Santa Monica offers three city-owned properties to developers

A trio of city-owned properties are being offered up to developers in Santa Monica, according to a notice issued late last month.

To comply with California's Surplus Land Act, developers looking to build affordable housing will get the first bite at the apple, according to the notice. Respondents would have the responsibility of obtaining all permits, land use approvals, and environmental clearances associated with redevelopment, as well as covering demolition costs for any existing structures.

Bergamot Station Arts Center at 2525 Michigan AvenueCity of Santa Monica

The largest of the sites offered, the Bergamot Station Arts Center, spans 5.6 acres at 2525 Michigan Avenue next to the E Line's 26th Street/Bergamot Station. Existing improvements include small businesses, a non-profit theatre company, a comedy club, and a restaurant. The proposed redevelopment of the Bergamot site is required to create at least 707 affordable homes serving renters earning up to 80 percent of the area median income level - although proposals with less affordable housing are to be considered if the respondent explains why they cannot meet that total. Scenarios including market-rate and moderate-income housing may also be considered.

Additionally, applicants are expected to aim to provide at least 15 percent of the total proposed apartments as affordable housing for artists, and are asked to explore commercial uses in the cultural services and the arts (which could even mean the preservation of existing tenant uses).

Should negotiations with an applicant be successful, a development agreement calls for the site to be developed under a 55-year ground lease, with options for two 22-year extensions to result in a total lease term of 99 years.

1333 4th Street and 1324 5th StreetCity of Santa Monica

The second property, located at 1333 4th Street and 1324 5th Street in Downtown Santa Monica, is approximately 2.57 acres in size and consists of surface parking and small commercial buildings occupied by Bank of America and Chase Bank. Both banks have indicated a desire to return to the site in a future development.

The city aims to build at least 362 affordable homes here, although once again, options including less affordable housing or a different income mix may be considered if the applicant explains why they cannot reach that target. At this location, the city also suggests the inclusion of commercial uses such as market-rate housing or a hotel, as well as community amenities such as space for the annual ice skating rink that sets up at this site, or a park.

Joint applications to redevelop this site, along with the site of the City's Parking Structure 1, may also be considered.

The 4th and 5th Street site, which sits along the south side of Arizona Avenue, was previously slated for redevelopment with an OMA-designed mixed-use complex featuring a hotel and offices.

Parking Structure 1 at 1234 4th StreetCity of Santa Monica

Parking 1, the third and final site, is located at 1234 4th Street and consists of 0.75 acres of land area. Unlike the other sites, Santa Monica is not limiting its options to affordable housing at this location, and will also consider proposals that maintain and retrofit the garage, or tie this site to the redevelopment of the nearby property on Arizona Avenue.

Santa Monica has already looked to redevelop another city-owned garage, the former Parking Structure 3, with affordable housing. That project at 1318 4th Street calls for the construction of a six-story building featuring 122 apartments.

The notice, issued on June 30, requests that interested developers notify the city within 60 days. If more than one letter is received, first priority will go to entities proposing projects where at least 25 percent of the houing will be affordable to lower-income households. Should more than one proposal meet that criteria, projects with the greatest number of affordable units considered financially feasible will be given the highest priority.

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