A decision made earlier this week by the Santa Monica City Council signals that changes are in the works for the Bergamot Station Arts Center.
On June 13, the Council voted 5 to 1 to approve an interm master ground lease for the five-acre site with Worthe Real Estate Group, a Burbank-based firm. Worthe, in coordination with an advisory council, has proposed a development that would preserve four of property's five existing buildings and construct a seven-story, 120-room hotel at the corner of 26th Street and Olympic Boulevard.
The Council decision locks in long-term protections for existing galleries and tenants, limiting rent increases for a minimum of three years. Additionally, the project would seek out a replacement to replace the Santa Monica Museum of Art, which relocated to Downtown Los Angeles last year.
Besides those uses, a full fuildout of the preliminary plan would result in 65,700 square feet of gallery space, 30,000 square feet of creative offices, a bike hub and 20,000 square feet of restaurants, community space and arts-related uses.
The Worthe Group will continue the process by preparing conceptual architectural plans and submitting a development agreement application to the City.
The property is located near the Expo Line's 26th Street/Bergamot Station, which has seen the rise of two large creative office developments.
