Tuesday, 4/29/97 Village Center project’s revised plan boasts
more retail areas IMAX theater eliminated; community center
added
By Rachel Munoz Daily Bruin Contributor They’re back from the
drawing board. Following several suggestions from a working group
to revise the project intended to revitalize the Westwood Village,
Ira Smedra’s Village Center Westwood was brought forth in revised
form on Monday. Allen Abshez, the attorney for Village Center
Westwood, explained the improvements of the project take into
consideration the various studies done on the state of the village.
After showing slides of the obvious decline of the village, such as
graffiti, Abshez moved to the subject of the vacant areas of the
village. He revealed that the village is at an all-time vacant-high
of 15 percent. He also noted that the Westwood Marquis Hotel has
filed for bankruptcy and that Macy’s might consider leaving also.
"Westwood theaters only have 17 percent of average occupation,"
Abshez added. With such a dim portrait of the village, a slide
presentation forged through to what the new revised Village Center
Project could bring to such a desolate town. The four main
improvements Abshez explained include hundreds of secure,
subterranean parking spaces; a full-service supermarket and drug
store; 130,000 square feet of upscale retail; upscale restaurants;
and a state of the art theater. The slide presentation enforced the
idea that such a project could do something to improve the village
by comparing the past depressed states of Third Street Promenade
and Old Town Pasadena to the present state of the village. After
improvements were made to these areas, such as the addition of
movie theaters, upscale retail shops and restaurants similar to
what the Village Center Westwood project would offer to Westwood, a
vast increase in pedestrian use proved that the areas could thrive.
"We don’t know what will happen to the village," Abshez admitted,
but he feels that if only half of what has happened in Old Town
Pasadena and Third Street Promenade affects Westwood from a project
like the Village Center Westwood, it would make a difference. Yet
one of the problems continually plaguing the project is the issue
of traffic and parking. "There will be some increase in traffic
during rush hour but it will have to happen for the
revitalization," Abshez said. He added that strangely enough, only
15 percent of the traffic on Wilshire Boulevard is related to the
village. As for parking, Abshez feels that the project’s parking
would only help the village. "With a project like this, everyone
will know where to park," Abshez said. "We would also participate
with the two-hour parking (validation system) in the village."
Since the project has been reduced overall, parking will also
proportionally be reduced but no set numbers could be confirmed.
The working group and residents also expressed concern over more
movie theaters in the village. As one of the 17 issues called to
Smedra’s attention, the movie theaters in the project have been
dramatically altered. The original plan called for an IMAX theater
and 4,700 seats. The revised project now consists of 3,400 seats
and no IMAX theater, overall a one-third reduction. The theater
would compose 17 percent of the square feet of the project, making
it smaller than the supermarket component. The 3,400 movie seats
still extend out of the range of the Village Specific Plan, devised
14 years ago. The plan also places height restrictions on the
village’s buildings. The reduction in movie theaters has affected
the height of the project. "The project is within height limits
except with one place," Abshez said. Without an IMAX theater, a
large portion of the movie component is lost. However, with new
stadium seating now so popular in the theater industry, a couple of
the stadium screening rooms will compose a third story of the
project, violating the Village Specific Plan’s height restriction
of 70 feet by 5 to 26 feet. "Stadium seat auditoriums wind up being
taller and we have to go up," Abshez explained. Charles Kanner,
president of Kanner Architects and designer of the project, added
that except for the third level of the movie theater the remainder
to the project is two stories. He also noted that since the third
level of the theaters is backed up against Monty’s, there is little
visual impact. A string of reductions also hit the senior citizens’
housing factor. The original plan for an eight-story building has
been reduced to five stories. The senior housing continues to boast
a dining room, a beauty and barber shop, and an arts and craft
room. One thing the project plan did decide to add went beyond
movies and senior housing. "There would be a 5,000-square-foot
community center for desired use by the community," Abshez
announced. "It could be used for a lot of beneficial things." While
the community might appreciate a center for various uses, it is has
been expressed by many residents that the closure of Glendon Avenue
would not be tolerated. The controversial matter facing the project
was updated in the new plans, but Glendon would still be closed and
made into a pedestrian promenade. As the center of the project,
Abshez feels that traffic impacts would increase if the street
remained open. "Glendon as vehicular is not feasible," Abshez said.
"Keeping cars on Glendon would (hinder) an attractive project." Yet
changes have taken place to improve the promenade including
widening the promenade and realigning the retail shops. In
addition, Smedra took the suggestion from the working group and
added a direct sight line to Westwood Boulevard from the project.
With changes made to the original plan for the project, the
dominating space would be given to retail shops. It moved from a
third of the project to a half. However, as an important component
of the project, the retail shops still need something to accompany
them. "An all-retail project would not lead to revitalization.
There would be large blocks of retail shops with no anchor," Abshez
elaborated. "An all-retail project would have a much more
significant traffic problem too." As the slide show came to an end
Abshez concluded with his idea of the new plan. "No project can be
perfect but we are very excited about this one," he said. The same
slide presentation will be made to the working group on May 5. "We
have made a good-faith effort to respond to the issues (raised by
the working group)," Abshez said. Members of the community were
given a sneak preview of the revised plan of the project this past
weekend. "We had over 100 people from the community," said Martin
Kristal, a Westwood 2000 co-president. "I would say the response
was favorable." Jennifer Fennell, a marketing executive for the
plan, acknowledged other support throughout the village. There are
37 merchant signatures indicating they are satisfied with the
project. "They endorsed the original plan and that was only once
passed through the village," she said. She believes that with a
little more effort, there could be as many as 50 merchant
signatures in support of the project. Abshez added that the 37
merchant signatures came from major retailers in the village
including Anne Taylor, Moustache Cafe and Jerry’s Deli. From here
the project will be presented to the working group and then hopes
to start its official public hearings in the latter part of summer.
"We hope to be done with the (hearing) process by the end of the
year," Abshez noted. Previous Daily Bruin Story: Proposed mall in
direct violation of law, harmful to revitalization, January 24,
1997