December 5, 2024 -- The City on Wednesday released the "Guiding Principles" for the conversion of Santa Monica Airport into a "great park" when the century old airport closes at the end of 2028.

The principles are "value statements "describing the aspirations and expectations for the conversion" and are the result of months of community engagement, City officials said.

The nearly 2,000 survey responses and more than 250 comment cards submitted at community events that included meetings, workshops and pop-up events led to 147 ideas and suggestions for the future of the airport site, City officials said.

The draft guiding principles -- which will be the subject of a community event Saturday afternoon at the Memorial Park Gym -- are the following:

• Start with Nature — consider environmental impacts, build community resiliency against climate change, provide spaces to immerse in nature, support biodiversity and animal habitats.
  
  
• Inspire Wonder — provide a space for community connection that’s welcoming to all, with spaces for events, celebrations, athletics and to showcase creativity and art.
  
  
• Balance Economics — achieve economic equilibrium by balancing revenues with construction, operations, maintenance and programming costs.
  
  
• Amplify Versatility — prioritize amenities for daily use, support active recreation, balance active and passive spaces, provide space for performing arts and big events.
  
  
• Celebrate Place — embrace the layers of the city’s history and share stories of the place and the region, celebrate innovation and inspiration, foster a sense of community and collective ownership.

To read the in-depth description of each guiding principle, click here.

"The Santa Monica Airport Conversion Project is a once-in-a-lifetime planning effort for Santa Monica to create a preferred scenario for the airport site when aviation operations end in 2028," City officials said.

The 227-acre site -- one of the largest open swaths of land in urban Los Angeles -- will shut down as an airport under a landmark agreement with the FAA.

A ballot measure approved by local voters in 2014 allows the City Council to approve the development of parks, public open spaces and public recreational facilities, but prohibits new development without voter approval.

The principles -- which comprise phase 2 of the 21-month process -- "will be used to explore design scenarios in Phase 3 of the project and serve as definitions of success," City officials said.

There are five distinct planning phases that are anticipated to conclude with the adoption of a preferred scenario by the City Council by the end of 2025.

During the third phase of the project -- set to launch early next year -- three potential scenarios will be identified with another opportunity for community feedback.

A final preferred scenario is expected to go to the Council for approval in next fall, then undergo an environmental review.

Implementation would begin after the airport operations end on December 31, 2028, one hundred years after it opened.

Saturday's community event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Memorial Park Gym, 1401 Olympic Boulevard. Parking is limited, so alternative transportation is recommended. Refreshments will be available.

The event features open house-style exhibits "to explore and provide feedback," three "engaging activities" to gather input on potential future site uses and aesthetics and a Teen Forum and kids activities.