Santa Monica Place Gets Large Digital Billboards

Crews are installing electronic displays on the exterior of the struggling Santa Monica Place mall under a new city district program.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Commercial

Vector-style editorial illustration of a grid of blank rectangular display panels on a concrete mall facade with a coral traffic barrier below. — Crews are installing large electronic billboards on the exterior of Santa Monica Place under the city's Digital Display District program, which permits up to 16 digital screens. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Crews installed large electronic billboards on the exterior of Santa Monica Place after roads around the mall were blocked off for the work. The displays are permitted under the city's Digital Display District, which allows up to 16 digital screens on corner buildings and Santa Monica Place.

Why it matters

The city created the Digital Display District to make the area look more lively and occupied while generating city revenue for revitalization. The mall has been struggling with high vacancy and a defaulted $300 million loan.

Each display requires a $500,000 one-time community-benefit payment plus annual payments of at least $500,000 or 20% of gross advertising revenue. Projected city revenue is $3.5 million to $7 million annually if all 16 displays are built, though the number actually built remains unstated.

The players

Macerich

A large publicly traded real estate investment trust that long owned Santa Monica Place and defaulted on a $300 million loan tied to the property.

Trigild IVL

A court-appointed receiver now controlling the assets of Santa Monica Place and operating the four existing displays at the mall.

California Coastal Commission

The state agency that approved development agreements for the project in April 2026, overseeing land use along California's coastline.

The details

Crews are installing the displays on the exterior of the shopping center while the mall is controlled by a court-appointed receiver, Trigild IVL, which operates the four displays currently at the mall. The Santa Monica City Council approved the ordinance in late 2025 with final adoption in January 2026, and the California Coastal Commission signed off on relevant development agreements in April 2026.

Late 2025: City Council approved the Digital Display District ordinance.
January 2026: The ordinance received final adoption.
April 2026: The California Coastal Commission approved development agreements.
August 2026: Installation of the first displays began.
November 9, 2026: Crews were installing billboards and roads were blocked off.

Real Estate Context

The Digital Display District ordinance, adopted in January 2026, is the city's tool for filling vacant commercial space with revenue-generating digital signage. Its first physical use at Santa Monica Place, where vacancy has approached 70%, tests whether such displays can help revive struggling retail centers.

Residents and visitors passing Santa Monica Place will see the new digital screens while nearby roads remain affected by installation work. The displays turn the mall's exterior into a source of advertising content that shoppers and pedestrians will encounter daily.

The takeaway

Downtown businesses and property owners should watch how the Digital Display District revenue is spent, since the city intends it to fund revitalization under its Realignment Plan. Whether the displays actually revive foot traffic will show whether the program is a useful tool for other struggling commercial properties.