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By Lookout Staff

February 11 – One week after marking the end of an area by shutting down Santa Monica Place for a major renovation, the mall’s owner made a $100,000 donation to help insure the city’s history is preserved.

The Macerich Company, one of the country's largest owners, operators and developers of major retail properties, presented the check to the Santa Monica Historical Society Museum (SMHSM) during a ceremony Friday.

The money will support the museum’s $5 million capital campaign for the build-out of a new state-of-the-art facility scheduled to open later this year at the new Main Library. Macerich’s donation brings the total raised to date to $1.2 million.

The Macerich donation, announced by senior executives Mace Siegel, Art Coppola, Dana Anderson and Randy Brant, will be used to sponsor the “Then and Now” hands-on interactive exhibit in the permanent gallery of the new museum.

“Macerich has been a long-time supporter of the Santa Monica Historical Museum and its efforts to preserve the city’s colorful history and culture,” said Randy Brant, executive vice president of real estate for Macerich.

“We are proud be a part of this amazing new interactive exhibit and we hope it will benefit the entire community,” Brant said.

Macerich senior executives matched Macerich funding for the title exhibit with personal funds, officials said.

“This is not something that is done very often, but our senior executives feel very strongly about the legacy of Santa Monica, since our corporate headquarters has been here for over 30 years,” said Ashley Walkley, the marketing manager of Santa Monica Place.

The interactive exhibit will feature a touch-screen map of Santa Monica that will give visitors the chance to select various locations and points of interest throughout the 8.3-square-mile city and learn what those locations were like “Then” and how they developed into what is there “Now.”

The Santa Monica Historical Society Museum and Macerich-Santa Monica Place are also partnering to create an exhibit titled “Clicking with Santa Monica.”

The exhibit will showcase the retail of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Place “then” and “now” as the redevelopment of the 1980’s enclosed suburban mall is revitalized to bring a fresh, new, outdoor retail experience to Santa Monica.

Founded in 1975 under the City of Santa Monica Centennial Committee, the non-profit Historical Society Museum is currently located at 1539 Euclid Street. In Spring 2008, the museum will be relocating to a new permanent facility in the Santa Monica Public Library complex.

The convenient downtown location will offer residents the opportunity to explore and learn about Santa Monica’s rich and diverse history in an exciting new cultural center. Please call (310) 395-2290 or visit www.santamonicahistory.org for more information.