A local resident and real estate developer is proposing a dramatic overhaul of the long-shuttered Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Joe DiRosa of Seedlings VC is pitching it as a regional conference center capable of diverting tourists from Las Vegas.
“The current facility is no longer viable as a concert venue,” he told the City Council during a video presentation at Tuesday night’s meeting.
DiRosa argues the site has effectively been “zoned out of viable use,” citing nearby residential development, the creation of Historic Belmar Park, and the addition of an EV charging lot. “There is no path to economic sustainability for the building,” he tells The Sun.
DiRosa believes that with the reduced footprint, concerts and late night events would cause considerable disturbance to the community. A conference center would not, he says: “Conference centers are usually dead by 6pm or 8pm. Also, 4000 doctors at 6pm are less likely to cause a problem than 3,000 EDM, rap or heavy metal revelers at 11pm.”
In addition, reopening the building in its current configuration would be impossible, DiRosa says, “because it is unsafe.”
His proposal calls for demolishing the existing auditorium and rebuilding it part of a larger, regional convention center. The new complex, according to the presentation, would feature a similar-sized, more modern theater, two 50,000 square foot ballrooms and 150,000 square feet of flexible meeting areas with capacity for approximately 5,000 attendees.
DiRosa believes a large portion of the project will be paid for by state and federal funds. “I think the city will push it through really quick,” he says.
DiRosa compares the project to Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. His stated goal is to “position Santa Monica as the premier coastal alternative for conferences and conventions looking to avoid Las Vegas.”
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, located near the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Main Street, opened in 1958 and was designed by noted architect Welton Becket, whose firm also created the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville and the Capitol Records Building in Hollywood.
From 1961 to 1968, the 3,000-seat theater hosted the Academy Awards. The venue later became known for live performances, drawing artists including Frank Sinatra, the Eagles, Elton John, and Prince.
The building was designated a Santa Monica City Landmark on April 9, 2002, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 16, 2024.
After falling into disrepair and requiring more than $50 million in estimated seismic upgrades, the Civic ceased regular operations in June 2013. Since then, the city has pursued multiple efforts to identify viable restoration and operating partners, while maintaining that the site should remain a cornerstone of Santa Monica’s cultural life.
A 2023 city solicitation called for proposals from “vendors with experience in renovating and redeveloping historic structures, experience operating and programming cultural arts venues, financial resources for the development, and a commitment to community engagement and input.”
DiRosa’s concept attempts to bridge those priorities with a broader commercial approach. Through his Los Angeles Artist Series, he envisions a year-round slate of concerts alongside art, film, and fashion programming.
He argues the project could generate increased foot traffic for downtown businesses, boost hotel occupancy, and create up to 1,000 local jobs.
But not everyone is likely to be on board. For years, local residents and advocacy groups have lobbied to refurbish and reopen the 68 year-old venue.
“The question is whether any city that claims to value culture, innovation, and human connection can afford to destroy such an irreplaceable monument to collective creativity,” local architect Jack Hillbrand wrote in a 2025 editorial for the Santa Monica Mirror. “The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium changed how the world experiences live performance, and deserves to be rejuvenated.”
We have reached out to both the Los Angeles Conservancy and the Santa Monica Conservancy for additional comments.
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Photos: Wikimedia Commons
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