climate Change, Resource Efficiency, and Public Engagement.

Financial Plan
Live Nation is open to discussing a variety of potential economic structures based on what type of venue is selected, Live Nation’s roles and responsibilities and the City’s selection of counter parties.

Timeline
Based on the City’s phased approach, Live Nation is ready to engage as soon as possible to determine a potential entertainment integration.

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9348 Civic Centre Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210
1-800-653-8000
Economic Impact
Incorporating live entertainment into the master plan for the Santa Monica Airport site will create significant economic impact for the City. A venue will create jobs for residents, improves the tax base and the economic impacts of shows extend beyond the venue to local restaurants, hotels, bars, retailers and small businesses.

We believe that our expertise in live entertainment and track record of community partnership makes Live Nation uniquely suited to support integrating live music into the redevelopment of the Santa Monica Airport site.

We are excited about the opportunities presented by the Airport Conversion Project and look forward to continuing the discussion with the City of Santa Monica.

Thank you for your consideration,
Geni Lincoln
Live Nation
President, California Region
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Letter of Interest
Santa Monica Airport
Conversion Project
May 5th, 2025
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Introduction
Loft Dynamics has been a proud tenant at the Santa Monica Airport since late 2023 and is very pleased to submit a Letter of Interest in response to Airport Conversion Project letter released by the City of Santa Monica seeking innovative partnership opportunities to develop the airport.

Loft Dynamics AG specializes in the design, manufacturing and operation of Virtual Reality (VR) flight simulators for a variety of aircraft. Founded in 2016 and based in Zurich, Switzerland, our team comprises passionate engineers, developers and aviation experts that are on a mission is to revolutionize global aviation by providing best-inclass pilot training that is safe, accessible and affordable. Our immersive simulators, equipped with a high-resolution 3D panoramic view, dynamic six-degrees-of-freedom motion platform and a full-scale replica cockpit with a unique pose tracking system, are 20 times less expensive and 10 times smaller than traditional flight simulators. Leading manufacturers, airlines, operators, schools and organizations worldwide are choosing Loft Dynamics simulators — the world’s first and only VR Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) with both Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulatory approval.

After tremendous success in Europe with our flight simulators, Loft Dynamics has continued growing into the Americas market in late 2021 and established our North American Demo Office at the Santa Monica Airport to facilitate our sales and marketbuilding activities.

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We continue to be extremely excited to be at Santa Monica Airport and see the potential to expand our footprint in conjunction with other leading aviation companies to build upon the history of flight innovation here. Our flight simulators continue to revolutionize the flight training market and have been adopted by organizations as diverse as the elite Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Air Support Division, as well as most recently Alaska Airlines. We see a bright future for aviation innovation here at Santa Monica Airport.
“The Future of Aviation continues in Santa Monica”
The aviation industry is no stranger to the Los Angeles area, or to Santa Monica for that matter. In fact, one of the first great American aviation companies, the Douglas Aircraft Company (which became McDonnell-Douglas, and is now part of Boeing), had its roots at the Santa Monica Airport in the late 1920’s and produced innovative and worldchanging aircraft such as the DC-3.

We continue to see great potential to build upon this history of innovation here in the heart of Los Angeles with other ground-breaking aviation endeavors that are revolutionizing the industry.

The eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff/Landing) revolution If one examines the current aviation industry, there are multiple paths to continued growth in the civil sector. One budding area that continues to attract billions of investment dollars is the eVTOL sector. Built on bringing innovative technologies in both the airframe and in clean, zero-emission powerplants to aircraft designs, these quiet, green aircraft promise to bring a great amount of urban mobility to congested areas struggling with the large footprint of traditional vehicles and its infrastructure.

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in 2028. Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation have teamed up with major air carriers United and Delta to connect city and tourist locations, regional airports, and other hubs to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and help relieve the congestion and pollution that normal traffic between these locations generates.

Santa Monica Airport offers itself as a self-evident hub for the Los Angeles region, given its strong aviation infrastructure and central location among a variety of business and tourist concentrations.

But in order to be successful, a great many pilots will need to be trained to safely operate these aircraft. This is where Loft Dynamics sees an opportunity to help ensure the Santa Monica Airport is not only is a hub for the aircraft themselves, but also as part of the infrastructure for the industry in both the local area and around the country. We can help train the thousands of operators of this new category of aircraft, creating the technical skills for impactful jobs in the future.

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Expanding upon our current North American Demo Office, we see Loft Dynamics continuing to build its reputation and leveraging its burgeoning connections with electric aircraft developers and operators such as Joby, Archer, Electra and BETA Technologies.

In partnership with these companies, we could create a regional eVTOL pilot training center.

Utilizing our low-footprint, affordable, and intensely realistic VR flight simulators, these companies could create a large new pilot and recurrent training location that could host hundreds of pilots a year both learning to fly eVTOLs in a year-long curriculum or refreshing their training over a couple of days to support their safe flying operations.

With VR flight simulators, these operations could be scaled and expanded quite easily and much more efficiently than traditional simulators as the market and demand grows with the adoption of eVTOL technology locally and across the country.

With an eye to the future, Santa Monica could be the new origin story for eVTOL pilots from around the globe.

Helicopter firefighting training
The LAPD’s elite Air Support Division had trained extensively on the Loft Dynamics simulator at the Santa Monica Airport while awaiting delivery of their own training device. Yet there could be many other organizations that could benefit from expanded simulator training here as well.

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unfortunately lend themselves to a high potential for wildfires that occasionally erupt with tragic results, most recently only miles away for our close neighbors in the Los Angeles region. As a result, we have robust airborne capabilities with unparalleled expertise with both public organizations such as CAL FIRE and many private companies that are pressed into service in the high season.

These airborne firefighting capabilities require extensive and very specialized training to be effective, and for many organizations it is a continuous struggle to not only keep their current pilots fresh and well-trained, but to also train up new pilots to handle their dangerous duties.

Until now, almost all of this training had to be conducted with real aircraft, and with all the dangers, expense, and emissions from flying real aircraft to learn how to execute these dangerous missions. However, Loft Dynamics, with its intensely realistic VR flight simulators, has created the capability to provide a portion of this training for helicopter crews in a safe, affordable, and zero-emission manner.

Our latest innovation involves creating the capability to train crews on how to utilize sling-loads like the large water “Bambi” buckets used so effectively by our helicopter firefighting crews. By creating firefighting scenarios in the simulator that effectively challenge these pilots with real-word situations, Loft Dynamics is creating the capability to dramatically increase the ability to train much-needed firefighting aircrews in a safe and low-impact manner.

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training center that would be the cutting edge of capability for this much needed capability. Given our location in the State of California and the large foreseeable need for the region, having a Center of Excellence generating and refreshing the skills of these crucial specialists would be easy to envision here at Santa Monica Airport.

Manufacturing the technologies of the future
With the creation of such a large installed base of Loft Dynamics VR flight simulators supporting strong and growing eVTOL and firefighting communities, it would be natural for a large and robust manufacturing and services ecosystem to naturally evolve at or near the Santa Monica Airport. For Loft Dynamics, having this base would naturally allow us to reinforce our position with final assembly or even key component manufacturing at this location to continue our growth in the Americas. This would involve not only hardware components, but also software elements in this innovative sphere that is only beginning to crack the surface of what is possible.

As well, such a large installed group of simulators would create the base that would justify the investment for a robust service group to support the growing community both locally and around the hemisphere of Loft Dynamics customers. With customers in the helicopter and airline industries, Loft Dynamics will need a large group of technicallyskilled employees who can handle the tough demands of this technology and market.

Benefits to the Santa Monica community
Green transportation and services
The Los Angeles area has a worldwide reputation as a center of the arts, tourism, and beautiful sceneries. Unfortunately, continued urbanization and the consequences of continued growth continue to challenge the region with pollution and excessive emissions.

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region, it could reduce the need for traditional transport means and ensure that the region’s natural beauty remains as robust as possible.

Also, a large-scale simulator training industry supporting not only emerging electric aircraft, but also other key training needs for the region such as aerial firefighting, would generate significant growth without new emissions. As these simulators and their support are all electric, clean electricity production could sustain these needs without additional carbon-based electrical production.

Economic growth with high-paying technical jobs
Both the eVTOL and flight simulator industries reflect the cutting edge of hardware and software development and will require significant numbers of technically trained workers to grow. By making Santa Monica Airport a hub for such activities, the local economy will benefit from this highly skilled and highly-paid workforce as they contribute to the local economy through services, taxes, and sustaining the growth of their companies.

Creating a hub of highly skilled labor will also continue to make the Santa Monica area a desirable place to live and for other businesses to create a sustainable economic base for continued growth oriented around high-technology industries. One need only to look at other technology clusters to see the benefits of these industries in their communities.

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Alignment to the Guiding Principles for the Airport Conversion Project In the end, it will be key that the vision we are proposing as a possible future for the Santa Monica Airport align with the principles that have been developed to help guide the future use of this location, to the benefit of the local community and the region.

Start with Nature: We would view that the potential for this project to accelerate the adoption of green technologies for transportation will only rebound with benefit for the environment. With far fewer emissions and technologies that themselves generate needed economic growth with less of the harmful effects of traditional industry, our vision will allow for regenerating the location with particular attention to green spaces and LEED-focused construction of new structures.

