June 6, 2013 -- There were as many ideas as there were attendees at Tuesday night's community meeting to brainstorm ways of saving Santa Monica’s storied Civic Auditorium, which will be closed indefinitely at the end of the month.

Though one resident suggested that the City simply tear down the historic structure, the majority of the crowd -- which included two former mayors and a Council member -- wanted to save a venue that once hosted the Academy Awards and several landmark concerts.

“The common theme in the room is everyone wants to save the Civic,” said City Manager Rod Gould, who attended the meeting. “The question is, what are the means?”

Originally, the City planned to use $47 million in Redevelopment Agency funds before Gov. Jerry Brown dissolved California’s 400 agencies to balance the budget.

Many residents were interested in the idea of floating a general obligation bond to pay for the estimated $50 million in repairs needed to retrofit the 3,000-seat auditorium and make it viable as a modern day venue.

Officials estimate that in order to fund the repairs necessary, the bond -- which would require a two-thirds vote -- would need to levy a local property tax of roughly $12 for every $100,000 in property value.

Although a bond could pay for repairs, there remains the question of how to fund the ongoing costs needed to operate the 55-year-old venue. One option suggested at the meeting is leasing some of the 10-acre land around the auditorium.

Some residents suggested building a small hotel or museum on the land adjacent to the Auditorium. Others thought some housing would do, especially if it was for artists.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who were very interested in the idea of a cultural campus if that allows us to fund ongoing costs of the Civic,” said Cultural Affairs Manager Jessica Cusick. “But the devil's in the details.”

The City will close the Civic Auditorium as of June 30 and lay off as many as 13 employees because it is “ a financial drain on City resources,” Cusick said. The City subsidizes the Auditorium's operations to the tune of $2 million a year, she said.

Many at the meeting agreed that the City should not be the primary manager of the Auditorium and that a board, similar to the one that governs Downtown Santa Monica, could be convened to handle programming and help redefine the Civic Center Specific Plan.

A panel of experts from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) told City officials in May that the Specific Plan should be revised to help generate revenue for the venue. The Panel pointed out that there is no model for a cultural center that pays for itself.

Tuesday's meeting was the first chance the public has had to weigh-in on the topic since the ULI panel presented its findings.

Council member Ted Winterer called Tuesday night “a very productive session,” but said “it's too soon to determine “whether the land around the Civic Auditorium should be developed to subsidize its operation.

“It depends on what funding we can provide and the intensity of development,” he said. “It's way too early.”

Cusick echoed Winterer's sentiments. Though the City is seven years into the process of planning for the Auditorium's future, Cusick said, “We are probably five years out from a solution.”

City staff will go before the City Council on June 11 to report their findings and get feedback on how to proceed.