Santa Monica : Talk on Civic Center Design

A public presentation of the urban design plan for the Santa Monica Civic Center area is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday in the Will Rogers Elementary School auditorium, 2401 14th St.

San Francisco architect Boris Dramov, city staffers and members of the design workshop will be on hand with models, diagrams and a slide show to explain their vision for the area. They also will answer questions.

The plan, which goes before the City Council for consideration later this month, is being attacked by slow-growth advocates, who say they will mount an initiative campaign to block the project if it is not scaled down.

The proposed design for the nine-square-block area includes a lake, an eight-level parking structure and a large plaza in front of City Hall. A new east-west street would be cut through the area and 350 housing units would be built by the RAND Corp. as part of its expansion plans.