In recent years, UCLA students have watched many businesses
leave Westwood, shopping choices become more limited, and the
college town character increasingly fade into history. In light of
these trends, the recent project approval of Palazzo Westwood
apartments and retail center will have major consequences for
Westwood.
The decision to approve this Casden-Glendon development project
will clearly take Westwood in the wrong direction, further
destroying Westwood’s few claims to being a college town. The
construction will only aggravate the many problems our section of
Los Angeles has faced in recent years.
The Casden-Glendon project reminds us that Westwood is at a
crossroads. Actions taken now will shape our remaining college
experience as well as the experiences of future UCLA students.
The Palazzo Westwood apartments are a $100 million undertaking
that will result in the construction of 350 apartment units as well
as businesses, particularly retail stores, within the complex. This
monstrosity will be constructed and managed by the Casden-Glendon
real estate and development firm, which is run by Los Angeles
developer Alan Casden.
The construction of Palazzo will result in the destruction of an
artifact of local history, the Glendon Manor, which is the last of
34 buildings built during Westwood’s founding to remain.
This complex will also result in considerable inconveniences for
Westwood residents and businesses in terms of both pedestrian and
vehicle traffic, and has the potential to harm businesses in
Palazzo’s path by deterring commerce due to transportation
and travel inconveniences.
Yet neither Casden nor the city of Los Angeles, which is
recommending the approval of this project, has promised
compensation for these hardships during construction. Furthermore,
the increased numbers of residents through this development will
lead to even more overcrowding than currently exists. This will
also increase traffic, harm business, and detract from the rest of
Westwood.
The problems that this development project will bring should not
be understood as isolated or unrelated to the larger problems
facing Westwood residents and businesses, especially UCLA students.
In recent months, we have seen big retail stores such as Wherehouse
Music and Gap close their doors due to lackluster sales, as well as
smaller places like Beyond The Wall.
Many businesses that remain, such as California Pizza Kitchen
and Chili’s, faced poor sales last summer as compared to
previous years, indicating that other businesses might lose
interest in Westwood in the future.
Even more troubling is that smaller, more localized outfits like
Don Antonio’s pizza restaurant have closed their doors in
recent months.
The reasons why so many businesses have had difficulty surviving
and succeeding in Westwood are varied. Some blame student fee
hikes, which tighten budgets and lead to less spending at
frequently overpriced Westwood shops and restaurants. A difficult
parking situation can also be blamed for much of the difficulties
businesses face, as anyone who has driven to Westwood recently will
agree that parking, especially north of Wilshire, can be
inconvenient at best and horrible at worst.
There are not nearly enough parking spaces for an area as often
teeming with people as Westwood. The lots that do exist are often
so grossly overpriced that many, especially students, will be
deterred from driving to Westwood for food or entertainment and may
simply choose to frequent other neighborhoods. Movie premieres
frequently disrupt business by increasing traffic and making
parking in lots even harder. All of this hurts Westwood
business.
Even more troubling than business closures is that for a town
near a university, Westwood’s atmosphere is hardly that of a
college town. Small business and thrift shops, with the exception
of Oakley’s barbershop and Penny Lane CD and DVD shop, are
few and far between. Bookstores that specialize in intellectually
stimulating but hard-to-find works are virtually nonexistent in
Westwood. Madison’s Bar and Grill has been closed and is
being revamped, so thus ends much of the student party life in the
area. Much of what defined Westwood as an area close to UCLA has
been eliminated as a result of these various developments.
This difference sharply contrasts the area surrounding UC
Berkeley or New York University, equally prestigious campuses with
an urban center that adds even more flavor and character to the
campus. As several proprietors pointed out, Westwood is
comparatively commercialized. In a large part, this is due to the
fact that there is a substantial presence of non-students in
Westwood. But still, the thin presence of the traditional markings
of a college town, such as independent bars and restaurants that
truly cater to a lively student atmosphere, detracts from Westwood
immeasurably.
In addition to the difficulties with parking and overcrowding
discussed above, Casden-Glendon will snuff out any remaining sense
of Westwood being a college town. The presence of a large number of
stores in one location, as this project provides for, will
eliminate many smaller businesses and prevent Westwood from
retaining any individual character. How will places like
Oakley’s Barbershop survive if more hair salons are opened in
this new complex? A bar like Maloney’s, the last remaining
outpost of Westwood nightlife, may find itself on the auction block
when faced with the stern face of big-business, corporate America,
as represented by this project. As an area that should largely
cater to students and provide a university atmosphere, such
developments would be detrimental. Westwood is at a transition
point. Which way will it go?
Bhaskar is a third-year political science student. E-mail
him at sbhaskar@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint
@media.ucla.edu.