Santa Monica City Council Takes Next Steps on Bergamot Station Arts Center
June 14, 2017 9:55 AM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. – Last night, Tuesday, June 13, 2017, the Santa Monica City Council provided direction on the revitalization of Bergamot Station Arts Center, a prominent business collective of fine art galleries and cultural non-profit organizations in Santa Monica. The Arts Center occupies land purchased using transit funds by the City's Big Blue Bus system two decades ago in anticipation of future transit-related development with the eventual arrival of the Expo Line station at the site.
Council considered three issues for the Arts Center taking into context last year's completion of the Expo Line; Bergamot Advisory Committee recommendations for the site; and the expiration of the master lease at the Art Center on December 31, 2017. Council took the following actions in a 5-1 vote:
- Directed the advancement of the preliminary plan as presented for the revitalization of Bergamot Station Arts Center.
- Authorized extending the exclusive negotiating agreement with the Worthe Real Estate Group, the Council-selected development partner for the site.
- Authorized executing an interim, master ground lease with Worthe Group.
- Locked in long-term protections for existing art galleries and arts-related tenants by limiting rent increases to no more than the cost of living for a minimum of three years (most of the existing tenants are currently on limited term leases without rent increase protection).
“Bergamot Station Arts Center is a significant home for the arts in Santa Monica,” said Mayor Ted Winterer. “The direction Council gave will preserve and protect the art spaces at Bergamot Station while creating opportunities for additional arts organizations and nonprofits at the site. The revitalization will strengthen our cultural scene while providing new community space, arts programming and support for transit.”
The preliminary plan for the arts center preserves four of five existing buildings and adds a museum; additional nonprofit, gallery, and cultural use space; substantial community gathering space; a bike center; a restaurant and café; creative office space; and a hotel. It also continues subsidized rent for existing gallery tenants.
At the meeting, Council directed staff to explore ways to reduce or remove the proposed market-rate office space and to move in a timely manner in seeking a museum partner.
The Santa Monica Arts Commission unanimously supported the preliminary plan for Bergamot Station. They shared in a letter: “Bergamot Station Arts Center presents a unique opportunity for Santa Monica to further embrace its surrounding community and welcome the best that arts have to offer. In order to honor the past while cultivating a vision for the future, we recognize the importance and value of art galleries and affordable art space as a vital aspect of the City’s art ecosystem, which enhances the community’s civic wellbeing.
The next step is for the Worthe Group to prepare conceptual architectural plans and submit a development agreement application. Through that process, there will be opportunities for community consideration and feedback. The conceptual plan will be heard for feedback by the Architectural Review Board and Planning Commission before going back to City Council.
Recent changes at Bergamot underscore the need for a plan to ensure its vitality and sustainability. These events include the opening of the Expo Light Rail, sale of the adjacent, privately-owned portion of Bergamot Station and the resulting loss of several fine arts business, and the closing of the Santa Monica Museum of Art. Additionally, revitalizing Bergamot will create opportunity to accommodate additional cultural and non-profit arts organizations to the Site.
Council approved the Bergamot Area Plan in 2013 and established the Bergamot Advisory Committee in 2015 to achieve the following goals for the site:
- Minimize displacement and disruption to the fine art galleries and other creative businesses.
- Incorporate space for additional nonprofit cultural uses.
- Support the Expo Station and bus integration through amenities and services, including consideration of facilities such as public restrooms.
- Incorporate a permanent home for a museum or other significant cultural institution that can demonstrate the ability to finance tenant improvements and ongoing operations while providing a cultural experience that benefits the Santa Monica community.
- The ground rent shall be maintained and increase over time in order to provide a consistent revenue source for the Big Blue Bus (BBB).
- Generate additional municipal revenues that could be used to supplement BBB funds.
About Bergamot
Bergamot Station is located at 2525 Michigan Avenue and consists of five buildings totaling approximately 62,000 square feet on a five acre site. There are approximately 27 small, creative business tenants, including art galleries, designers, a nonprofit theater company, and a café. In addition to this City-owned property, there is an additional, approximately two‑acre portion of the Arts Center that is privately owned.
In 1989, the City purchased the City‑owned portion with transit funds with the goal of serving future transit needs in Santa Monica and providing a source of revenue for the Big Blue Bus. Bergamot serves as one of three Expo Line stops in Santa Monica.
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