The Culver City Council voted to authorize a public input plan process to help determine the fate of the property at 11029 Washington Boulevard. The building was home to the Martin B. Redding Gun Store and was purchased by the city in October 2023 for $6.5 million to prevent another gun store from being established on that site. 

Currently, there is an art installation at the building commissioned by Artist Laureate Katy Kranz at the building. With the ultimate fate of the building still in question, Krantz proposed that a ceramic tile mural displayed at the building that would focus on the trapezoidal frames on its building wall be included with the public input plan. The mural would be a temporary display affixed on wooden boards so that it could be repurposed should the building be demolished.

The decision on what to do with the old gun store will be community-driven with a detailed public input plan as part of the process of both putting the mosaic together and deciding the fate of the building. Outreach to the public will include fliers posted in libraries, taken home by CCUSD students, and distributed at city-sponsored events. It will also include online distribution methods including social media posts on sites ranging from Facebook to LinkedIn, email blasts, and a short video hosted on both the city website and on YouTube.

All methods of communication will direct the public to an online input tool that will serve as the primary way the city will gather feedback on the site. Opinions on details such as potential uses, costs and benefits, and ongoing funding will be gathered through the tool, and a paper version of the questions to submit will also be made available at City Hall, the Culver City Senior Center, and Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department Offices.

Outreach and promotion for the online tool will continue through November until the tool is closed in December according to the approved plan. Staff will then analyze the suggestions and feedback and bring an item to the council for consideration in January.

There will also be several events: one of which will be held on a Wednesday afternoon in October at Tellefson Park, where staff will have a table in the park to gather input. A Saturday morning in October will feature an open house at 11029 Washington Boulevard with coffee and donuts, where Krantz will gather input for her mural through a community activity.

Councilmember Gӧran Eriksson shared his ideas for what he felt was good for the site. He hoped the existing building would be demolished for a new project as soon as possible. Eriksson believed that a mixed-use site would be the best use for the lot to create housing and generate money back for the city, but acknowledged the lot may be too small for such a project despite the site being zoned as In the draft Zoning Code update as Mixed-Use Corridor 1, which allows 35 dwelling units per acre.

Mayor Yasmine-Imani McMorrin said that community interest was high based on previous attendance at prior meetings where the property was discussed, and had high hopes that there would be a strong engagement effort by the city. Councilmember Freddie Puza called the mosaic a “great final project” for Krantz, whose term as Artist Laureate expires in December.

“I hope people are still excited for this,” McMorrin said.

The motion passed by a unanimous 4-0 vote, with Councilmember Albert Vera absent from Monday’s meeting.

Photo is a screen capture from Street View using Google Maps.