Community Workshop on the Annenberg Community Beach House

Members of the public are invited to a community workshop on the Annenberg Community Beach House on Saturday, October 25, from 10 am to noon at the Ken Edwards Center (1527 4th Street). City Staff will present preliminary plans for operation of the Beach House and take comments for consideration in further planning. Topics covered will include community use, reservations and fees, special event rentals, and parking and transportation.

The Annenberg Community Beach House will combine rehabilitation of the remaining elements from the historic Marion Davies Estate with construction of new facilities including a pool house, event house, gardens, a children’s water play feature and a public art element.

The project is the culmination of an extensive community planning process that began in the late 1990s with the goal of taking advantage of the site’s attractive beachfront location, its colorful history and its potential as a unique public destination. In 2005, the City received generous funding from the Annenberg Foundation, at the recommendation of Wallis Annenberg, to preserve the site for public use.

Open to the public in 2009, the facility will include space for meetings and events, as well as opportunities for traditional beach recreation such as swimming, volleyball and beach tennis. The site is owned by the State of California and operated by the City of Santa Monica. The project team includes Fred Fisher Partners Architects, Mia Lehrer & Associates, Charles Pankow Builders and public artist Roy McMakin.

For more information, please visit beachhouse.smgov.net. To be added to the project’s interest list or to request a presentation to your group or organization, please email beachhouse@smgov.net.

This project is made possible by a generous gift from the Annenberg Foundation at the recommendation of Wallis Annenberg, in partnership with the City of Santa Monica and California State Parks. Additional funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development.