Inspire Wonder: “Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth, and danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings” (High Flight by John Gillespie Magee Jr.) One would struggle to find an industry that has produced more dreams and inspired more wonder than aviation, with man conquering the sky and viewing the Earth from entirely new perspectives. You can even see the inspiration of the environmental movement born in the images of Earth brought back by the Apollo astronauts, and recognizing how precious our planet is.

Balance Economics: Continued prosperity in high-potential industries should be a continuing goal of the Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project, and tying its future to the rising electric aviation industry and the revolutionary impact that reimagined flight training through Loft Dynamics VR flight simulators will bring considerable economic benefits to the community.

Amplify Versatility: With this potential linkage to the electric aviation industry, we can remake the local airport area into a dynamic and versatile space open for many uses, a destination for the thousands of travelers who will transit this hub, as well as come for simulator training. And the clean and rapid transit enabled by these electric aviation platforms will do wonders for allowing access to other localities in the region.

Celebrate Place: Aviation is at the heart of Santa Monica, and no better embodied than at the historic Santa Monica Airport. From its early roots with Douglas Aviation creating innovative aircraft that set the standard for civil air transport, this area has always had its roots with the men and women creating and supporting the amazing machines that take us into the air. We should continue that tradition and follow its path into a growing and sustainable future borne on the wings of the aircraft of the future.

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RE: Letter of Intent – Santa Monica Great Park Field Development - May 5, 2025

To Whom It May Concern,

On behalf of the LA Bulls and our wider community of youth sports advocates, we are writing to express our strong interest and full support for the development of athletic facilities (rectangular grass, turf, and courts) at the Santa Monica Great Park. We believe that an intentional investment in multi-use sports fields will deliver long-term benefits to the health, confidence, and cohesion of Santa Monica's youth, while also offering substantial recreational, economic, and community advantages to the city at large.

Who are the LA Bulls? - LA Bulls is an elite and unique female owned and operated soccer club in west Los Angeles, which focuses on developing essential life skills while teaching the game of soccer at the highest level by experienced, qualified, and intelligent staff members. LA Bulls are founded and operated by two former female professional and national team soccer players, Kelly Parker and Mele French. LA Bulls are the only female owned and operated club competing in the highest platform for boys within the country called MLS NEXT, affiliated with MLS. THe LA Bulls is a non profit organization and has been operating since 2013 with 40 competitive teams, a rec program, and growing.

Santa Monica is in urgent need of more playable field space. The existing shortage directly limits access to youth sports. By expanding the availability and quality of sports fields, we have the chance to significantly impact the lives of our city's children, promoting physical activity, mental health, teamwork, and self-esteem through active participation in soccer, football, lacrosse, and other team sports.

In addition to the health and social benefits, the economic impact of investing in a world-class sports facility should not be overlooked. Hosting regional tournaments and sporting events would bring teams and families from across California and beyond to Santa Monica. These visitors would support the local economy by patronizing area hotels, restaurants, retail shops, and other small businesses. A single weekend tournament can generate millions of dollars in local spending — creating a ripple effect that benefits the entire community.

To that end, we propose the following enhancements for Santa Monica Great Park:

1. Multi-Sport Turf Field Complex WITH LIGHTS (6–10 Fields) ● Regulation-size soccer fields, lined for football and lacrosse ● Each regulation field to also accommodate 9v9 and 7v7 formats for younger players ● Durable synthetic turf for maximum usage and low maintenance ● Lights to allow all youth organizations ample options for development Benefits:
● Increased field availability and capacity
● Lower maintenance costs
● Higher potential for hourly field rental revenue
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2. Grass Fields WITH LIGHTS (2–3 Regulation Soccer Fields) ● Natural grass fields for youth games and training
Benefits:
● Healthier and safer playing surface, especially for younger children ● Variety of field types for diverse programming needs

3. 1 Stadium Soccer Field WITH LIGHTS (Grass)
● Stadium seating and locker rooms for teams
● A premier field capable of hosting high-level competition that meet FIFA/US Soccer requirements ● Club house/bar lounge
Benefits:
● Attraction of semi-pro, professional, and national-level events ● Additional revenue from ticketed games, bar lounge, tournaments, and sponsorships ● Elevated visibility of Santa Monica as a hub for sport

4. Multi-Sport Recreation Court Space WITH LIGHTS
● Pickleball, basketball, tennis, and futsal adaptable courts ● Fenced-in area with portable nets, inverted goals, and modular layout Benefits:
● Flexibility for year-round, multi-generational use
● Supports a wide range of sports beyond field-based activities ● Consistent usage and increased revenue
General Youth Soccer Sports Facts - Santa Monica
There are currently 4-6 youth soccer organizations operating out of Santa Monica. Between all the organizations, there are roughly 150-200 teams/programs operating on SM fields, which is anywhere from 2000-3000 kids on an annual basis. SM has 2 city owned turf fields and 3 school fields which have limited availability due to school sports/activities taking precedent - unstandable. This does not include all other sports programs that need field space to operate their wonderful programs. The result of not having enough field space is forcing organizations to turn players away. Providing more athletic space will allow our youth at all levels to play the sport they love.

Revenue opportunities - Field First Building Initiative We support and encourage efforts in building athletic fields first. There are great opportunities to start utilizing fields first and therefore increased revenue efforts which can help SM Great Park building costs.

As an example, there is an opportunity to generate $3-$4,000,000 annually for 10-12 fields, M-F, 3-10pm.

Even more with weekend and day time rentals. This will not just support the building of the park costs, but it will immensely support the youth organizations in providing more opportunities for the youth.

Organizational Support & Commitment
LA Bulls is committed to this project with the sole intention of providing more opportunities for youth sports organizations across the region. Currently, about 40% of our West LA branch consists of Santa Monica residents — a number that continues to grow, particularly following the Palisades fires, which have brought more families into our community.

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Our organization brings more than just participation. We are ready to support the development of Santa Monica Great Park in the following ways:

● Donor Network: LA Bulls has a strong base of donors, and we are prepared to share a list of potential contributors interested in supporting this initiative. ● Strategic Affiliations: Our partnerships span ACFC, the Canadian National Soccer Team, Discovery Land Company, MLS NEXT, US Soccer, US National Soccer Team, LAFC, Niky's Sports, Goldman Sachs, and more.
● Community Outreach: We aim to organize community-driven clinics and festivals—especially for underserved families and children with disabilities—in partnership with organizations like TopSoccer and the Special Olympics.
● Coach Development: We envision the inclusion of a small clubhouse or classroom space that can be used for coaching education and community meetings.

Inspiration - OC Great Park
https://cityofirvine.org/athletics-sports,
https://rlfsportz.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Great-Park-Map.pdf We hope to collaborate closely with the City of Santa Monica on shaping a shared vision for the Great Park that enhances recreational opportunities, celebrates youth sports, and positions Santa Monica as a premier sports destination. We welcome the opportunity to discuss this further and to provide any additional information that may help bring this vision to life.

Thank you for your leadership and your commitment to a healthy and vibrant Santa Monica.

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Sincerely,

Mele French
President/Co-Founder
LA Bulls Soccer Club

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Los Angeles Pétanque Club
2459 Motor Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90064
[email protected]
747-444-7229
April 7, 2025
City of Santa Monica
Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project
1685 Main St.

Santa Monica, CA 90401
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to express our strong interest in submitting a proposal for the adaptive reuse of one of the Santa Monica Airport hangars as a dedicated indoor/outdoor pétanque facility, following the airport’s closure in 2028. Our nonprofit organization, the Los Angeles Pétanque Club, has been actively promoting the sport of pétanque since 1984, with over 100 members and a deep commitment to fostering community engagement, intergenerational recreation, and cultural vibrancy in Los Angeles and beyond. Our revenues come from memberships and sponsoring. We believe this proposal aligns perfectly with the City of Santa Monica’s vision for repurposing the airport site and can help create a five to twenty thousand square feet space that thrives on accessibility, inclusivity, and sustainability.

Much like how a garden thrives when tended with care, our proposed pétanque courts would provide a warm, welcoming environment for players of all ages and backgrounds, especially during the colder months and rainy days. Pétanque is a game that requires consistent practice, and for our club members, many of whom are older, having a dedicated, sheltered area is essential. Right now, we’re often forced to pause our practice when the weather turns, which can be incredibly frustrating, especially for those who rely on regular practice to maintain their skills.

A covered space like a hangar at the Santa Monica Airport would offer a reliable, weatherproof environment where our community could come together year-round, without worrying about the rain or the chill in the air. It would be a sanctuary where players of all ages can hone their skills, stay active, and enjoy the camaraderie that makes pétanque such a special and inclusive sport.

The concept I’m putting forward is designed with accessibility, sustainability, and communitybuilding at its core. Pétanque is a low-cost, low-maintenance sport that requires minimal equipment: just a set of boules and any gravel/dirt surface. Unlike other sports that require extensive infrastructure or high upkeep, pétanque thrives in simple, accessible environments. Its beauty lies in its simplicity. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds, from seasoned players to beginners, without special training or expensive gear. A dedicated, covered court would make the sport even more accessible, providing a consistent and dependable space where players can gather regardless of the weather. This not only makes pétanque an ideal community sport but also ensures that the facility would remain affordable to maintain, making it a sustainable addition to the Santa Monica Airport site.

