By Jorge Casuso

November 21, 2025 -- Exclusive negotiations to revitalize the shuttered Civic Auditorium ended last month, but the group behind the proposal will forge ahead with its plan.

The announcement comes one month after the City Council terminated its exclusive negotiation agreement (ENA) with Revitalization Partners Group, LLC (RPG) and directed staff to explore other options for the 3-acre City owned site.

But it also left the door open for the group to continue developing plans to resurrect the 65-year-old structure that closed in 2013 as a cultural and entertainment mecca for the Westside.

Save the Civic, which has been championing the effort, announced this week that RPG plans to present its design, financial and timeline plans to the City.

"RPG intends to continue its work," Save the Civic wrote in an email Monday announcing the "good news." "It expects to present plans to city staff and Council in the near future."

Asked when the City can expect RPG's plan, Nemlaha told The Lookout, "There is no specific time frame that we are aware of other than soon."

Mayor Lana Negrete confirmed the announcement in her newsletter Tuesday, noting that she and Mayor Pro Tem Torosis had met with RPG "to discuss their vision for transforming the Civic."

"As I’ve consistently stated," said Negrete, who voted against ending the negotiations, "I'm committed to exploring all viable paths forward for that space while keeping transparency at the center."

"I want to see the civic be restored as a center for music and entertainment!" she said.

Negrete later told The Lookout, "I'm happy that we are still including them in our conversations. We look forward to their vision connected to the dollars that will fund it."

Nemlaha said she expects RPG's plan will address the Council's key concerns -- "How much is the City going to get and when will they get it."

The lack of financial data presented by RPG after a year of exclusive negotiations was the main reason cited by Councilmembers who voted to terminate the negotiating agreement ("Council Ends Civic Auditorium Negotiations, Will Explore Other Options," October 16, 2025).

"I'm just concerned that we are wasting our time here with a group that hasn't run the numbers or doesn't want to run the numbers because they know it's not going to work," said Councilmember Dan Hall.

"We've been asking for (a pro forma) for more than a year," he said. "I'm ready to move on to do something with the site."

Although prevailing Councilmembers echoed the hope the building that once hosted the Academy Awards and legendary rock concerts can be restored, they seemed skeptical the numbers will pencil out.

In 2023, when School District officials presented a proposal to renovate and re-adapt the structure -- which requires extensive renovations and seismic retrofitting -- the estimated construction cost was nearly $227 million.

RPG has not presented an estimated cost for their plan to convert the Civic into an "immersive" high-tech venue for live music concerts, award shows and special events, or how it would generate money for the City, which would lease the site for $1 per year.

In addition, the staunchly pro-housing Council is open to exploring proposals that include housing and uses that can generate tax dollars for the cash-strapped City.

Bea Nemlaha, a leading member of Save the Civic, believes "there are people on the Council who would want the building to be torn down for housing," which "doesn't fit in the middle of the Civic Center."

She also believes it is important to restore the 50,000-square-foot building to its orginal use, a vision supported by the overwhelming number of public comments in favor of RPG's plans.

"Public input didn't seem to have influence on the Council," Nemlaha said, "and that is disappointing."

Santa Monicans recognize "the importance of respecting and protecting the (city's) cultural and artistic legacy," Nemlaha said, adding that "people don't come to Santa Monica to see housing and mixed use development."