Santa Monica Mayor Caroline Torosis Denies That She is In Favor of 20,000 Seat Stadium on Airport Land

SANTA MONICA - Mayor Caroline Torosis says the story that put her in the room for a 20,000-seat stadium pitch on the Santa Monica Airport land is wrong.

In an email Monday, Torosis said she "was not in attendance at any such event referenced." She said she gave opening remarks at a builders breakfast on the Promenade about the city's economic recovery, then "left before 9:15 am to go to work."

She asked that the report be retracted immediately.

The original account came from council candidate Derrick Townsend, who posted that SMFC unveiled a 20,000-attendee stadium idea for the airport site at a "Founder's Meeting," "with Caroline Torosis in attendance." That post, and the write-up that followed, treated her presence as the political spark: City Hall still talks "great park," while a soccer club talks lights and 20,000 people on game night.

Torosis's reply draws a hard line under that framing. She did not announce an "Airport Stadium Park." She says she was not at the meeting where the pitch was described. The city's published conversion work remains a Measure LC park plan for the 192 acres after the airport's scheduled Dec. 31, 2028 close - parks, open space, and recreation unless voters later approve something else.

That does not mean the stadium idea vanished. If SMFC made the pitch, it is still a private proposal, not a council vote, not a ballot measure, and not a signed plan to put a bowl on the runway.

Measure LC is still the wall: a large commercial stadium would almost certainly need voter approval. What changed is the mayor's alleged cameo. Townsend said she was there. Torosis says she was on the Promenade, talking recovery, and gone before mid-morning.

Instagram

"It looks like FC Santa Monica has a new number one fan! ⚽️🔵⚫️" says FC's Instagram page. "Lovely spending time with Mayor Caroline Torosis @ctorosis and sharing more about our club and the wonderful soccer community behind it." Football Club Santa Monica's Instagram page says.

Per Townsend, Caroline Torosis has not commented publicly on whether she is for or against the proposal for a 20,000 seat stadium on SM Airport land. Townsend is running against Torosis for 3 seats on the City council. "This soccer team apparently has raised over a hundred million dollars for their plan for the park. (City Councilmember) Dan Hall has also met with him (the proposed developer). My question to her is if she supports an airport park 100%, as she says; then why is she still meeting with other developers."

Townsend points to an Instagram Post on Football Club Santa Monica's Instagram page, showing Torosis holding up a Football Club Santa Monica T-shirt. "It looks like FC Santa Monica has a new number one fan! ⚽️🔵⚫️" says FC's Instagram page. "Lovely spending time with Mayor Caroline Torosis @ctorosis and sharing more about our club and the wonderful soccer community behind it." Football Club Santa Monica's Instagram page says, on a post dated Mid August.

Townsend alleges that the developer has already raised $100,000,000 for the project. "If you think Torosis isn't in favor of developing the airport land, you're naive." he says.