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We envision a dynamic space that includes both indoor and outdoor courts. The indoor courts would provide year-round play, particularly benefiting seniors and those who want to stay active during inclement weather. Outdoor courts would offer the traditional open-air play, seamlessly blending with the green spaces of the future park. This project could eventually accommodate 34 courts, allowing for local leagues, youth programs, and international events, positioning Santa Monica as a hub for the sport.

This initiative is more than just a recreational space. Like many successful community-driven projects, it would be an investment in both people and place, offering a safe, welcoming environment that will grow in importance for generations to come. Hosting events would attract visitors, support local businesses, and celebrate Santa Monica’s diverse cultural heritage, as pétanque has strong roots in French, Vietnamese, and Mediterranean cultures. The project aligns with sustainability goals, reusing existing infrastructure without new development, and prioritizes passive recreation and open space preservation.

In addition, the facility would not only meet the needs of Santa Monica residents but could also serve as a regional and national hub for pétanque events. This proposal embodies the principles of inclusivity, sustainability, and community engagement, creating an environment where people can come together and share the joy of the game.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I am confident that this project would be a wonderful fit for the Santa Monica Airport site and the broader community. We look forward to the opportunity to discuss how we can collaborate to bring this vision to life.

Kind regards,
Tristan Vladimir Pierre Convert
Los Angeles Petanque Club Secretary
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LOVE THY NATURE, LLC
www.lovethynature.com
1 Healing with Nature
Forest Bathing Events
Santa Monica Great Park
BACKGROUND AND NEED:

In these fast-paced times, most of us struggle with anxiety, overwhelm, and isolation.

What if the path to healing is rooted in our conscious belonging with nature and each other?
This is a proposal to offer the ancient practice of "Forest Bathing" to visitors at our already beloved Santa Monica Great Park to promote healing, regulating the nervous system, and restoring our broken bonds with one another, our community, and Earth.

PROGRAM TITLE:

HEALING WITH NATURE
Forest Bathing at the Santa Monica Great Park
PROGRAM SUMMARY:

This program is a series of weekly two-and-a-half hours Forest Bathing experience at the Great Park. Participants will have opportunities to commune with nature, each other, and themselves through a series of ancient, Earth-rooted, wisdom practices - backed by neuroscience - to promote well-being and a sense of wonder and belonging.

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LOVE THY NATURE, LLC
www.lovethynature.com
2 PRESENTING ORGANIZATION:

LOVE THY NATURE, LLC.

What We Do:

Love Thy Nature offers heart-centered walks, retreats, courses, mentoring, and our award-winning movie to help transform people's lives and our world.

Our Mission:

To awaken people to the beauty and intimacy of their relationship with the natural world – to heal and transform self, collective, and nature.

Our Vision:

To guide a vast number of people to experience their belonging with the web of life for their own well-being and the blossoming of a new era: one that is inspired by nature’s synergy, wonders, wisdom and mysteries.

Our Values:

Wellness (humans and nature); mindfulness; heartfulness; inspiration; interbeing; and transformation.

Our Experience:

What started as a 27-award-winning movie narrated by Liam Neeson, Love Thy Nature has expanded into a garden of experiences, workshops, retreats, mentoring and meditations in nature (and online) that have helped transform our clients' lives. We have worked with the UCLA Dept of Ecological Medicine, 1440 Multiversity, Rocky Mountains EcoDharma Retreat Center, Esalen Institute, among others.

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LOVE THY NATURE, LLC
www.lovethynature.com
3 OUR FOUNDER AND GUIDE:

Sylvie Rokab, M.A. (she/her)
Mindfulness Teacher, Forest Bathing Guide, Speaker, Mentor, and Filmmaker Born in Rio and raised by French and Italian parents who were born in Egypt, Sylvie is an MMTCP-certified mindfulness teacher, ANFT-certified Forest Bathing guide, EcoDharma advisor, and Emmy-nominated filmmaker. By blending these disciplines, she offers simple but powerful tools to help participants release anxiety, isolation, and eco-grief, accessing healing, wisdom, and a deep sense of belonging through sacred relationship with nature.

Narrated by Liam Neeson, her film Love Thy Nature earned 27 awards and launched over 300 global screening events – inspiring viewers to recognize that the delusion of separation from nature is at the root of personal and planetary suffering.

Through her retreats, Sylvie invites practitioners to rekindle loving awareness, lean into the wisdom of emotions, and awaken to their profound belonging with the natural world.

Participants often leave with a renewed sense of wonder, connection, and aliveness alongside a commitment to cherishing and protecting Earth's life systems.

Fluent in four languages, Sylvie is a compassionate and engaging guide devoted to helping others discover the beauty and power of their inner and outer nature, while deepening their relationship with self, others, and our spellbinding world. Learn more at LoveThyNature.com
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LOVE THY NATURE, LLC
www.lovethynature.com
4 PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

Forest Bathing is the translation of “Shirin Yoku,” the Japanese practice of mindfully experiencing nature through the senses. Scientific studies have shown that the practice has a wide array of health benefits from lowering the stress hormone cortisol, to strengthening the immune system, to improving mood. Some studies have even shown that connection with nature makes us more compassionate, cooperative, and kinder.

OBJECTIVE AND GOALS:

On Forest Bathing walks, most people feel a much deeper connection with nature than they ever have previously felt. While experiences are unique to each individual, participants often share that their stress dissolves, confusion lifts, hearts soften, emotions surface, ideas spring – taking home with them a renewed sense of connection, meaning and purpose.

MAIN ACTIVITIES:

Sylvie welcomes participants and engages them with the history (and acknowledgment) of the land: from its geological formation to its Tongva-Gabrielino Indigenous stories of stewardship. She introduces the work of Forest Bathing, its origins in Japan as “Shinrin Yoku,” the science behind the benefits of nature communion, and its global reach through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy.

Sylvie offers participants “invitations” – such as closing eyes to “sense” the smells and sounds of the forest; discovering nature’s artistry; befriending beings on the land; and joining a tea ceremony with harvested leaves in the spirit of sharing and gratitude.

Sylvie plays an indigenous flute to draw the deepening of experience and leads rounds of deep sharing / deep listening circles after each invitation.

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LOVE THY NATURE, LLC
www.lovethynature.com
5 Through listening circles, each participant has the opportunity to share their thoughts with the group while others practice attentive, non-judgmental and compassionate listening.

Other invitations include discovering hidden nooks in the forest, gathering "nature art" from the land, and sharing in a large circle one word that arises from the communal experiences with one another and the beings of the land.

Sylvie ends the session with a tea ceremony with foraged indigenous plants accompanied with poetry, music, and storytelling - in a spirit of gratitude for nature, each other, and oneself.

PROGRAM FUNDING AND TIMELINE:

We will be ready to start our program as soon as the Great Park opens! Our programs are typically funded by our participants who pay a registration fee. We also offer scholarships to BIPOC and other participants under the poverty line. Other sources of funding for our programs have included:
- Foundation grants
- Corporate sponsors
- Donations
CONCLUSION:

Sylvie and the Love Thy Nature team would be deeply honored and delighted to offer Forest Bathing programs at the Great Park to help heal, inspire, and connect visitors to the wonders of our newly regenerated wild park.

By deepening visitors' connection with this land and its more-than-human beings, they will have a weekly opportunity to restore as well as anchor a deep sense of place and pride for our beloved Santa Monica Earth-based and ocean-kissed community.

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City of Santa Monica Airports Conversion Project ~ Letter of Interest (424) 646-3371 3826 Grandivew Blvd. No. 66261 MAQRES.com Los Angeles, CA 90066
Mrs. Amber Richane May 5, 2025
Principal Design and Planning Manager
1685 Main Street
Mail Stop 15
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Dear Mrs. Richane,
We are pleased to submit this Letter of Interest in response to the City of Santa Monica’s invitation for innovative partnership opportunities within the Airport Conversion Project.

We are excited to propose the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of a world-class recreational complex featuring a wave pool, skatepark, pump track and climbing wall. Our vision strongly aligns with the City’s goals to create innovative recreational, cultural, and community-oriented spaces that are economically selfsustaining and deeply connected to Santa Monica’s values and history.

This project would bring year-round active recreation opportunities to the future Great Park, attracting a wide range of users across all ages and abilities. We envision a thoughtfully designed space that conserves natural resources through efficient technologies, provides inspiring experiences for participants and spectators alike, and generates sufficient revenue to fund operations, maintenance and broader community programming. Our team is fully prepared to lead this project with proven expertise in delivering and operating complex recreational developments. We look forward to the opportunity to work with the City and community to help transform the Santa Monica Airport site into a dynamic, celebrated destination for generations to come.

