Santa Monica's giant digital billboards spark 'mini Vegas' backlash
Sixteen digital signs of up to 1,000 square feet each are going up near the pier and Third Street Promenade under a 30-year deal.
By Hans Laetz
Construction crews in Santa Monica are installing gigantic electronic billboards at various locations near the pier and the Third Street Promenade. And social media in Santa Monica is burning with criticism.
The Santa Monica Lookout newspaper says that the large digital billboards are generating complaints that the Third Street Promenade will turn into a mini Las Vegas strip.
16 digital billboards. Up to 1,000 square feet each. Wrapping around the north and south ends of the buildings between Arizona Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard.
The billboard company has permits for 16 signs, and if all of them are installed, the city government could reap as much as $7 million per year. Maybe more.
Last summer, Santa Monica launched Southern California's first so-called entertainment zone. That way people can buy cocktails or beer from bars on the Promenade and consume them on the street.
And in June, the Santa Monica Police Department opened its new 863-square-foot downtown substation on the ground floor of Santa Monica Place that serves as a public safety command center and community engagement hub.
The agreement with the billboard company is for 30 years. Get used to it.
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