The following article is a submission from the City of Santa Monica.
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium could see a future rebirth, following a unanimous vote by the Santa Monica City Council Tuesday to enter into negotiations with Revitalization Partners Group, LLC to restore and operate the historic venue.
The firm, known as RPG, is a consortium of experts in live entertainment, real estate development, finance, historic preservation and public-private partnerships that came together to formulate a proposal for the site.
The group includes:
- Geyser Holdings, which has more 20 years of experience in estate acquisition, financing and investment banking. Geyser is affiliated with the JH Snyder Company, whose developments include Santa Monica Ocean Tower, The Water Gardens, Wilshire Courtyard, SAG-AFTRA Square and Marina City Club in Marina del Rey. Led by Russell Geyser, who is a graduate of Santa Monica High School, Geyser Holdings also include Honolulu’s historic Mauna Kea Marketplace and 959 Seward, a $186 million creative campus in Hollywood.
- The Azoff Company, an entertainment and media company led by Irving Azoff, who is the former Chairman and CEO of Ticketmaster and Live Nation, former CEO of the Azoff Madison Square Garden Entertainment Company, and current Chairman and CEO of The Azoff Company. Since 1974, Azoff, who led the restoration of the famed Forum in Inglewood, has been the personal manager of the legendary Eagles, who often performed and recorded at the Santa Monica Civic. Azoff also represents Jon Bon Jovi, U2, John Mayer, Van Halen, Gwen Stefani, Steely Dan, Maroon 5 and others.
- The Make Good Group, a sustainability, social responsibility, pop culture and brand strategy corporate consulting firm. Clients have included the Philadelphia Eagles, Motion Picture & Television Fund, Los Angeles Chargers, and California Proposition 28: Arts & Music in Schools Funding Act. Make Good principal Tim Sexton created the Philadelphia Eagles Go Green program, the gold standard for environmental responsibility in sports and entertainment. He is an Emmy Award winning producer of Live 8, who early in his career worked as a production manager at the Civic Auditorium in its glory days.
- The Oak View Group, a privately held venue development, management and hospitality services company led by Tim Lieweke, the former CEO of AEG, where he developed and oversaw LA Live, Staples Center, Los Angeles Kings and the LA Galaxy. Oak View, in a private-public partnership with the city of Seattle, invested over $850 million to develop and operate Amazon’s Climate Pledge Arena, the most sustainable arena in the world.
- Live Nation, a Fortune 500 Company, is the world’s leading and largest live entertainment company. Beyond promoting and managing ticket sales for live entertainment and concerts globally, the company’s service offerings also include management, business marketing and consulting to artists and venues.
“This is an impressive group of experts coming together to make something happen,” Mayor Phil Brock said. “I look forward to seeing what they propose and, hopefully, a bright future for this iconic venue.”
Before it was shuttered in 2011 due to seismic issues, the city-owned auditorium served as one of the region’s leading entertainment venues, hosting a critically acclaimed roster of events including concerts, Academy Award shows, community festivals and trade shows.
The city designated the site as “surplus” through the Surplus Land Act process, which was certified by the California Department of Housing and Community Development in fall 2023. In December 2023, the city issued a request for Letters of Interest to solicit a firm to redevelop the venue.
As part of the process, teams were requested to submit summaries of their experience including:
- Renovating and redeveloping buildings with landmark requirements.
- Experience operating and programming concerts, arts, and entertainment venues.
- Ability to secure financing to fund developments of $100 million or more.
Four firms submitted proposals, and in May the City Council directed staff to move forward to negotiate with RPG.
As part of the exclusive negotiating agreement process, RPG will perform studies and analysis related to historic preservation, seismic and structural engineering, ADA compliance, acoustics, and other areas to evaluate remediation, construction costs and other considerations.
RPG has agreed to pay the city an initial $350,000 to cover the city’s staff, consultant and legal costs, to be replenished if necessary.
The firm is expected to submit a comprehensive project scope and timeframe for council consideration by early 2025.
For more information, view the staff report.
