SMC plans for parking garage pushed aside
CITY HALL — The long-awaited Airport Park has been approved for development.
The decision by the City Council to award an $8 million construction contract comes after Santa Monica College offered to pay for the park, in exchange for permission to build an underground parking garage beneath it.
The City Council awarded the contract earlier this month to Los Angeles Engineering, Inc., to develop the Airport Park, an eight-acre site at the southeast corner of the Santa Monica Airport. In addition, Black & Veatch has been awarded $500,000 for construction management services associ-length features Vine is budgeted to produce in the next few years, Cabanas said. By June, the firm hopes to screen the film and have a contract for distribution with the “majors,” such as Warner Bros. Independent or Paramount Classics or Lion’s Gate.
Since “Taking Charge” has been created on a small budget, Cabanas said Vine does not have the same pressure of larger studios to make movies immediately profitable.
“We can start out in a 100 screens, do a slow roll out and be patient,” Cabanas said. “We don’t have the same pressure to make all of our money back on the first weekend, like some of these ridiculous, high-salaried, big-budget movies. We can be patient, make our money back slowly, over time.”
Cabanas said because Vine is financed to make several movies on small budgets, the risk investors face in the movie business is minimal.
“We are removing the unpredictability from our business plan, removing the fear,” Cabanas said. “Yes, we think there’s a niche for us, a budget range for movies not too many people address. Our goal is to have a slate of good, diverse films. Not a lot of companies are like that.”
City Hall records indicate there are more than 168 film, television and commercial production companies licensed in Santa Monica.
David Carr, City Hall’s treasurer, said year-to-date taxes accumulated from local production companies has provided the city with $584,000, an amount likely to increase as business taxes are still filed. In addition, City Hall earns an average of $200,000 per year from film permit fees.
Rob Rader, an entertainment lawyer, said production companies coming to Santa Monica spurn the city’s high quality of life.
“Artists, executives, they all like the atmosphere and quality of life that you get from Santa Monica,” Rader said. “Yahoo, CBS and HBO are all coming here for the same reason: People want to work and live here.”
Cabanas said he looks forward to Vine making movie history in Santa Monica.
“I would say the only common theme our movies have is a rock ‘n’ roll energy,” Cabanas said. “You rarely see it in films, but it happens all the time at concerts. You’re so passionate, you’re so into it, you stand up and cheer.”
“I would say the only common theme our movies have is a rock ‘n’ roll energy.” — -Gino Cabanas, CEO, The Vine Entertainment
“That’s a rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere. We want to bring that kind of energy to our audience.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 23, 2005. Read the original PDF.