Building a Safe, Sustainable City Yards for Our Community

Caption: Aerial image of the proposed City Yards site
For over two decades, the City has been planning a major overhaul of the City Yards to provide a safer, more efficient place of business for community members and our operations staff. City Council’s unanimous vote on June 11 to move forward with construction for phase 1 (Package A) of the City Yards Modernization Project has paved the way for us to finally be able to realize our dream of breaking ground on this long overdue project on July 1, 2019.
For our community members who do business at the City Yards, this project means they will soon be able to enjoy an enhanced customer experience. Long gone will be the days that community members have to walk from building to building to figure out where they need to go to take care of business. The new City Yards will feature a public counter that will serve as a one-stop shop where community members can do business such as buying compost bins and submitting their construction waste management plans for review.

Caption: Plaza at City Yards entrance on Michigan Avenue
For our dedicated Public Works employees who are on the frontlines every day to build and maintain our infrastructure and provide vital services to our community, this project means that they will be able to work in safe, new facilities equipped with the latest technology that will meet our operational needs well into the future. Thirteen outdated facilities will be demolished as part of phase 1 (Package A) and will be replaced by six new buildings. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

Caption: Proposed exterior for the new Fleet Building
For our community as a whole, the project means that community members and employees will be able to have more communal interactions and an aesthetically pleasing experience when they visit the City Yards. There will be access to the outdoor courtyard with seating, a meeting room, kitchen, wider sidewalks, shrubbery and trees and public art along Michigan Avenue.

Caption: Outdoor courtyard serving as a crew lunch area and community space
Santa Monica is a city committed to sustainability and mobility and those are goals were kept in mind when designing this project. We’re combining efficient building design with solar components and stormwater capture techniques to transition the City Yards into an environmentally friendly place the community can truly be proud of. We’re also realigning the City Yards layout to separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic and install crosswalks throughout the site to enhance the safety of people traveling by all transit modes, particularly pedestrians.
Visit our City Yards Modernization Project page to read more about this exciting project, including the June 11, 2019 staff report approved by the city council.
For questions about the project, contact Joel Cesare, project manager, at architecture@smgov.net or (310) 458-2205.

source https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/building-a-safe-sustainable-city-yards-for-our-community