Slow-Growth Santa Monica Poised for Rapid Redevelopment

With 30 projects totaling nearly 3 million square feet of development in the pipeline, L.A.'s famously laid-back neighbor is in for an intense period of growth. Will new development enhance or alter the city's alluring character?

1 minute read

November 7, 2013, 9:00 AM PST

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


The coming arrival of the Expo light rail line, a growing tech sector known as Silicon Beach, and the adoption of a comprehensive master plan to direct future growth are conspiring to speed up change in this "famously slow-growth" beach city.  

"One project would bring a 21-story hotel to Ocean Avenue, creating the tallest building in the city. Another hotel designed by famed hometown architect Frank Gehry would add a wavy white tower just steps from the sand. A third hotel complex calls for three towers totaling 170,000 square feet on the southern edge of downtown," explains Matt Stevens. 

"This is a critical time," Councilman Kevin McKeown said. "If the wrong decisions are made, we live with the consequences for a generation or more."

Wednesday, November 6, 2013 in Los Angeles Times

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