Modernizing the promenade
On Thursday, Nov. 7, The Santa Monica City Council officially voiced their support of a proposed redesign for the Third Street Promenade. Estimates on the construction predict it could take up to two years and cost anywhere from $45-60 million, but the council and local business owners alike see it as a worthwhile investment towards the promenade’s continued existence. In an age of online shopping, the wants of consumers have changed, with modern shoppers caring more about the shopping experience than the products they are getting. Over the last few years, several of the anchor properties of the promenade have gone vacant. The closure of Barnes & Noble in particular has been cited as a wakeup call for various businesses in the area, with the promenade having its highest number of empty lots since 1989. Getting people back on the promenade is a massive component of the redesign, but with the city's zoning laws prohibiting the expansion of the available space, designers from RCH Studios and Gehl People have been forced to get creative in their efforts. One of the more popular ideas for getting consistent foot traffic on the promenade includes dedicating space on the strip for the farmers market, one of the area’s most popular events. There are also plans to lease storefronts in the promenade’s large alleys to conserve space and provide affordable real estate for both new businesses and pop-up venues such as art galleries and bookstores. The redesign will not be limited to relocating existing features of the promenade. Plans to construct new public installations are in motion, including event plazas with dedicated seating and stages for performers that aim to attract more than buskers to the strip. In hopes of expanding the demographic of people visiting the promenade, the designers have included play areas for small children during the day and food venues that are converted into bars after 11 p.m. for adults. The renovations to the promenade are intended to increase levels of visitation, and while Samo student Lucas Golliher (’22) is confident this will be successful in the case of tourists, he is skeptical of how Santa Monica residents will respond. “As a tourist, the changes to the promenade would make me more likely to visit, but not as a resident. It would just make me hate going because of the tourists,” Golliher said. Seeing as outdoor spaces are such a massive part of the new design, the city council has been sure not to destroy some of its more historical elements, and has plans in place to temporarily remove the classic dinosaur statues and move them to new parts of the street upon the construction’s end.It should be stated that there are inherent risks apparent in this redesign. If it was put into fruition, construction could put selective sections of the walkway out of commission for indeterminate periods of time, and the two year construction period could work to further deter visitors from visiting the strip. Despite these disadvantages, it looks like the city is willing to take that risk for the sake of revitalizing such a historic landmark.