By Lookout Staff
January 27 – Almost a decade after its last performance in Santa Monica, Cirque du Soleil will be back next year if the City Council approves a lease for part of the parking lot north of the pier Tuesday night.
If approved, the popular circus – a mix of circus arts and street entertainment – would return on its 25th anniversary and the City’s celebration of pier’s centennial.
The large size of the circus, which led to its exit after its last visit in 2000, can be accommodated by parking in other lots, including vacant land at the Civic Center slated for the future Palisades Garden Walk, City officials said.
“It seemed unlikely that the Cirque would be able to return to the beachfront location unless a replacement parking site was identified,” staff wrote in its report to the council.
In addition to the Civic Center parking across from City Hall, additional spaces will be available at the 2030 South Beach Lot, which will offer a discount incentive and a free shuttle for pier patrons.
“The company views its return to Santa Monica on its 25th Anniversary as a tribute to its beginnings and an opportunity to partner in the celebration of the Pier Centennial,” staff wrote.
The circus will return under revisions to the policy for licensing extended commercial use of the 1550 lot approved by the City Council in December. The revisions provide “more flexibility in event selection.”
Cirque du Soleil is the first venture to be approved under the council’s extended commercial event selection guidelines, also approved by the council in December.
The guidelines “provide for an ongoing application process for review of extended commercial events on a first-come, first-serve basis during the six to twelve month period prior to the event start date,” according to the staff report.
The council’s vote Tuesday comes two weeks after the Pier Restoration Corporation (PRC) voted 7 to 1 to recommend that the City Council enter into negotiations with Cirque du Soleil.
It also asked the council to explore ways to mitigate any negative impacts the circus might have on pier lessees.
While most of the 30 people who attended the PRC meeting January 14 strongly supported the circus’ return, representatives from Pacific Park, the amusement park on the pier, and the Pier Aquarium expressed serious concern that the loss of parking on the adjacent 1550 lot would hurt business.
Cirque du Soleil’s new production, “Kooza,” is expected to generate $953,000 in Special Event revenue to the City’s Beach Fun during its run from October 16 through December 20, 2009. Requests by the circus to extend the shows run to December 31 were denied.
Some of the projected revenues will be offset by the loss of parking revenues when the circus pitches its tent on part of the lot north of the pier.
