Civic Auditorium Exclusive Negotiating Agreement FAQ

October 17, 2025 12:48 PM
by City of Santa Monica

What action did the City Council take on Oct. 14?

At its Oct. 14 meeting, the Santa Monica City Council voted not to extend its Exclusive Negotiating Agreement, or ENA, with Revitalization Partners Group, or RPG, which expired on Oct. 8.

The city has been working with RPG to develop their plans for the Civic since mid-2024. After multiple rounds of complicated negotiations based on RPG’s approach, the city eventually entered into exclusive discussions with RPG on April 8, 2025. Through that agreement, RPG was provided with an exclusive 6-month window to explore rehabilitation, programming and operation of the Civic Auditorium.

At the end of the term of the exclusive negotiations period on Oct. 8, RPG failed to provide a complete analysis of the Civic restoration project for city review. While the City did receive some preliminary conceptual plans from RPG, there was no financial or business information provided – including a lack of a pro forma, business plan or information on the sources of financing for the project.

Given these factors, at its Oct. 14 meeting, the City Council was provided with three options:

Grant RPG’s request for a 180-day extension of the ENA;
Grant a shorter 90-day extension; or
Conclude the ENA and initiate highest and best use analysis for the site.

After viewing a video by RPG, hearing comments from an RPG representative, and hearing a presentation from staff, the council ultimately voted for option 3.

Of note, the decision does not preclude RPG from continuing to work on providing financials and plans for the Civic. The Council’s decision simply allows the city to now seek other proposals and options for revitalizing the Civic Auditorium site.

View the staff report from the Oct. 14 meeting here, and watch the council presentation, discussion and vote here.

What is an ENA?

An Exclusive Negotiating Agreement, or ENA, provides a specified period during which involved parties conduct due diligence to evaluate the feasibility of a project and negotiate terms for a final agreement, which in this case would be a Disposition and Development Agreement.

Under the ENA, the city agrees to negotiate solely with RPG to determine the feasibility for redeveloping the Civic Auditorium site. The ENA also sets forth agreed upon timelines and performance schedules, creates financial responsibilities and outlines future discussions.

What happens now?

The City Council and city staff share the community’s passion for the Civic Auditorium and eagerness to see it activated and remain committed to ensuring that any redevelopment of the Civic Auditorium is financially viable, transparent and aligned with public interests.

The city's next step will be to commission an updated “highest and best use” study to analyze the current market and financial data in order to help inform building and site opportunities.

Throughout this process, the city will continue to engage residents, preservation groups and arts organizations in an open dialogue.

Can RPG continue to work on the project proposal?

Yes. In fact, the city welcomes continued discussions with RPG and remains encouraged by the group’s background, initial concept proposal and enthusiasm.

While the city hopes that RPG will continue to pursue its proposal and work with the city to provide more detailed financial analysis, what has changed per the council’s Oct. 14 decision is that ending the ENA opens the door for staff to pursue additional options for the future of the Civic.

Council’s vote to undertake a highest and best use study is meant to seek data based on current real estate, economic and fiscal factors, market demands, and other considerations that impact value and the potential opportunities that have not yet been studied or accounted for in previous analyses.

Is the effort to restore and revive the historic Civic Auditorium finished?

Far from it. The city has been working for over a decade to preserve, revive and reopen the Civic, and this effort continues with this new shift in approach. The City Council affirmed its commitment to finding a solution for the highest and best use of the site that also involves preservation of the iconic landmark.

The decision was not made lightly, but with the responsibility of protecting both the Civic’s legacy and the city’s long-term financial stability. After more than a year of discussions, the city did not receive the financial information necessary to responsibly extend exclusive negotiating rights to one developer. Proceeding without verified data would have risked public resources and delayed broader progress toward reopening the Civic. 

What will happen to the soccer field and childcare center?

There are no immediate plans to change anything on the Civic Auditorium site. Both Historic Belmar Park and the Early Childhood Lab School will remain open and available. Council did not direct staff to make any changes to the Park or Lab School.

Additionally, the council did not authorize any changes to the overall site. To clarify, the council decision was to study all potential opportunities on the site, including reviewing different scenarios and financial factors. This is part of the city’s due diligence to bring back information to council on any and all options for the future of the Civic Center site. This study could not have occurred if the city was still in exclusive negotiations with RPG.

Authored By

City of Santa Monica

Authored By

Categories