Westwood Village will spend the next few years under
construction as developers plan to build new apartments, retail
stores and movie theaters in the area.
On one side of town, construction will soon be underway on
Palazzo Westwood, a new apartment complex.
A few blocks away, in the lot behind Jerry’s Famous Deli,
plans are also in the works to build a new multiplex with retail
space, a movie theater and a parking structure.
The developments on the multiplex have the potential to bring
money and new luxuries to Westwood, but could also cause problems
with traffic and construction hassles.
With months of bureaucratic red tape behind them ““ and
likely many more ahead ““ developers interested in the lot
behind Jerry’s Deli have recently received a preliminary
recommendation of approval for the multi-million dollar multiplex
project from the Westwood Design Review Board.
The board is not the final decision-making body, but its
recommendation is likely to become an official notice of approval
from the director, said Shana Murphy, who works on the board.
Only two businesses ““ both architectural firms ““
will be displaced by the construction, and developer Jeff Katofsky,
who is involved in the project, said these were both scheduled to
move anyway.
Katofsky described the development as “a
destination” that would attract more people to Westwood.
With the addition of the multiplex, more people may be attracted
to the area, which some community members worry could cause
excessive traffic congestion.
Developers say they have gone to great lengths to ensure that
Westwood experiences as little negative impact from the new
development as possible.
“We’ve spent a year studying that, and there will be
a lot of work done, and a lot of money spent,” Katofsky said
of the potential traffic problem.
He added that the plans for alleviating traffic include new stop
lights and re-routing buses.
And though increased traffic to Westwood may mean aggravating
delays for residents, it could also mean business for local
restaurants and retailers in the long run.
“I think it can’t do anything but help people (by)
bringing more customers into the Village,” Katofsky said.
Though the finished project could help businesses, months of
construction can be unpleasant for all involved.
“Obviously, any time we have construction, there’s
going to be trucks and issues along those lines,” said Steve
Smith, a manager at Diddy Riese, located on Broxton Avenue.
But Smith also said he did not think this would pose a problem,
and, if anything, the increased foot traffic from the multiplex
would be good for business.
And college students in search of cheap cookies and ice cream
are not likely to be deterred by construction.
The multiplex in and of itself will improve Westwood by
providing new attractions and “finish the Village,”
Katofsky said.
“It’s going to make for a better place, a higher-end
entertainment center for moviegoers,” he said.
The facade of the building will be designed to blend into the
existing architecture so that it looks like it has always been
there, Katofsky said.