Sincerely,
Jeff Mindes
MAQ Real Estate Solutions
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1 SANTA MONICA AIRPORT CONVERSION PROJECT
Letter of Interest for

WAVE POOL & EMERGING SPORTS FACILITIES
May 5, 2025
SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION
The Santa Monica Emerging Active Sports project team is a partnership that consists of a robust roster of experienced professionals in the action sports, surfpark, real estate development and construction businesses. Our objective is to provide an exceptional recreational experience that is world-class and accessible to all. The wave pool, skatepark, pump track and climbing wall are intended to complement and enhance all the offerings available at the park and become a new landmark destination for which the City will be recognized. The team has years of experience in multiple asset classes, public-private partnerships, wave pools, skateparks and waterparks including building projects completed in the City of Santa Monica. We have the expertise, knowledge and proven track record to design, deliver and operate a transformative, vibrant and synergistic recreational experience that is focused on emerging active sports that will require no financial contribution from the City. The project team with hyperlinks to their qualifications follows:

Jeff Mindes, MAQ Real Estate Solutions LLC
Jeff brings over two decades of leadership in real estate development and construction, having managed more than $2 billion in high-profile urban projects. Jeff has led complex entitlement and development efforts for numerous Southern California mixed-use projects as well as personally overseen the construction of multiple buildings in the City of Santa Monica. As sponsor, Jeff's deep expertise in project management, financial feasibility, construction execution and team leadership will be pivotal in delivering a technically sound and financially viable wave pool and emerging sports facility. Jeff Mindes Bio
Brandon Lowery, Board Sports Global (“BSG”)
Brandon offers unparalleled credibility in the action sports industry, with over 17 years of experience in surf and skate parks, global sports marketing, and Olympic-level advocacy. As the former CEO of USA Surfing and former Chairman of USA Skateboarding and through his past ownership and involvement with Waco Surf and Liquid Time, Brandon contributes strategic vision, global athlete networks and business development acumen. With involvement in over 100 projects across 20 countries, Brandon plays a key role in capital sourcing, brand partnerships, and programming, bringing both industry credibility and innovative vision to emerging sports developments. BSG Global Brandon Lowery Bio
Paul Allen, Board Sports Global (“BSG”)
Paul Allen is a principal at BSG, co-founder of DS Teamworks and a seasoned leader in the real estate and construction industries, with over two decades of experience. He currently serves as President and CEO of McGuire Builders, Inc., a well-established general contracting firm specializing in the redevelopment and repositioning of luxury hotels and resorts. His earlier career includes a 15-year tenure at Lowe Destination Development, the hospitality arm of Lowe Enterprises, Inc. Paul also advises several ventures, including Five Oceans Capital, an Item 7-A
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2 Opportunity Fund investing in technology, entertainment, and real estate sectors. His current work focuses on developing board sports venues and programs, aligning passion with innovation.

Mary Anderson, Real Sourcing, Inc. Development Management Mary offers an exceptional breadth of experience in real estate development, construction, and project management. With a career spanning top leadership roles across public and private sectors, she has overseen every phase of development from entitlements and urban planning to construction and asset management on some of California’s most complex mixed-use and hospitality projects. As Principal of RealSourcing Inc., former Principal of CIM Group, former Director of UCLA Capital Programs for the largest campus buildings program in their history and as a senior development leader at AECOM and Combined Properties, Mary has navigated intricate regulatory environments, led large project teams, implemented cost-saving construction strategies and driven award-winning, high-return developments. Mary Anderson CV David Bergman (Construction & Project Management Consultant):

David brings unmatched expertise in the development and construction of surf parks, wave pools, and waterparks. Through his consulting practice and leadership roles at BergmanKPRS and The Bergman Companies, he has been integral on projects such as Thermal Beach Club in California, Pinewood Surf Club in Tennessee, Wild Rivers Waterpark in Irvine, Cowabunga Bay Waterpark in Las Vegas and currently The Riverside Adventure Center in California. His deep industry knowledge, combined with a track record of delivering large-scale aquatic and entertainment venues, positions him as an established figure driving innovative, high-quality projects in the surf and waterpark sectors. David Bergman CV Select Contracts (Operator):

Select Contracts brings over 40 years of global experience in leisure facility design and operations, with proven success in running top-tier surf parks like BSR Surf Resort and Wadi Adventure. Their vertically integrated services from concept to operations will ensure the wave park delivers a world-class guest experience. Select Contracts Quals SECTION 2 – DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT
Promoting healthy and accessible outdoor activities, the project will consist of a wave pool, skatepark, pump track and climbing wall. All areas will be open to the public and a use fee will be charged to generate revenue and to limit the number of concurrent active users. Discount rates and fee-free sessions will be available to designated groups such as local residents and youth organizations. The wave pool and skatepark will be designed in collaboration with the respective International and National Sport Governing Bodies so that they are recognized as certified centers. The facilities may also serve as training facilities for competitive sports from youth to Olympic hopefuls. We expect that this wave pool will be the most attended facility of its kind in the world due to its urban location, proximity to LAX, population density, market appeal and recognition as a bona-fide Los Angeles tourist destination within Santa Monica’s Great Park.

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3 For clarity, a pump track is a small, looped track designed to be ridden by cyclists, skaters, skateboarders and scooters of all ages and skill levels using a pumping motion, instead of pedaling or pushing. It typically features rollers, banked turns, and other features that allow riders to maintain momentum by pumping their upper and lower body.

The wave pool, skatepark, pump track, climbing wall, ancillary support buildings and circulation areas will occupy 10 acres or approximately 5% of the 192 Acre park. This does not include parking. These activity areas will be proximate to each other and secured for safety reasons. We propose that they be located along the perimeter or a major access road for visibility and security and to allow for integration with the rest of the park. They should be positioned in a location that is relatively flat in order to minimize site preparation and grading costs. With the assumption that a major east-west access through the site will be provided or remain we think a potential location for these active uses is the existing surface parking area east of Barker Hangar and abutting the existing mature stand of palm trees. This area is relatively flat and has the added benefit of being in a non-aviation area. In this location, Barker Hangar could be re-purposed to serve the wave pool or perhaps even house the skatepark, climbing wall and pump track.

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4 The particular assemblage of facilities in this 10 Acre cluster all work together to create a synergistic, economically sustainable precinct. Each facility attracts different groups of athletes, enthusiasts, and visitors, driving year-round traffic and maximizing utilization. The surf pool and skatepark cater to the rapidly growing communities of surfing and skateboarding, both of which are now Olympic sports, while the pump track and climbing wall appeal to action sports fans. The presence of co-located multiple sports disciplines encourages cross-discipline participation, training, and events. With Select Contracts managing the overall operations, these complementary assets are strategically integrated to streamline operations, drive efficiency, and reduce overhead costs.

SECTION 3 – PROPOSED DEAL STRUCTURE
The majority of surf parks and wave pools currently in operation as well as those under construction and in the planning phase are private, for-profit ventures. The proposed wave pool and emerging sports at Santa Monica’s new Great Park represent an opportunity to create a replicable model within a public-private partnership framework that prioritizes community accessibility. If successful, our project will deliver the full range of community benefits described in Section 4.

We propose to deliver a turnkey design-build-operate-maintain (DBOM) project providing (1) a single point of contact, (2) efficient fast-track delivery, (3) cost predictability and (4) reduced risk. We will be responsible for design and construction as well as long-term operation and maintenance. From the revenue from operations, we will secure the project’s financing on behalf of the City.

To realize this vision, we respectfully propose that the city support the partnership by:

1. Contributing the necessary land

2. Providing adequate and proximate parking facilities

3. Waiving water and sewer connection fees
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5 4. Waiving permit and plancheck fees

5. Participating in our innovative financing solution
This collaboration would position the Great Park as a leader in delivering equitable, recreational amenities that serve the entire community.

SECTION 4 – COMMUNITY BENEFITS
The proposed amenities represent a strategic investment in the city’s recreational infrastructure, designed to meet the growing demand for accessible, multi-generational public amenities. These facilities will provide meaningful health, social, and economic benefits while aligning with key municipal goals related to equity, youth engagement, and urban vitality.

The wave pool will serve as a regional attraction, supporting tourism, local business development, and job creation. The skatepark, designed as an open, inclusive space, will offer year-round recreational opportunities particularly for teens and young adults. This will help to reduce youth-related risk behaviors and create a vibrant, safe environment that benefits current and future generations.

The facilities will be built with resiliency, sustainability, and community safety in mind for longterm operational efficiency.

Community Benefits
• Job Creation
• Local Hire
• Youth Employment
• Crime Reduction
• Workforce Development
• Certified Athletic Training Facilities
• Economic Development
• Health & Wellness
• Youth Development and Growth
• Increased Property Values
• Tourism Boost
• Free and Low-Cost Recreation
• Local Discount
• Local Pride Through Landmark Status
Joint Use Opportunities
• Fire Department, Urban Search and Rescue and Lifeguard white water training facility • USA Surfing, USA Skateboarding, USA Climbing
• Youth Groups – Boys & Girls Clubs
• Special Needs and Disabled Persons Groups
• Training facility for Santa Monica High School Surf Team • Regional and National Competitions
• Day Camps / Summer Camps
Sustainability
The project team believes a commitment to sustainability is not just an obligation but an opportunity to drive change, to lead in our industry and to create a lasting legacy of positive impact. Water use and energy consumption are the principal environmental concerns where we will have the most impact. Our objective is to reduce water consumption and ensure the provision of clean and safe water as well as be energy efficient and minimize non-renewable energy. We will accomplish this by:

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6 • Implementing advance water-saving technologies
• Monitoring and testing water quality regularly
• Repurposing treated wastewater for non-potable uses
• Evaluating photovoltaic solutions to optimize solar energy use • Monitoring solar energy generation and consumption
• Building the facilities with energy-efficient lighting, HVAC systems and appliances • Implementing energy management systems to monitor and adjust peak energy consumption patterns
• Possibly serving as a stormwater detention facility
Resiliency
• Heat refuge for community
• Community water source for wildfire response
• Closed-loop water filtration and re-use systems
• State of the art leak detection
• Modular wave production technology for continuous operation SECTION 5 – TIMELINE
Working drawings will take six months followed by a twelve-month construction phase. Basic assumptions are that site planning and schematic design occur concurrently and in conjunction with the City’s overall planning and design efforts for the park. The schedule also presumes that the proposed uses have been included in an approved EIR and no further regulatory actions are needed.

