The Santa Monica City Council is expected to hold its first study session Feb. 9 to discuss the development of a revitalization plan for the Third Street Promenade.
“The last year brought unprecedented challenges to our community and business owners and while there are still difficult days ahead, we stand at the precipice of reinvention today,” DTSM CEO Kathleen Rawson said. “The pandemic only exacerbated the impacts of online shopping on brick and mortar retail, we have been working on how to best counteract these effects for some time now. This new Vitality Plan concentrates primarily on private uses and creative zoning that will spark the change we need.”
Downtown Santa Monica Inc., the nonprofit organization that manages the three-block open-air pedestrian mall, has enlisted experts in public space environments and retail strategy to work with the city, property owners and architecture/urban design, marketing and hospitality specialists to develop a revitalization plan for the shopping center.
Over the next three months, the partners will be meeting with stakeholder focus groups and the City Council to develop the plan. Following the first study session next week, a draft plan of action is expected to be delivered in March with final adoption by the DTSM board of directors in April, Rawson said.