What’s Happening In Santa Monica | An Update On Recent Construction Projects

There is a new community outreach campaign —“Be Excited! Be Prepared: Santa Monica Constructs the Future”— which was launched in September and is now in full swing. It provides several ways for residents, businesses, and visitors to stay informed and absorbed on the progress of several significant public projects being put up in Santa Monica. Some of these projects are already taking place. Here are a few highlights:

• Expo Light Rail Line: The groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 2 of the Expo Light Rail Line took place last September 12, initiating the Expo construction in Santa Monica. Once completed, the line will be travelling from Downtown Los Angeles to Downtown Santa Monica in about 46 minutes. Pre-construction work related to utility relocation started all throughout the summer and fall. Considerable improvements were also made on the design of the Expo Maintenance Facility, integrating input from two community design workshops. An additional workshop on the design of the holding area close to the Maintenance Facility will be held in late November.

• Palisades Garden Walk and Town Square: Site preparation is in progress at the park site across from City Hall. Several tree relocations took place, including the moving of the Three Amigos ficus trees to the northeast corner of the site where they will continue to be an integral part of the park. Surface parking lot material has been transferred into stacks, making the area feel more like a park every day.

• Santa Monica Bike Center: The new Bike Center is about to be completed and will be opening any day soon! Positioned at the corners of Colorado Ave. and 2nd Street, and Broadway and 4th Street, the Center will be offering a variety of services and facilities for cyclists. New bike lanes have now been lined on surrounding blocks, in preparation for the center’s opening,

• 3rd Court Water Main Replacement: The water main at 3rd Court in between Broadway and Wilshire Boulevard is going through a removal and replacement phase. The section between Wilshire Boulevard and Arizona is just about to be finished, and work will be continuing on the other blocks some time around now and early 2012, with a break over the holidays.

Don’t forget: you can always find out more about major development projects and probable effects of construction, all in just one touch of a click. Go to www.SMConstructs.org. If you have any questions or concerns regarding “Be Excited! Be Prepared” outreach campaign, please email smconstructs@smgov.net.