We love Santa Monic’as Thrid Street Prominade and want to wish them a happy 20th anniversary!

This week marks a milestone in Santa Monica as the Bayside District, including Third Street Promenade, celebrates 20 years of success. Bayside District is bordered on the west and east sides by Ocean Avenue and 7th Street; the north and south sides by Wilshire Blvd. and Colorado Ave.
Santa Monica’s world-famous Third Street Promenade — a retail, entertainment and shopping destination that many consider the heart of Downtown — was originally a traditional street with automobile traffic. That changed in 1965 when Third Street was converted into one of the first pedestrian malls in the country.
“Third Street Promenade is recognized nationally as the prototype for an entertainment district that spans the community’s need for an urban living room as well as an economic engine. We have much to celebrate in these past 20 years as well as the bright future for the Promenade that lies ahead”, said Santa Monica City Manager P. Lamont Ewell.
Declines in profit and the desperate need for renovations to sustain economic survival in the early 1980s, brought members of government, business, and community together to compose a plan for something uniquely different to spur rejuvenation. What was needed was an alternative to single-front stores and climate-controlled indoor malls that were emerging around Southern California and the nation.
In 1984, the Santa Monica City Council created a city-funded nonprofit 501(c)(3) agency called the Third Street Development Corporation, later renamed the Bayside District Corporation, and charged with the directive of keeping the area vital. “The area has flourished and this is a very exciting time for Bayside, stated Kathleen Rawson, CEO for Bayside District Corporation. “We are continuing to expand our programming and we are focused on addressing the high volume of needs the Downtown District.”
After a two-year planning process to develop a new approach to the area, a 1986 bond issue spurred funding for the project and made possible the 1988 groundbreaking. The initial $13 million investment by the City of Santa Monica attracted additional private investment estimated at more than $500 million.
The planning charge was spearheaded by a group of leaders all interested in a development that could serve as a model for other urban areas around the country. The innovative plan for development culminated with the September 16, 1989 opening of Third Street Promenade, a three block outdoor pedestrian-only alfresco street infused with retail, dining and entertainment.
Today, the Bayside District is a thriving area with a diverse collection of retail and dining establishments. It hosts over 10 million visitors and produces over $300 million in annual spending each year. “Bayside District and Third Street Promenade have developed into a vibrant downtown and a dynamic focal point for Santa Monica. In addition to contributing nearly $5 million in sales tax revenues each year, the area provides diverse dining, shopping and entertainment options, supports a rich variety of jobs and is a wonderful place to live,” said Andy Agle, Director of Housing and Economic Development for the City of Santa Monica. “The vision and foresight shown by Santa Monica’s leaders of 20 years ago, combined with committed stewardship by today’s leaders, has resulted in an authentic Downtown experience that continues to draw residents and visitors alike.”
For more information about Third Street Promenade, please visit: www.downtownsm.com

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