Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio has agreed to dedicate a $2 million beachfront property for public use after a dispute over construction work at a California beach.
The agreement was approved unanimously by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday. It resolves allegations involving Attanasio’s company, 2XMD Partners LLC, which used heavy machinery to remove sand, cobblestones and boulders from Broad Beach in Malibu in 2024. Officials said the excavation took place in a protected coastal area and damaged sensitive habitat.
The construction work was connected to repairs around Attanasio’s oceanfront property. According to the Coastal Commission, the company also moved a rock wall into an area reserved for public beach access.
Under the settlement, Attanasio’s company must restore the damaged shoreline, remove an unpermitted private staircase and rock wall, and dedicate a $2 million beachfront property for public use.
The property being dedicated is in eastern Malibu, several miles from Attanasio’s home. The 5,135-square-foot parcel has about 70 feet of beach frontage and will eventually be preserved for public recreational use.
The unusual settlement drew attention because the penalty does not simply involve paying a traditional fine. Instead, the beachfront property will become public, creating new access to a stretch of Malibu’s coast where private homes have made access difficult for years.
The dispute began after Attanasio’s construction team was accused of excavating beach sand and rocks and moving the material to reinforce a seawall at his property. The Coastal Commission later determined that the work had damaged the shoreline and interfered with public access.
Officials described the settlement as an opportunity to repair the environmental damage while also securing a rare new piece of public beachfront in Malibu.