New ‘private club’ plans emerge for site of LA restaurant shuttered after 20 years

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New details have emerged in the plan to convert Santa Monica nightlife staple The Victorian into a fancy private members club.

Located at 2640 Main St., the city-owned property will become The Santa Monican, a “family-focused” private members club with recreation, food, wellness, and children’s programming, the city of Santa Monica revealed.

The Santa Monican will cater to locals, with up to 20% of memberships reserved for Santa Monica residents. Plans for the property include a new pool, spa, fitness center, a coffee bistro, and a restaurant.

Renovations for the property are expected to begin by the end of the year, with an opening tentatively set for mid-2028.

Plans for the transition began when The Victorian operators Garner Gerson and Adir Tal approached the city late last year with a proposal to move away from their late-night model and create a family-friendly business.

The city agreed to rework their lease and plans for the new club were approved in March when the city council voted 7-0 to transfer the property’s lease to “The Santamonican Club, LLC.”

City officials showed support for the plans.

“Garner and Adir came to us with a clear read on their own business. During our early conversations, they shared that their nightlife model had run its course at The Victorian, and that families were what Main Street needed next,” City Manager Oliver Chi said in a press release.

“Our job in that moment was not to get in the way, but to help them get there. In a realigned Santa Monica, that is what working with our business community looks like – listening when an operator tells us the market has changed and moving quickly so that a historic property stays active, cared for and open to the community.”

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The two-story Victorian-style property was first built in 1892 and moved to its current site in Heritage Square in 1973, across from the California Heritage Museum.

Last week, The Victorian announced that they would be closing their doors after 20 years.

“After 20 incredible years, The Victorian is closing its doors,” it announced on Instagram on October 6.

“The Victorian holds 20 years of birthdays, dates and nights out with friends, and I understand why people are sad to see it go.”

The Victorian will host their final event, their annual Halloween bash, on October 31.