By Jorge Casuso

September 10, 2026 -- The City Council on Tuesday laid fears to rest that the Bergamot Station Arts Center site would be sold but did not shut the door on the possibility it could be leased for affordable housing.

The item -- added to the Council's closed session agenda as City Hall shut down for a four-day Labor Day weekend -- stated the Council would be negotiating the "price and terms of payment" for the five-acre site.

The item listed the parties to be negotiated with as developers of affordable, transitional and student housing, spurring a campaign to stop what one form letter sent by two dozen residents called "a real estate deal to sell and demolish" the Arts Center and build "a massive open door" homeless housing facility.

After the closed door session Tuesday, the Council issued a statement saying that "the City is not negotiating the sale of the property, rather a long-term lease structure."

The statement emphasized that the Council had earmarked the site for affordable housing and outlined the public steps the Council had taken that led to Tuesday night's negotiations.

It noted that the Bergamot site at 2525 Michigan Avenue had been identified as a City-owned site dedicated to affordable housing development under the City's Housing Element.

In February 2025, the Council declared the site surplus land, authorized he City Manager to solicit requests for proposals and take "implementing actions necessary to comply with the Surplus Land Act and the City's Housing Element," according to the statement read by City Attorney Heidi von Tongeln.

"At that time, Council emphasized that proposals should maximize affordable housing and revenue generating opportunities” and include relocating current Bergamot tenants and giving them the right to return .

"Tonight's closed session is a continuation of that process and a consideration of the price for the terms of payment for the proposal submitted in response to that RFP," the statement said.

The Council received 45 written comments, with 22 emailing a copy of the form letter.

"We Demand that the Santa Monica City Council immediately halt negotiations to sell, lease, or turn over Bergamot Station to housing developers for affordable, bridge, supportive, or other homeless housing," the letter said.

"No closed-door deal. No transfer of this land. No open-door homeless facility without full disclosure and public input."

Marc Verville, former Chair, of the City's Audit Subcommittee noted the lack of data and public process.

"It is beyond the pale that this Council is engaging in discussions to negotiate a sale of the 5.6 acre Bergamot Arts Station in favor of a homeless bridge housing facility without ANY public input whatsoever," Verville wrote.

"This permanent impact of this initiative will serve to cement Santa Monica as the homeless destination of choice."

Downtown resident Kati Kelleher wrote, "This incessant cash grab of creating more and more housing and just bulldozing whatever character is left of this former little beach town to create a Miami-like feel is not what residents want."