The twelve month construction period is based on a work site that: (1) requires no environmental remediation, (2) is rough graded to a near level condition, (3) requires no demolition of existing structures, (4) adequate water, sewer and storm drain connections are available within five feet of the work site, and (5) sufficient electrical power is available as the schedule dictates.

SECTION 6 – FINANCIAL PLAN SUMMARY
Our high-level modeling suggests overall project costs of approximately $60 Million with stabilized net operating income in excess of $20 Million. This does not include reductions to revenue for discounted use nor substantial reductions to project costs from anticipated additional funding sources.

Revenue Generation Strategies
o Surf Admissions
o Surf Memberships
o Events & Competitions
o Skatepark Admissions
o Pump track Admissions
o Climbing Wall Admissions
o Lessons
o Equipment Rental
o Video Analysis & Photography
o Merchandising
o Locker Rental
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7 Funding Sources
o Infrastructure as a Service
o Private Equity
o Revenue Participation Notes
o Naming Rights
o Advertising
o Grants
o HUD
Our funding strategy requires no financial contribution from the City. Furthermore, no debt is incurred. At the top of the capital stack is a novel approach to municipal finance called ‘Infrastructure as a Service’. In this scenario, the City itself is the partner with the Investor Group which specializes in municipal funding solutions by investing their institutionally sourced funds directly into municipal utilities and infrastructure, of which the Great Park’s amenities will categorically fall.

All aspects of the project are intended to be funded in this manner from design, construction, start-up, operations and maintenance. The City would sign the commitment for the Investor Group funding and have the liability for the usage payment accordingly. As a debt-free obligation, it is similar to a utility usage fee. The City serves as the sole credit guarantor for the payback of the funding for which the operating revenues will support.

The monthly utility usage payment is calculated by the Investors Group underwriter via an algorithmic formula of a fixed standard fee (across all projects) for their monitoring and involvement plus a risk factor depending on the city’s credit and IDR rating, and other standard considerations which is amortized over a fixed term. The Investor Group does not participate in the NOI or profits above the usage fee which is their only source of payback. That NOI margin flows to the city as a negotiated split with the Sponsor. At any point, if the City wishes to cease this obligation, they may do so by retaining a 3rd party appraiser to value the condition of the facilities for the remaining term and initiate a buyout.

SECTION 7 – RELEVANT PROJECTS
Please refer to the link to the Vandever Capital report provided in Section 8 that assesses the state of the surfpark/wave pool industry globally. It illustrates the trajectory of this emerging sports destination product. Of the completed projects nationwide, Waco Surf in Texas is the only publicly accessible surfpark/wave pool with a sustained track record behind it. Brandon Lowery was instrumental in its conception, engineering and execution while Select Contracts manages the operations.

There are no wave pools serving as a public aquatic center amenity on public land. Neither as a stand-alone facility nor incorporated as part of a larger municipal park. This presents a unique opportunity for the City of Santa Monica to be the first.

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8 Pipeline projects in the US where we are involved:
• Chula Vista Olympic Center in Chula Vista, CA – CVEATC - Chula Vista LINK • Riverside Adventure Center, CA - Riverside Adventure Center LINK. • Cactus Surf in Gilbert, AZ – Cactus Surf LINK
• Charlotte, NC – Emerging Sports Campus at UNC LINK
• Charleston, SC – Aqua Terra Charleston Abridged - LINK SECTION 8 – ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
We are excited to propose these dynamic new active uses that are contemplated in harmony with the City’s five guiding principles. Rooted in nature, the wave pool will use less water annually than traditional landscape irrigation or even three golf course holes, demonstrating true conservation. This project is intended to inspire wonder, serving as a destination for locals and visitors of all ages and abilities, offering opportunities for passive enjoyment, active participation, and competitive events. Revenues generated will subsidize non-revenue community uses, ensuring a balanced economic model that provides broad public benefit.

By amplifying versatility, the facility will welcome over 300,000 visitors each year with extended hours, space for group events, and support for fitness across individual and competitive activities. It will celebrate Santa Monica’s rich culture of active outdoor lifestyles, honoring the city’s history while creating a modern gathering place. Tying back to the site's former aviation use, the thrill of "surfing aerials" will symbolize a spirited continuation of adventure and innovation in Santa Monica.

OTHER
• Perfectly aligned with HUD’s Urban Strategy plan (under development) to leverage the collaboration between government, sports franchises and private stakeholders to deliver impactful solutions for underserved youth; if adopted, opening the door for federal grants and additional funding streams. HUD - The Urban Strategy • An excellent reference for background on the surfpark and wave pool sector is summarized in Vandever Capital’s April 2025 report “Introduction to the Inland Surf Wave Park Industry”. Vandever Capital Sufpark Report
• This video [Raimana at Lemore] demonstrates the multi-generational opportunity that a wave pool provides to learn and improve your surfing skills in a controlled environment.

From beginner to expert, young and old, every wave is perfect and everyone can ride.

In sum, this proposal encompasses one integrated venue for four nascent sports that are fundamental to BSG’s Emerging Sports Platform: Surf, Skate, Bike and Climb.

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9 activities to be found in a contiguous setting which fosters safety, healthy sportsmanship, and consolidates training if desired and operations, making it more cost effective.

The fact is that these sports are growing in every dimension, especially generationally in terms of numbers in attendance; but also, in terms of participation and recognition in more sophisticated and elevated competitions, such as the Olympics. The concept of an Emerging Sports collection within a “cluster” is on a popular trajectory and here to stay.

This means the timing for Santa Monica Airport Conversion to include these activities in the Great Park is spot on and as such is in the good company of only a few other emerging sports promoters and builders. This also means there are very few completed projects across the US for anyone to cite, but many in the pipeline.

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Dear Selection Committee:

I am writing to express my interest in the Santa Monica Airport conversion project. As a 7th-grade student at Sycamore Community School and a resident of Sunset Park, I would like to propose establishing a dedicated teen space (ages 12-16) as part of the airport redevelopment plan. Teens are the future, and we need to start engaging our voices in building a better Santa Monica. Having an innovative space that is designed for young people to express, connect, and build will get us one step closer to that.

What if we could create a place where you feel a sense of connection, support, and belonging? This is my idea, to create a safe space for teens to connect and express! According to The Close Up Foundation, having social spaces for teens to hang out can help them de-stress, stay active, make connections, strengthen their social skills, and increase their sense of belonging. This shows that having a teen community space fosters skills and feelings that last a lifetime. Eight-in-ten teens say that what they see on social media makes them feel more connected to what’s going on in their friends’ lives. 71% say it makes them feel like they have a place where they can be creative. 67% say these platforms make them feel as if they have people who can support them through hard times (Pew Research Center).

The proposed teen center would serve multiple community needs:

1. Community Building: The space would provide a supervised environment where teenagers can connect both on and off screens, fostering meaningful relationships and community engagement.

2. Educational Opportunities: The center could host speakers from various professions to share their experiences and knowledge, providing career inspiration and mentorship.

They can bring the skills they learned from the guest speakers and the friends that they made into the real world. This is a place to develop interest and positive values.

3. Entrepreneurial Experience: A designated area for pop-up vendors would allow teens to experience commerce firsthand, with rotating vendors selling age-appropriate products and potentially giving young entrepreneurs opportunities to showcase their own ideas. For example, we could have people that make Dubai Chocolate Strawberries. A trend that is incredibly popular right now. They can come and sell their product and teach kids about having a business.

4. Creative Development: A dedicated content creation area would provide resources for teens to collaborate on digital projects, helping them develop technical skills while building positive online communities. Teens use their devices all the time, we have to find an innovative way to help teens connect on screens too! The world is constantly changing and evolving and we need to find a way to make screens a tool that builds Item 7-A
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connections not only on them, but off them, too. This builds friendships and connections that last a lifetime!

5. Teens Are The Future: The future of Santa Monica is teens. We need to create a space that they already feel comfortable in. We need to give them a space where they can learn and grow. Creating this space now will benefit the future. This small space is where change and growth will happen.

This proposal addresses a critical need in our community. According to recent studies, teenagers benefit significantly from having dedicated spaces where they can socialize safely outside of school and home. The proposed center would help teens build connections in meaningful ways while providing structured activities that promote positive development in Santa Monica.

Potential Next Steps pending response from the City of Santa Monica:
● Build out the business plan that includes developing a membership system and donor/sponsor outreach to bring in revenue;
● Build relationships with local businesses (for example: Boys & Girls Club, Snap, Walton Foundation, The California Wellness Foundation, Whole Foods, etc.); ● Continue to connect with adults and youth that will serve as mentors and members.

