Frank Gehry’s Latest California Project Is a Master Class in Community Support
The local government recently approved plans for the building, which includes a $50-million community package
The Santa Monica City Council isn’t just approving plans for a new Frank Gehry–designed mixed-use complex on Ocean Avenue, they’re ecstatic to see it built. In a city hearing on July 14th, Mayor Pro Tempore Kristin McCowan called Gehry’s design “a love letter to Santa Monica,” and thanked the architect for his dedication to the project.
Gehry’s new work is called The Ocean Avenue Project, and approvals for the structure have been a long time coming. Gehry first proposed plans for the complex in 2013 as a 22-story hotel and residential tower, but because of restriction imposed by the city’s Downtown Community Plan, he revised it to 12 stories in 2018.
The rooftop will serve as a public space for residents who donate $1 to support childhood education.
The rooftop will serve as a public space for residents who donate $1 to support childhood education. The new development featuring the ripple form takes a play from 8 Spruce, Gehry’s New York skyscraper. The Big Apple counterpart is 76 stories tall and silver, while the Ocean Avenue building is colored white and significantly shorter to better fit in with the surrounding buildings in Southern California.
Worthe Real Estate Group, the project’s developer, commissioned the design from Gehry in 2013 as a way to revitalize Santa Monica’s downtown economy, aiming to create a location for retail, restaurant, and residential space. Nearly 10 years later, and with the construction start growing nearer, the company expects to break ground in early 2025.
The complex will include retail and restaurant spaces in addition to residences and a hotel.
The complex will include retail and restaurant spaces in addition to residences and a hotel. The structure’s potential impact is evident. As plans currently stand, the complex will support three important city initiatives: local education, cultural programing, and public housing. The rooftop deck will be accessible to visitors who pay a $1 donation, with proceeds supporting local schools through the Santa Monica Education Foundation. Worthe also pledged a $1-million donation to early childhood initiatives. Each month, the on-site museum—which will rotate exhibits about local culture, art, architecture—will offer a free day to city residents.
A quarter of the 100-unit tower will be made up of deed-restricted affordable apartments in addition to 11 rent-controlled replacement apartments for tenants who are currently living in similarly priced units around the site. Worthe president Jeff Worthe told the council that his company would accommodate current tenants during construction and move them back in once complete.
According to a press release from the City of Santa Monica, the community benefits are estimated to be valued at $50 million.
According to a press release from the Though the city council approved the plans in a 6-0 vote, the California Coastal Commission and the City’s Architectural Review Board and Landmarks Commission will have to sign off on the project before construction can start.
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