Polynesian dance group Nani Kai perform at Santa Monica Place on Sunday, December 29, 2013.

Meet Riley, 13, a Therapy Dog sporting his holiday best at Santa Monica Place. He is with Paws 4 Healing, Inc. Riley works for hugs and kisses.

Members of LA Tri Club run along the Third Street Promenade on Saturday, December 21, 2013.

Santa Monica Mayor Pam OConnor cuts the ribbon of the renovated Parking Structure # 6 on 2nd Street on Thursday, December 19, 2013.

The project which began construction in Mar. 2012 is now ready for its much-anticipated debut just in time for the upcoming final days of the holiday shopping season. Besides providing much needed additional parking for Downtown Santa Monica and Third Street Promenade, Parking Structure #6 has been designed to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED silver standards and is the city’s most eco-friendly structure to date. Besides the dramatic red diagonal staircase, the new structure features 744 parking spaces (for a net increase of 400 spaces), 30 electric vehicle charging stations (with room for 130 more in the future), 80 kw of solar panels on the roof and enclosed bike racks on the ground level accommodating 72 bikes in addition to the bike bollards on 2nd Street sidewalk which hold 40 bikes. 

“Parking is a top concern for our Santa Monica community. The re-opening of Parking Structure 6 complements the 7,412 city-owned spaces already serving downtown Santa Monica,” explains Santa Monica Mayor Pam O’Connor. “The additional parking spaces now available will lighten the load for the other structures in the area and therefore lesson traffic congestion from cars circling looking for spaces.” “We’ve made the most of this valuable Downtown space,” adds Santa Monica City Manager Rod Gould. “By almost doubling the number of parking spots, designing to the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED silver standards, and incorporating sustainable elements, such as electric vehicle charging stations and rooftop solar panels, we’ve been able to come up with a structure that will benefit residents, visitors and the environment for years to come.” 

In addition, Parking Structure #6 also features:

11 general ADA spaces and 15 van ADA spaces
7,170 square feet of retail space fronting 2nd Street
3,000 square feet for Farmer’s Market storage
Convenient Automated Pay Machine

A paddle boarder amid the sunset in Santa Monica Bay on Sunday. December 15, 2013.

Harvey Levin, host and legal reporter from The People's Court, interviews people during the filming of an episode at the Third Street Promenade on Sunday, December 15, 2013. 

Santa Monica Beach on Sunday, December 15, 2013.

Tracey Martin grabs cash in Santa's Goodie Booth at the Third Street Promenade on Thursday, December 12, 2013. SHe won a $20 dollar gift card to Road Runners Sports.