I am available to discuss this proposal further and would appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the planning process. I believe that including youth voices in this conversion project is essential to creating spaces that will serve our community's future.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Olive Fayer
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May 5, 2025
New Roads School Response
Request for LOIs for the Santa Monica Airport Conversion SP2641 dated 3/24/2025 To: City of Santa Monica
Public Works Department
Architecture Services Division
I am writing in my capacity as Head of School for New Roads School to express our sincere interest in exploring the possibility of partnering with the City to bring publicly accessible facilities, and even a sense of discovery, to the Santa Monica Airport through the addition of a homegrown K-12 school.

This interest has been informed by the City’s public process to identify potential priorities for conversion once the airport closes in 2028. I believe I speak for the Board of Trustees when I say we take our Santa Monica institutional identity very seriously and we believe there could be benefits to both our School and the City of Santa Monica if we vacated our current location at the Herb Alpert Educational Village at 3131 Olympic Boulevard and moved our operations to the airport. What follows, per your request, are answers as to how this proposed relocation might unfold in the years to come as we strive to deepen our partnership with the City of Santa Monica while building off of our 29-year history of educating students K-12 for the challenges of college life and beyond.

Dan Vorenberg
Head of School
New Roads School
Introduction
New Roads School was established in 1995 by Dr. Paul F. Cummins, Founder, President and CEO of the Coalition for Engaged Education (formerly the New Visions Foundation), and Dr.

David Bryan, who was the first Head of New Roads School, as a model for education in the ethnically, racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse community of greater Los Angeles.

New Roads began as a middle school program, housed through a shared use of the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica, with 70 students, and has grown to serve over 500 students, grades K-12, on its over three-acre campus at 3131 Olympic Blvd in Santa Monica.

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than 40% of our families, allowing New Roads to enroll students of promise and potential regardless of financial wherewithal.

As of this writing, New Roads School has a 30 million dollar operating budget with 170 full and part-time staff. The School runs year-round with summer programs for K-8 students and ancillary classes for high school students.

In its 29-year history, New Roads School has established a track record of effective partnerships with the City and long-standing local organizations. As mentioned above, its founding home was a shared-use arrangement with a local nonprofit. The 2013 construction of our Ann and Jerry Moss Theater – in itself a product of collaboration with the City and the community – increased our opportunities to connect our school with the greater community, providing Santa Monica residents with access to exceptional arts, cultural, and civic events, including Live Talks Los Angeles, Jazz Bakery, Writers Block, Westside Ballet, Westside Music Foundation, the My Hero Project, and City meetings.

As described below, and with the recent change in zoning that may indeed bring substantial New Roads would like to explore a potential real estate collaboration with the City that includes shared-use facilities between the School and the community. This could also alleviate concerns about disruption to our program by potential future construction on the property adjacent to our current campus. As part of these potential talks, the School would welcome ideas for additional partners to achieve the shared goals of the community and the School.

Proposal
New Roads School proposes several options for consideration related to our potential relocation to the Santa Monica Airport.

1. A “swap” whereby New Roads School would vacate our current 3.04 acre parcel at 3131 Olympic Boulevard, Santa Monica, and relocate to a suitable parcel at the airport. The School would seek to adaptively reuse at least 70,000 square feet of existing floor area at the airport and convert adjacent outdoor areas for educational use. If existing structures are not suitable to adaptive reuse as a school, some new construction of structures may be necessary. At 3131 Olympic Boulevard, the School might leave behind a world-class theater designed by Yasuhisa Toyota, acoustician of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and the high-rise residential zoning of the Mixed Use Creative District.

2. A long-term lease be created whereby New Roads would be permitted to construct/refurbish a facility on the airport site and use monies from the sale of our current site to fund both the construction and lease terms that ensures our future moving forward.

3. A direct purchase of space at the Santa Monica Airport whereby New Roads School would use proceeds from the sale of our current campus.

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Within each of these scenarios, we would like to explore the potential for the School to develop and maintain facilities that are routinely shared with the public at designated times. These facilities could be ancillary uses to the School, and could reflect both the priorities of the community and the School, such as an amphitheater and other recreational and cultural options.

Any of these scenarios has the potential to satisfy New Roads School’s needs to ensure our long-term viability at the airport while also expanding our community partnership with the City of Santa Monica.

Community Benefits - Joint Use Opportunities - Sustainability/Circularity/Resiliency New Roads would, in the event we move to the airport, very much look to continue and extend our private/public partnerships with the local community. Ideally, we would hope to share fields, theater facilities, gardens and grounds, classroom spaces, etc., when not in use by the School.

There are numerous models from which we could draw inspiration as we would hope not to isolate from, but rather, to integrate into a multi-use concept at the new park. Climbing walls, amphitheaters, outdoor education centers, community library extensions, community swimming pool(s), heat shelters, and athletic fields are but a few of the possibilities that are being contemplated were the School to relocate our campus.

The Guiding Principles that have emerged from the airport conversion process closely align with the School’s culture and approach to learning. New Roads’ Mission and Statement of Philosophy articulate the School’s commitment to the common good and serving the larger ecological and social community. This ethos is manifest in how the School has shaped its current campus – our theater building is LEED Certified and two buildings have been adaptively reused.

In recognition of the value of biophilic design in learning spaces, the School has incorporated natural elements within the confines of its current environment, often with our young people driving the ideas. The School sees a shared value in a “rewilding” of the airport, as both a potential contributor and beneficiary. When we close our eyes and envision what’s possible at the airport, thoughts of our Honors class in Environmental Science helping to shape publicly accessible, outdoor classrooms quickly springs to mind.

Considering the potential environmental, economic, and historical benefits, adapting existing structures to serve the varied needs of the school and the public would be our goal.

In addition to the potential for community benefits at a converted airport, the current campus at 3131 Olympic Blvd offers a range of opportunities to address community needs, including affordable housing, artistic and cultural resources, and recreation space, all well served by public transit and arterial roadways.

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The School invites discussion of a wide range of ideas and potential partnerships.

Financial Plan Summary
Please find attached to this letter a map of parcels owned by New Roads School. In addition to ownership of these properties, the School currently has a purchase option and a right of first refusal for two adjacent properties.

We invite discussion of a plan that is tailored to both the City’s and the School’s interests.

Timeline
We propose that formal discussions between the School and the City begin immediately. The School is open to timelines that achieve the overall objectives of the conversion process.

Attachments
New Roads School Parcel Map
Ann and Jerry Moss Theater at New Roads School
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Ann and Jerry Moss Theater
3131 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica CA 90404
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BUILDING FITNESS & COMMUNITY THROUGH PING PONG
PONGFIT.ORG
Dear City of Santa Monica,
Do you know what the most-played sport in the world is, according to the official Olympics website? Ping pong! Our Santa Monica-based nonprofit, PongFit, builds fitness and community through ping pong. Launched in 2018, we work with youth, seniors, and many local organizations, serving players of all body types, genders, incomes, and cultures. We provide professional exhibitions for public and private events, donate equipment to needy communities, and jump-start ping pong player communities throughout Los Angeles and beyond. Our Advisory Board includes several Olympians.

Our years of operation have demonstrated that ping pong appeals to the broadest possible segment of the population: anyone from age six to 96 (or older) who enjoys a fun, healthy game, at any level. I’ve played table tennis on seven continents for both fun and competition. I can personally attest that nearly every major city I've visited worldwide contains outdoor parks and indoor sports facilities with numerous tables for public play.

Except Los Angeles. Here is a unique opportunity for Santa Monica to catch up, or even surpass, other world-class cities! The Great Park concept would be an ideal fit for both outdoor and indoor tables. Concrete/metal outdoor tables are virtually maintenance-free once installed and naturally become multi-generational, multi-cultural gathering places. Providing tables indoors at a pre-existing airport hangar space or dedicated tent structure would require only minimal supervision, and would provide years of community engagement.

Multiple funding sources could be accessed for the relatively low cost involved in setting up ping pong facilities. Aside from city appropriations, local business sponsorships, donations from public and private sources, and ongoing revenue from table rentals or city-run classes or even private party rentals could all contribute.

From municipal and public data collected thus far regarding the airport conversion project, it appears that public ping pong would check a majority of desired boxes: low-cost, low maintenance, healthy, quiet, family-friendly, and inclusive for the whole community.

Attached are pictures from just a few wonderful city parks worldwide that enjoy thriving indoor and outdoor ping pong scenes.

PongFit would be happy to assist your planning in any way regarding ping pong play areas. Thank you.

Let’s bounce!
Justin Bookey
Founder & CEO, PongFit
April 22, 2025
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Norway
Oslo
Australia
Sydney
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Bulgaria
Sophia
New Zealand
Auckland
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1. Introduction to Rediscover Center & Our Proposed Public-Private Partnership
Rediscover Center is a local nonprofit that empowers children and families to think like designers and environmental stewards. Through tinkering, making, and creative reuse, Rediscover supports open-ended play, fosters sustainable awareness, and facilitates creative art-first STEAM education. We serve 15-20,000 youth per year through LA’s largest public youth makerspaces, exhibits, partnerships with 70+ schools, and at countless community events and pop-ups. Rediscover was founded in Santa Monica and is now headquartered in Culver City. We currently serve Santa Monica youth through programs at SMMUSD, CREST, Office of Sustainability and the Environment outreach programs, the Santa Monica Public Library, and at events at Virginia
Avenue Park, Gandara Park, the Pier, and on the
Third Street Promenade.

