Latest news with #LanaNegrete
Business Journals
14-05-2025
- Business
- Business Journals
Santa Monica approves open alcohol on Third Street Promenade
Story Highlights Santa Monica approves alcohol consumption on Third Street Promenade. Entertainment zone hours limited to weekends, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Program aims to revitalize downtown area and boost economic activity. Santa Monica's City Council unanimously passed an ordinance on Tuesday allowing the public to carry and consume alcoholic beverages on the Third Street Promenade, with modifications. The ordinance creates an "entertainment zone" across three downtown blocks between Wilshire Boulevard and Arizona Avenue, allowing patrons to consume alcohol bought at Promenade businesses out on the street. Patrons will be given branded wristbands and custom cups, but cannot bring outside alcoholic drinks to the Promenade, nor can they enter shops with their beverages. GET TO KNOW YOUR CITY Find Local Events Near You Connect with a community of local professionals. Explore All Events At a previous council meeting, the program was proposed to run seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. At Tuesday's meeting, the council voted to reduce the program to Friday through Sunday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. as the program is rolled out, with plans to expand to seven days as early as possible. On the Promenade, 13 businesses have alcohol licenses, with the earliest opening at 9 a.m. 'Slow and steady wins the race, my mother always told me,' Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete said during the council meeting. 'I'm not always slow and steady, but I think in this case we can always add to it. It'll be a little bit harder to pull back if it goes totally wrong.' The council was discussing the matter from 11 p.m. on Tuesday past midnight Wednesday. Entertainment zone hours reduced to avoid police overtime costs During the meeting, Santa Monica Planning Manager Jing Yeo provided an updated report on the proposed entertainment zone, offering information on the plans and answering council questions. Two Santa Monica police officers are staffed on the Promenade from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and four are staffed on-site from 6 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Expanding the entertainment zone hours would require the city to add dedicated officers to the streets around the Promenade, which would amount to additional overtime pay of more than $650,000, Yeo said. Downtown Santa Monica Inc.'s private security through Legion will also provide staff to the area during entertainment zone hours. Rolling the program out Friday through Sunday will bypass major overtime costs, Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis said during the meeting. 'Our promenade is a cultural and economic hub, but it's struggled with storefront vacancies, decreased foot traffic and loss of vibrancy,' Torosis said. 'This proposal is an opportunity to reimagine our public spaces and provide a platform for recovery. We need to move beyond the false choice that it's either about safety or economic vitality.' The council will have the ability to expand the hours for events as needed, such as for June's Pride on the Promenade event on June 21. The city's police department plans to reassess the program every 90 days. There have been five alcohol-related public incidents year-to-date at the Promenade, all related to unhoused individuals, said Santa Monica Police Lieutenant Brian Gradle. Police will monitor incidents related to alcohol during entertainment zone hours, allowing the council to determine whether the program is having a negative impact on the community. Public comments ahead of vote range in support The Santa Monica City Council has been engaging with the community to create the entertainment zone downtown. Public comment at the May 13 meeting ranged from supportive to outraged, with negative comments focusing on noise pollution and crime. 'It's a very stupid idea.' one community commentator said to the council. 'Who thought of this great idea? A 12-year-old?' Former Santa Monica Mayor Gleam Davis approached the council as a member of the community during the public comment segment. Davis encouraged the program, recommending the council work with DTSM Inc. and CEO Andrew Thomas. 'This really is kind of easy,' Davis said. 'Over 100 cities in the U.S. already do this. They're not overridden with crime, they're not overridden with drunks, they're not overridden with people driving under the influence. What they're enjoying is an economic boom. 'Please don't overthink this. Set yourself up for success. This is something I think will really rejuvenate the Promenade and our downtown.' Thomas of DTSM Inc. followed Davis at the meeting, adding that DTSM Inc. fully supports a seven-day entertainment zone. Sign up for Business First's free daily newsletter to receive the latest business news impacting Los Angeles.
CBS News
09-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Santa Monica won't host beach volleyball for 2028 Olympic Games
Nearly two years of negotiations between the city of Santa Monica and 2028 Olympic Games organizers have ended, with both parties supporting the decision to move beach volleyball for the Games elsewhere. The city of Santa Monica had beach volleyball on its radar since Los Angeles first bid for the Games in 2016. On Friday, the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, or LA28, informed the city that it has plans for beach volleyball at a different location. The city said the talks ended after the two could not agree on terms regarding community benefits, operational details, and financial guarantees. A 2024 city financial analysis found that hosting would put the city in the red, with revenue estimates at $14.09 million, costs at $15.54 million, thereby leaving a $1.45 million shortfall. The same analysis found that not hosting could bring an estimated $10.65 million to the city through tourism and Games partner events. These findings led city staff to negotiate "more tangible benefits for residents and businesses and greater clarity and assurances about financial and other impacts on residents and businesses, particularly on and around the Santa Monica Pier." The city said LA28 declined to adjust the proposed agreement to accommodate these terms. "While we're disappointed that an agreement was not realized, we remain eager to share in the excitement the Olympics will bring to our region and are looking forward to being a regional partner in this historic event," Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete said. The city said it is exploring options for related events and revenue-generating opportunities such as hospitality houses for numerous countries, broadcast centers, practice venues, watch parties and more. The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games kick off in Los Angeles on July 14, 2028. For more information on LA28, visit .
