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Century-old US airport to shut down to make way for taxpayer-funded park as critics push for housing
A California airport that has operated for more than 100 years is set to close — and not without controversy.
The 227-acre Santa Monica Airport site is expected to be converted into open green space, sports areas and cultural facilities, according to the city of Santa Monica.
The city recently secured nearly $500,000 in funding to begin planning the transformation of about 20 acres of the airport site into park space, including trails, fitness areas and other public amenities, according to Los Angeles County documents.
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The airport is scheduled to close Dec. 31, 2028.
The closure follows decades of legal disputes and pushback from local residents, the city noted.
The airport has already operated under strict limitations in recent years, including restrictions on late-night activity.
“Although arrivals are permitted 24 hours a day, pilots are requested to avoid all operations between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Friday or until 8 a.m. on weekends,” the city said.
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In 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the city reached a settlement that allows Santa Monica to close the airport at the end of 2028 after continuing operations through that date, the FAA said.
The agreement also allowed the city to shorten the runway as part of efforts to limit airport activity.
Once closed, the site will be redeveloped into a large-scale public space.
Officials say the goal is to create a destination that serves both residents and visitors — while preserving open space in a densely populated area.
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Community input has played a major role in shaping the proposal, with the city hosting dozens of public meetings and collecting thousands of survey responses.
The proposal has sparked debate online.
Residents took to the r/SantaMonica subreddit to sound off on the decision.
Some residents voiced support for a large park, pointing to the lack of similar green spaces in Los Angeles.
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“Compared to other major cities, L.A. is lacking this type of curated urban park,” one user wrote in a discussion about the project.
Others argued the land should be used in a different way.
“We desperately need more housing,” another commenter wrote, suggesting the site could accommodate both a park and residential development.
A third commenter said, “Would love a better way to connect to Ocean Park by foot or bike without 23rd St. Having it be a mix of high-density housing and a park would be great.”
Yet another resident suggested it could be used for “a half-dozen super-tall residential towers, with mixed commercial and retail uses on the first few floors, and the rest a ton of public park space with trails and bike lanes and recreation fields.”
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Hollywood director rips ‘smug’ White liberals, says ‘no group is worse’
Hollywood director Adam McKay unloaded on White liberals during an interview on Wednesday in a fiery critique of the Democratic Party.
“I could go on with a list of 400 things, the same party that kept healthcare private,” McKay told host Jesse Damiani during his “Urgent Futures” podcast after railing against prominent Democratic Party members. “That, you know, on and on and on. And it was like, we are being hit with the high grade marketing and no group is worse than White liberals.”
“I mean, they are the worst. I’ve tried to talk to them about climate. They are so smug and captured. And really, it boils down to privilege. I mean, when you talk to White money liberals, they’re getting a lot from this broken system. So at some point, I realized these are bad-faith arguments and conversations,” he said.
McKay said he couldn’t support a party that didn’t back universal healthcare.
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“You can’t support a party that doesn’t want universal healthcare. The Democrats don’t have that in their party platform. Kamala, Hillary never brought it up. If you were in like Norway or France or Australia. And you were like, we don’t need universal healthcare. People would be like, ‘You are a Nazi,'” he said.
McKay continued, “Like even the neo-Nazi parties in Europe don’t campaign against nationalized healthcare. So I think the U.S. is essentially an island country and no group of people has, you know, heads full of bees more than White liberals. Like, I’ve heard the craziest s— from White liberals.”
McKay argued that White liberals benefit from the system and only care about their class and social scene.
“I almost can say I despise American White liberals,” he said. “They are the grossest of the gross.”
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McKay announced in 2024, following President Donald Trump’s election victory, that he would be leaving the Democratic Party.
“It is time to abandon the Dem Party,” McKay wrote on X at the time. “I’m registering Green Party or Working Families. But am open to ideas.”
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The director ripped the Democratic Party for what he deemed a series of missteps leading up to Election Day, including how it handled former President Biden bowing out of the race to make way for former Vice President Kamala Harris on the ticket.
McKay has in recent years championed progressive causes and has donated millions of dollars to fight climate change. His activism has also bled into his work. His movie “Don’t Look Up,” for instance, served as a critique of a lack of action when it comes to protecting the environment. The 2021 satire film centered on two scientists who tried in vain to warn the world about a planet-destroying comet.
McKay claimed in December 2024 that “America has never been more right wing and propagandized,” after predicting that the film “Wicked” would eventually get canceled.
“On a pure storytelling level, ‘Wicked Part 1’ is right up there as one of the most radical big studio Hollywood movies ever made,” McKay posted on X.
Fox News’ Cortney O’Brien contributed to this report.
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