Our youth centered approach to STEAM/maker
education and open-ended play has been
demonstrated through our long-running Tinkering
Programs, pop-up Cardboard Playgrounds, and
large-scale installations like Cardboard City (2021,
2022, 2023). We maintain a strong safety record, a
skilled team of trained Playworkers, and deep
relationships with local schools, libraries, parks, and cultural institutions.

Proposed Public-Private Partnership
Rediscover proposes to lead the development and
operation of the Great Park Adventure Playground
in collaboration with:
● Local Artists & Makers – Co-create unique climbable sculptures with youth in an ever-evolving play zone
● UCLA Education Researchers – Support ongoing research on youth development through play
● City of Santa Monica – Site preparation, coordination with other play facilities and special events
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The Great Park Adventure Playground will be a ticketed facility incorporating best practices from peer organizations including The Cove Skatepark, City Museum in St. Louis, and Berkeley Adventure Playground. An admission fee and a liability waiver will be required for all participants. Revenue from admissions, memberships, group visits, camps, and special events will offset the expenses of operating the Great Park Adventure Playground.

Rediscover’s strong fundraising capacity, which currently supports our free and subsidized programming for over 10,000 youth annually, will additionally contribute to the ongoing operating expenses of the facility and cover free and reduced price programming for low income families.

2. High-Level Project Description
The Great Park Adventure Playground is a 1–1.5-acre participatory activity zone where children and teens can explore, build, play, and invent. Based on the European “junk playground” model and inspired by Berkeley Adventure Playground and Playground:NYC, this unique destination will provide:
● Loose parts construction zones using donated overstock, offcut, and recycled materials
● Prebuilt climbable structures and interactive play sculptures ● Guided opportunities for
hands-on tool use led by trained
Playworkers
● Residencies with local artists
● Natural play zones with sand,
flowing water, and reclaimed
materials
● A dynamically co-created
landscape shaped by children,
staff, and artists
● Sculptures on display to the
general public
This project is responsive to various scenarios for the emerging Great Park Master Plan.

Viable variations of the Great Park Adventure Playground can function on existing tarmac, build from the ground up, or incorporate native plants and water features, such as Rediscover Center 12958 W Washington Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90066 310-393-3636 rediscovercenter.org Item 7-A
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waterways created as part of Master Plan. The project aims to reuse an existing hangar structure as a storage area for tools, materials, office, and lockers for participants.

Rediscover plans to work with the City to determine a park layout that places the Adventure Playground near restrooms and concessions. The facility will be fenced in with controlled access through a gated entrance with a registration and orientation system that ensures safety, including waivers, wristbands, code of conduct, active facilitation, and ongoing safety inspections integrated into operations.

This facility is intended to work in concert with a series of playgrounds, structures, and services throughout the Great Park, including traditional playgrounds, water play features, indoor play and art centers, sculptural play structures, and site-specific play infrastructure, to serve a wide variety of youth interests in multiple play modes. Rediscover’s expertise in child centered play environment design is at the City’s disposal in the planning and design of these other playgrounds.

Rediscover is currently in negotiations with Santa Monica Airport to rent a suite of rooms at 2800 Airport Ave to convert to a public makerspace with services for local artists, classes and camps for youth, and public access to woodshop, crafting, fine art, and digital fabrication facilities. Locating the Great Park Adventure Playground near this facility will allow for a full day experience of making, tinkering, and play that is unique in the nation.

3. Community Benefits, Joint Use, & Sustainability Concepts Community Benefits
● High-impact experiential learning for
local youth
● Safe, inclusive space for physical
activity, creativity, and resilience for
neurodiverse youth
● Intergenerational programming and
artist residencies
● Youth workforce development through
volunteer opportunities, internships,
and service programs
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● Collaboration with local building trades associations, businesses, architects, engineers, and universities for materials donations, expertise, and volunteering ● Beautiful and interesting sculpture garden for the enjoyment of all Joint Use Opportunities
● Partner programming with schools, after-school programs, and camps using project based learning, play based learning, and art-first STEAM education ● Shared use with arts organizations, sustainability fairs, and public events ● Use of sculpture garden, makerspaces, and tool zones for rentals and special events Sustainability / Circularity / Resilience
● Building with reclaimed and repurposed materials is sustainable both environmentally and economically
● Encourages circular thinking through creative reuse of discarded materials ● Supports long-term climate resilience by building youth agency, failure recovery, and problem solving skills
● Low impact use of land requiring minimal water and groundskeeping ● Sculpture installations highlight global reuse art movement

4. Financial Plan Summary
Estimated Project Cost
● Initial site preparation (by City):
asphalt removal, soil capping or
remediation, addition of water
features according to Great Park
Master Plan, to include nearby
public restrooms and
refreshments, water and electrical
hookups to the hangar if not
already existing
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● Rediscover buildout: $750,000–$1,000,000 (tool shed, lockers, fencing, staff facilities, play structures), funded through private philanthropy
Estimated Annual Operating Costs
● Open five days a week, six hours per day, with three full time employees and three seasonal summer employees - $250,000
● Materials storage and processing - $50,000
● Maintenance - $50,000
● Admin, Facilities, etc. -
$100,000
Estimated $450,000
Revenue Generation
● Daily admission
● Memberships
● Workshops, tool use
classes
● School visits and group
events
● Camps and after-school
programs
Estimated $300,000-350,000 annual income
Additional Potential Funding Sources
● Earned revenue from special programs
● Membership-based fundraising
● Public funding: Prop 28, CA Arts Council grants, LA County Department of Arts and Culture Grants
● Ongoing private funding: Fox Foundation, LA2050, Annenberg Foundation, individuals
● Partnerships with tourism and regional economic development initiatives ● Film shoots and event rentals
Estimated $100,000-200,000
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Comparable Projects
● Berkeley Adventure Playground, Berkeley, CA [link]
● Huntington Beach Adventure Playground, Huntington Beach, CA [link] ● Play:groundNYC, Governors Island, NY [link]
● City Museum, St. Louis, MO [link]
● London Adventure Playgrounds, London, UK [link]
● The Cove Skatepark, Santa Monica, CA (comparable safety management model) [link]

5. Timeline for Implementation
Park infrastructure construction: restrooms, January -December 2029 concessions stand, access paths, parking areas
Site Prep: asphalt removal, soil remediation January–June 2029 Rediscover Setup: hanger conversion to tool shed, July–December 2029 office, and lockers, fencing, build initial sculptures
and structures, staff hiring and training
Grand Opening January 2030

6. Alignment with SMAC Guiding Principles
Start with Nature – The Great Park Adventure Playground will support community resilience against climate change by teaching a generation of youth about the value of creative reuse. Rediscover sources the materials for our educational programs from donated scrap, overstock, recyclables, and offcuts from local businesses and households.

We imbue all of our programs, including the Great Park Adventure Playground, with a sustainability curriculum that teaches resource conservation habits and the circular economy, key elements of a sustainable Los Angeles.

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Inspire Wonder – At the Great Park Adventure Playground, inspirational sculptures and playable installation art by local artists integrate with the creations of youth and teens, providing a continuum of creative expression that connects people across ages and backgrounds.

Balance Economics – As a unique cultural attraction, the Great Park Adventure Playground appeals to LA County families and tourists with discretionary income available for admissions charges, membership fees, and add-ons. These fees will provide key revenue for operations, maintenance, and programming for paying and non-paying participants.

Rediscover’s 20 year experience as a local nonprofit organization means we have a substantial base of charitable supporters who we expect will help with the construction and startup costs of the Great Park Adventure Playground.

Amplify Versatility – The Great Park Adventure Playground will be open for a regular schedule of activities for youth. As a passive amenity, the facility will serve as a sculpture garden in which families and adults can admire the collective work of local artists and youth. As an active amenity, the Great Park Adventure Playground is an amazing play space for youth of all ages and an opportunity to create, tinker, and learn.

Celebrate Place – The Great Park Adventure Playground brings together multiple historical themes of the Santa Monica Airport/Great Park site, including environmental stewardship, recreation, engineering education, and visual arts. By using discarded materials for art and play structures, we incorporate local stories into an ever-evolving creation. Each donated material, whether from a local business or from a household, comes with the unique history of that object. We believe trash is the just failure of imagination, that all materials can be creatively reused.

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We are the Santa Monica Fields Sports Advisory Committee (FSAC) members that utilize Santa Monica’s rectangular-fields, across multiple sports including soccer, lacrosse, and rugby. Together we teach sports -- and the life lessons of teamwork, commitment, and resilience -- to close to 2000 Santa Monica kids annually. We submit this Letter of Interest to indicate our interest in supporting a private-public partnership with Santa Monica to create more rectangular sports fields at the new Great Park.

1. Santa Monica needs more Sports Fields to Support our Kids’ Physical and Mental Health Playing sports helps keep kids physically active and fit in the face of growing screentime and childhood obesity.
1 Team sports also benefit kids’ mental health, resulting in lower rates of anxiety, lower drug use, higher self-esteem, healthier body image, better sleep, improved cognitive performance, and higher GPAs/test scores/graduation rates. These physical and mental health benefits extend into adulthood.2 Especially considering the modest cost of sports fields, there is truly no better return-on-investment for our city’s future than to provide fields for our kids to play sports.

