ideas 2&3 Recipe Thanksgiving inspiration.
Grades 6 Beach From Heal the Bay.
commentary 4 Guest Politics and friendship.
10 Horoscope Plus crossword.
smdp.com
TUESDAY 11/26/24
Volume 24 Issue 9
Holidays kicked off in style with festive Promenade affair
Photos by Thomas Leffler
HOLIDAYS: Santa Monica welcomed the holiday season with its annual tree lighting last week. THOMAS LEFFLER SMDP Staff Writer
While locals are making their Thanksgiving plans this week, the city is also looking forward to
the holiday season, kicking off the countdown Nov. 21 with the Official City of Santa Monica Tree Lighting Ceremony. Held on the 1300 block of the Third Street Promenade where the 32-foot pseudo spruce tree
resides, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. brought the public out to light up the nearly 3,000 individual decorations. Santa Claus himself SEE HOLIDAYS PAGE 6
Santa Monica Place plummets in value Tip leads to arrest of brutal MATTHEW HALL Daily Press Editor
Santa Monica’s Macerich Co. might want to consider a Black Friday sale for its hometown property, Santa Monica Place, after ongoing financial struggles at its once flagship mall have led to a massive decline in value and prompted attempts to find a buyer for the property.
Credit rating agency Morningstar recently reported the mall’s value has declined 59% since 2017. The news joins reports from commercial real estate analysis company Trepp that the Mall’s vacancy rate is now 69% and that efforts to repay its large loan have once again fallen short. The company first defaulted on the $300 million mortgage for Santa Monica Place earlier this year
saying it would return ownership to the lender. The company, which has owned the mall since 1999, cited financial challenges, including declining property value and difficulties in finding a long-term strategy. However, Trepp said the company did manage to make payments on the loan since its initial default before missing payments SEE SM PLACE PAGE 7
assault suspect STAFF REPORT
Santa Monica Chief of Police Ramon Batista has credited a tipster for the capture of the suspect in a brutal assault that occurred in downtown Santa Monica in the wee hours of September 22. That night, SMPD officers responded to an assault report in
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an alley near 5th and Broadway. Officers located the victim, a 25-year-old homeless woman who was new to the area. She had sustained severe injuries, including facial trauma and signs consistent with strangulation. According to a witness, the SEE ARREST PAGE 7
SAMUEL B. MOSES, CPA
(310) 395-9922 100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1800 • Santa Monica 90401