playgrounds, community meeting rooms and an outdoor stage.
Work crews renovated two buildings along Pico Boulevard that used to belong to Plastic Mart. The buildings — located at 2101 and 2115 Pico Blvd. — will house a youth center, park activity rooms, administrative offices and a fitness room for the Police Activities League, a seasonal water play area, and a tree-shaded area for the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, said Karen Ginsberg, assistant director of City Hall’s community and cultural services department.
City Hall issued a recent staff report which details the programming that will be available at the new park.
Santa Monica contains 25 parks. Officials said City Manager Susan McCarthy, set to retire this month, has been instrumental in efforts to secure $125 million ear-marked for capital improvement projects for the next five years, which will include the costs associated with a series of smaller projects for new parks, expansions and renovations.
Among the projects on the near horizon, according to Brett Horner, Senior Administrative Analyst with Santa Monica’s Community and Cultural Services Department, the Airport Park is supposed to be ready in August 2006, followed by the Euclid Neighborhood Park in March of 2007. The Village Green and Pacific Coast Highway are projected to be ready in December of 2008.
The city’s parks and recreation master plan went into effect in March of 1997, with the recently opened Skatepark and Euclid Neighborhood Park being added due to demand, Horner said. The park master plan was the first of its kind for Santa Monica, created in conjunction with the city’s open space guidelines and putting a priority on urban living which provides plenty of outdoor opportunities for recreation, he said.
The Village Green will cost $9.1 million to construct and will offer open space to be developed as part of a long-term development plan for a Santa Monica Civic Center.
The 415 Pacific Coast Highway will cost more than $20 million to construct and will be a rehabilitation of a five-acre mansion. The Annenberg Foundation has already donated $21 million to support construction and operation of the facility, Horner said.
Santa Monica resident Carmen Cruz said the park will offer programming for all ages that will give youth an opportunity to develop a variety of skills.
“They’ve made it so there’s something for everyone, so everyone can enjoy it,” Cruz said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 12, 2005. Read the original PDF.