Currently, we have a critical shortage of soccer/multi-use field space in Santa Monica. There are only two city-owned rectangular fields in all of Santa Monica – Airport Park and Belmar. Two fields are not enough for all of Santa Monica’s kids! The two other rectangular fields (JAMS, Lincoln) are controlled by the schools, so youth sports’ use is restricted and conditional on the schools’ needs and holiday schedule. (This is also largely true for Belmar, because SAMOHI gets permitting priority after school). With the new middle school athletics programs, the schools are using their fields after school for their own students more than ever, exacerbating the field shortage. Fields at the schools are typically unavailable to permit before at 5 or 5:30pm at the earliest. We try to schedule the very youngest kids to the earlier times, so this pushes “older” kids – who may just be 10 years old – to late practices that run until 9 or 9:30PM at night, which is hard on these kids and families. More city-owned fields would allow us to hold very young kids’ practices earlier, like after school at 3:30 or 4pm, allowing the 10–12-year-olds to also practice earlier and get to bed at a reasonable time. In addition, the lack of field space often requires squeezing six or eight teams on one field, which is not best for teaching or safety.

The field crunch for rectangular sports gets even worse in January to June, as diamond sports get permitting priority during their core, spring season, so the rectangular field at JAMS (and the open grass space between baseball diamonds at Marine and Clover) become unavailable to us. Unfortunately, this lack of field space means we must limit the number of teams we can form, and we sadly turn away kids who want to play rectangular field sports but there is no room for them to practice on our local fields. We can fix all these field access issues by building more rectangular fields in the Great Park!

2. We will Invest in Santa Monica and Provide the Capital to Build Rectangular Fields at the Great Park Between our organizations’ direct contributions, fund-raising, and sponsorships from foundations, corporations, and national and major league sports organizations, we can fund the $7-10 million it would take to build a first-class Field Complex with 10-12 new rectangular playing fields at the Great Park using a “Friends of the Park” conservatorship structure.
1 One in five U.S. children are medically obese, per the CDC. See www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood-obseity-facts. 2 See Benefits of Youth Sports, President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition Science Board.

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3. We urge the City to adopt a FIELDS FIRST building strategy at the Great Park.

Fields can be Built Quickly and Will Help Fund the Build-Out of the Rest of the Great Park.

Rectangular sports fields provide surplus revenue, as they are consistently permitted by our organizations. Currently, our organizations pay Santa Monica over $100,000 annually for field permits, which covers not only the maintenance for the fields we use, but also provides surplus revenue to the City. Fields at the Great Park would similarly add value and produce surplus revenue for the Great Park.

But there is a much larger opportunity here. If we built a multi-use rectangular Field Complex at the Great Park with 10-12 fields, it would also create opportunities to bring significant revenue into Santa Monica through hosting tournaments. Teams travel to attend tournaments, with many teams staying two to three nights in local hotels, eating out at restaurants and passing time between games buying merchandise and food at booths at the fields and at shops in town, and experiencing other local entertainment – all bringing in millions of dollars to their host cities.

We are attaching a sampling of news articles about cities across the country that value youth sports as an economic driver and are making many millions of dollars hosting sports tournaments. We could easily replicate this success in Santa Monica. Based on other cities’ experiences, a conservative estimate is that a Santa Monica field sport tournament at the Great Park would bring in $2,000,000-3,000,000 in economic benefit to Santa Monica in a weekend. With Santa Monica’s premier location, and our base of local sports organizations across lacrosse, rugby, football, field hockey, and soccer, Santa Monica’s Great Park Field Complex would easily host at least five tournaments during the year, conservatively contributing $10-15 million to Santa Monica’s economy annually. With a first-class Field Complex, we could even host major league teams who are in town and need practice space during the weekdays (when kids are in school), thus maximizing use of – and revenue from -- the fields.

By building FIELDS FIRST, we will help fund the rest of the Great Park! Fields can be built quickly and at a relatively low-cost, and can immediately produce surplus revenue to be used to build out other recreation facilities at the Great Park. We are committed to structuring our tournaments to raise and share revenue DIRECTLY with Santa Monica (or a Santa Monica Great Parks Foundation) to reinvest in the Great Park.

For example, premier tournaments typically charge $15-20 per day for parking and have preferred hotel partners; we would use these techniques to raise millions of dollars that we would reinvest back into the Great Park to build out other recreation facilities that the community wants, e.g., community meeting room, gym, futsal/tennis/pickleball courts. Adopting a FIELDS FIRST strategy will help fund the rest of the Great Park.

Building a multi-use Field Complex at the Great Park would keep Santa Monica’s kids and our economy healthy and strong for decades to come. We urge the City to adopt FIELDS FIRST as a planning strategy, because the fields would produce so much surplus revenue that they would fund the build-out of many other recreation facilities at the Great Park. We hope Santa Monica with partner with us to make a Field Complex happen at the Great Park.

Respectfully,
Albion SC Santa Monica
Autobahn Soccer Club
Santa Monica AYSO
Santa Monica Rugby Club
Santa Monica Vikings
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Proposal: Personalized Park Exploration Maps for Diverse Visitors Prepared by: Jing Liu ([email protected]), Cris Gutierrez ([email protected]) Date: 05/05/2025
Introduction
Parks serve as vital community spaces that offer recreation, learning, and relaxation.

However, visitors experience parks in vastly different ways depending on their age, interests, physical abilities, and family dynamics. A one-size-fits-all approach to park navigation can unintentionally limit the accessibility and enjoyment for many users.

This proposal outlines a plan to create customized exploration maps and guides for diverse groups, including parents with young children, elderly individuals, educators and students, gardeners, nature lovers, and others—enhancing their experience through thoughtful, tailored design.

Project Objectives
- To assess and categorize the needs and preferences of various visitor groups. - To design inclusive, user-specific park exploration maps. - To promote accessibility, safety, learning, and enjoyment for all types of park visitors. - To encourage broader community engagement with public green spaces.

Target User Groups

1. Parents with young children – Maps with stroller-friendly paths, play areas, bathrooms, picnic spots.

2. Elderly Visitors – Routes with benches, shade, flat terrain, and low-impact walking loops.

3. Nature Lovers – Trails highlighting biodiversity, native plants, wildlife observation spots.

4. Gardeners and Plant Enthusiasts – Guided routes through botanical sections, native plant gardens.

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5. Students and Educators – Maps with educational stations, QR codes linking to info about ecology, geology, or history.

6. Visitors with Disabilities – ADA-accessible paths, sensory-friendly areas, rest stops.

7. General Fitness Users – Jogging loops, fitness stations, incline trails, water refill stations.

Deliverables
- A series of printable and digital maps, each tailored to one or more user groups. - An interactive digital interface or app integration for user group selection and real-time navigation.
- On-site signage and QR code integration for seamless exploration. - Community outreach materials (brochures, online content) to promote usage.

Methodology

1.User Research: Surveys, interviews, and observations to understand visitor needs.

2. GIS Mapping: Use geospatial tools to map park features relevant to each group.

3. Design & Testing: Create prototypes of the maps and test them with representative users.

4. Refinement & Deployment: Incorporate feedback, finalize designs, and implement both physical and digital versions.

Proposed Timeline
Phase 1: Planning & Research (Month 1–2)
Phase 2: Mapping & Design (Month 3–4)
Phase 3: Testing & Revisions (Month 5)
Phase 4: Launch & Community Engagement (Month 6)
Potential Partners:
- Santa Monica Parks & Recreation Department
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- Community advocacy groups (Great Park Coalition, Friends of Sunset Park, etc.) - Santa Monica College Earth Science Department
Conclusion
This project will foster a more inclusive and engaging park experience for all community members. By developing user-specific exploration tools, we not only increase the accessibility of natural spaces but also deepen the connection between the community and the environment.

Teaching and Expertise
With a Ph.D. in Geography and GIS from University of Wisconsin - Madison, I bring over a decade of experience in geospatial education to my role as the lead faculty for the Geospatial Technology Program at Santa Monica College. For the past 10 years, I have designed and taught a wide range of GIS courses, integrating cutting-edge tools, real-world applications, and industry best practices to prepare students for careers in geospatial sciences. My teaching emphasizes spatial thinking, data analysis, and hands-on experience with technologies such as ArcGIS, remote sensing, and web mapping. I am deeply committed to advancing GIS education and fostering a diverse, skilled workforce in this rapidly evolving field.

A few examples of GIS projects my students and I have developed:
• Crossing the Line: A spatial analysis of Island Packers vessel traffic within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Marine Protected Areas • Coyotes Among Us
• It's Happening, Community Gardens Are Saving Us
• Wealth vs Green Space in Los Angeles
• Food Access in Redlined Communities
• The Geography of Education for Profit
• Gimme Shelter!
• The “Morel” of the Story: the where and the why in California of the elusive wild morel mushroom
Ideas about how to fund the work
• Chairs of Excellence Grant at Santa Monica College
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• Santa Monica College Career Technical Education Perkins Funds • Student Success Completion Grant
• Santa Monica College Foundation Scholarships
• LA 2050 Grants Challenge
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Updated in February 2025

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