Design plans for a new 22-story Ocean Avenue hotel with

museum has been lodged with the City of Santa Monica.

The Frank Gehry designed “Ocean Avenue Project” is proposed to be

located on the north corner of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard.

The project proposes a 244-foot mixed-use building that includes

a 125-room hotel, 22 condominiums, 19 replacement rent-controlled units,

affordable housing, a public rooftop observation deck, and street-level retail

and restaurants.

The project also includes a new 36,000 square-foot museum

campus that consists of two land marked buildings that will be adaptively

reused and preserved as well as a Gehry Partners designed cultural building

with exhibition space and museum plaza.

The project is being proposed by M. David Paul Associates and Worthe Real Estate Group -- the owners of the land at 1353 Ocean Avenue as well as 2700 Colorado Avenue (MTV, Lionsgate Entertainment).

Now that the project has been filed with the city, it must

go through the City’s float-up review process in front of the Planning

Commission/Architectural Review Board and City Council. The proposed project

will be evaluated and a determination will be made on whether the project can

proceed through the formal Development Agreement, environmental review and

hearing, and review process.

Frank Gehry, of Gehry Partners, said for the first time in 25 years, he was

excited to finally design a project in his hometown of 40 years.

“This site is on Ocean Avenue, which has always stood out to

me as the face of the City,” Gehry said. “The addition of ground level

restaurants, retail and a museum in this location has the potential to reinvigorate

Ocean Avenue, and could be a catalyst for more public amenities along Ocean

Avenue."

Gehry Partners claim the Ocean Avenue Project is designed

to be consistent with the vision and design principles of the City of Santa

Monica’s Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) and the City staff’s

recommendations for the Downtown Specific Plan as well as incorporate the

majority of community benefits highlighted as priorities each year.