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Santa Monica and LA28 fail to reach agreement on Olympic beach volleyball venue
LA28 Olympic organizers were initially seeking to build a temporary venue near Santa Monica Pier for beach volleyball at the 2028 Olympics. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) One of the cornerstones in LA28's Olympic venue plan has fallen through. Santa Monica officials announced Tuesday that formal talks with the organizing committee for the 2028 Games about hosting Olympic beach volleyball have ended. Advertisement Santa Monica State Beach was tabbed to be the L.A. home for Olympic beach volleyball since the organizing committee's first bid in 2016. But when city officials and LA28 could not reach an agreement about community benefits, operational details and financial guarantees, LA28 informed Santa Monica last week that it will pursue a new venue to host the event, which has become one of the premier sports of the Summer Games. After getting several new sites approved through a Los Angeles City Council vote last month, the committee is expected to reveal an updated venue proposal to the International Olympic Committee on April 9. Read more: Rose Bowl to host 2028 Olympic soccer finals, BMO Stadium to host new sports 'There is no better place to host the Olympic beach volleyball competition than Santa Monica, where the sport was born. We would have loved to be a venue city in 2028,' Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete said in a statement. 'While we're disappointed that an agreement was not realized, we remain eager to share in the excitement the Olympics will bring to our region and are looking forward to being a regional partner in this historic event.' Advertisement A study released in October on the economic impacts of hosting the Olympic competition in Santa Monica found that being a venue city would result in a net loss of $1.45 million for Santa Monica while not hosting the beach volleyball competition could still generate $10.65 million in profit because of the city's status as a popular tourist attraction. Santa Monica could still be involved in the United States' first Summer Games since 1996 by hosting hospitality houses for visiting countries, broadcast centers, practice venues or watch parties. LA28 has already worked with other cities to finalize venue plans outside of Los Angeles, including playing soccer medal matches at the Rose Bowl and creating multisport attractions in Long Beach and Carson. Read more: Los Angeles 2028 Olympic organizers reveal venues for 19 more sports Advertisement 'Since the bid process, LA28 has sought to negotiate a Games Agreement exclusively with the City of Santa Monica to stage beach volleyball there,' an LA28 spokesperson told the Times in a statement. 'Following a thorough evaluation and careful assessment, LA28 has decided to conclude its efforts with the City of Santa Monica. The process for Santa Monica to become a Venue City for the 2028 Games was consistent and in line with all other Venue City negotiations. LA28 remains confident that beach volleyball's venue will be staged along the iconic Pacific coastline and deliver an incredible athlete and fan experience.' Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
08-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Santa Monica and LA28 fail to reach agreement on Olympic beach volleyball venue
One of the cornerstones in LA28's Olympic venue plan has fallen through. Santa Monica officials announced Tuesday that formal talks with the organizing committee for the 2028 Games about hosting Olympic beach volleyball have ended. Santa Monica State Beach was tabbed to be the L.A. home for Olympic beach volleyball since the organizing committee's first bid in 2016. But when city officials and LA28 could not reach an agreement about community benefits, operational details and financial guarantees, LA28 informed Santa Monica last week that it will pursue a new venue to host the event, which has become one of the premier sports of the Summer Games. After getting several new sites approved through a Los Angeles City Council vote last month, the committee is expected to reveal an updated venue proposal to the International Olympic Committee on April 9. 'There is no better place to host the Olympic beach volleyball competition than Santa Monica, where the sport was born. We would have loved to be a venue city in 2028,' Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete said in a statement. 'While we're disappointed that an agreement was not realized, we remain eager to share in the excitement the Olympics will bring to our region and are looking forward to being a regional partner in this historic event.' A study released on October on the economic impacts of hosting the Olympic competition in Santa Monica found that being a venue city would result in a net loss of $1.45 million for Santa Monica while not hosting the beach volleyball competition could still generate $10.65 million in revenue. Santa Monica could still be involved in the United States' first Summer Games since 1996 by hosting hospitality houses for visiting countries, broadcast centers, practice venues or watch parties. LA28 has already worked with other cities to finalize venue plans outside of Los Angeles, including playing soccer medal matches at the Rose Bowl and creating multisport attractions in Long Beach and Carson. 'Since the bid process, LA28 has sought to negotiate a Games Agreement exclusively with the City of Santa Monica to stage beach volleyball there,' an LA28 spokesperson told the Times in a statement. 'Following a thorough evaluation and careful assessment, LA28 has decided to conclude its efforts with the City of Santa Monica. The process for Santa Monica to become a Venue City for the 2028 Games was consistent and in line with all other Venue City negotiations. LA28 remains confident that beach volleyball's venue will be staged along the iconic Pacific coastline and deliver an incredible athlete and fan experience.'
