By Jason Islas
Lookout Staff

March 23, 2012 -- The City Council early Wednesday morning voted to start the process to redevelop the Bergamot Art Center, Santa Monica's last major arts district and what will soon be the Expo Line's first stop in the beachside city.

The council both approved a concept to redesign the 5.6 acres of land next to the City Yards in Santa Monica's industrial center and to begin seeking developers that will meet the City's criteria.

The current concept is designed to “maximize the preservation of the existing buildings” as well as “to maintain or increase the amount of arts related space,” said Bill Fulton, a principal with The Planning Center DC&E, the City's consultant for the project.

The priorities listed in the Staff report -- which incorporate input from months of community outreach -- call for more affordable art space and a designated and unique building for the Santa Monica Museum of Art.

The project must also produce revenue for the Big Blue Bus – which owns the property – and help subsidize low-cost gallery space for artists, Fulton said.

To those ends, the concept includes a hotel and some other small businesses, including cafes.

Arts Commission chair Mike Meyers spoke at the meeting in support of the proposed plan, calling the process that led to the concept “thoughtful.”

Peter Gelles, president of the board of trustees for the Santa Monica Museum of Art, said, “As a museum, we're very happy to see a potential home for us. We're very happy with the location they recommended.”

That location would be immediately visible to visitors getting off the train at the future Expo Line station, which is scheduled to arrive in Santa Monica in 2015.

“The timing is very critical here,” he said, adding that the demolition of the Track 16 building is scheduled to begin in a few months. “The Expo Line is coming,” he said. “The sooner we move forward with this, the better.”

The motion to approve the concept passed four to one, with Council member Bobby Shriver opposing Mayor Pro Tem Gleam Davis' motion because it contained an addendum that would specify that a developer would have to have an understanding of Santa Monica's “quirks.”

Shriver said he thought that would artificially limit the pool of applicants.

Council members Bob Holbrook and Terry O'Day were absent for the early morning vote.