A comprehensive environmental impact evaluation will start on Frank Gehry's Ocean Avenue Tower in downtown Santa Monica, according to a notice issued by the City of Santa Monica's City Planning Division on December 21, 2018. 

An important step has been taken on Gehry's controversial project in Santa Monica, Califonia where the architect originally lives in. The architect had revised plans for the new Ocean Avenue Tower last year. 

The multi-faceted tower, originally conceived as a 22-storey hotel and residential tower, was shortened to 12-story tower due to imposed restrictions by the city’s Downtown Community Plan (DCP). 

According to the notice, the City of Santa Monica intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Ocean Avenue Project (the proposed project) and to reveal its potential environmental effects in order to solicit input on the scope and content of the EIR. 

Gehry's new mixed-use development, will include rental housing, a hotel, a conference facility, a public observation deck, and roughly 35,000 square feet of shops and restaurants lining the ground plane. The plans will also incorporate a museum and two preserved buildings, which are all revived with green spaces and walkways across the street.

The original tower, reaching 12 storeys, will include 79 apartments, a hotel with a reduced number of guest rooms and retail spaces on the ground floor. Instead, the architect increased the number of rental units, affordable units and family units in the plans.

The Environmental Impact Report will address the project’s potential effects for the environmental issues such as aesthetics and shade/shadow effects, air quality, construction effects, land use and planning, noise, energy, cultural resources and historic structures.

The notice states that this Notice of Preparation will be circulated for a minimum 30-day review period in a website shown by the the City of Santa Monica's City Planning Division. And, comment will be able to be submitted in writing till January 30, 2019 to the address as shown at the website. 

Ater reviewing period ends, a public scoping meeting will be held to describe the proposed project, the environmental review process, and to receive public comments on the scope and content of the EIR. The meeting will be held on Thursday, January 10, 2019 at Civic Center Auditorium East Wing in Santa Monica.

A scheduled timeline for the Ocean Avenue Project has not been announced.

All images © Gehry Partners, LLP

> via City of Santa Monica's City Planning Division