Santa Monica News: Third Street Promenade Revamped

Photo Credit: Cayambe [CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)]

Since the 1980s, when you think of Santa Monica, you think of Third Street Promenade. This tourist attraction is one of Santa Monica’s economic drivers and hundreds of people visit each day. However, as competition from newly built outdoor malls increases, the city is working to revamp this iconic destination and keep it alive for years to come.

Promenade 3.0 Report

Recently, the Santa Monica Planning Commission listened to a presentation concerning the pedestrian-only promenade. This report, known as Promenade 3.0, not only discusses the current state of the tourist attraction but also what needs to be done to keep the Promenade viable.

As you can imagine, the report looked at big items like paving, drainage systems, and utilities. However, it also looked at small details like:

• Landscaping
• Street furniture
• Artwork
• Signs

In addition to the physical aspects of the Promenade, the report also looked at the usage. Many were surprised to learn that although Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica is a tourist attraction, nearly 75% of visitors are locals. Additionally, visitors:

• Are diverse
• Arrive via public transportation, by foot, or bike rather than by car

Finally, foot traffic peaks at 3 pm each day.

Recommendations For the City of Santa Monica

These findings led to many suggestions for Third Street Promenade. Some are near-term, and some are long-term.

In the near-term, the report suggests that the Promenade offer more seating and places to gather. This could easily lend itself to more shade, water features, public art installations, seasonal pavilions, and even table games such as ping pong and foosball. The report also recommended adding festivals focusing on art, food, and drink. Most of these recommendations are easy to implement and require a small amount of capital.

For long-term suggestions, the report suggests the City of Santa Monica add:

• Outdoor dining, performance, and fitness spaces
• Children’s play areas
• Interactive water features
• Fireplaces
• Outdoor demo kitchens
• Gardens, tree replacement, and planters
• Elevated features to allow guests a vantage point
• Interactive lighting
• Kiosks and pop-up restaurants
• And more

In addition, Promenade 3.0 wants to look at adding programming, determining strategies for finding the right tenants and helping those in the alleys off the promenade to become part of the experience. Beta testing for some of these recommendations will begin in the 1200 block of the Promenade. A final plan will be decided this fall.

For more information about Santa Monica, especially in terms of real estate, give me a call. I look forward to helping you buy or sell a home on the Westside.