Thursday, December 5, 1996
WESTWOOD:
Large-scale project seeks addition of stores, movie theatersBy
Rachel Munoz
Daily Bruin Contributor
To say that Westwood is going downhill is an understatement,
made evident by the recent closures of traditional Westwood
hangouts like Hamburger Hamlet and Johnny Rockets. Their buildings
now join the ranks of vacant store fronts that line the streets of
the Village.
A vibrant community filled with families and students seems to
be something of the past for Westwood, said developer Ira Smedra.
Founder of the Village Center Westwood, a project currently seeking
approval by the city, Smedra has made it his goal to revitalize
Westwood.
As a UCLA alum, Smedra has spent a great deal of time in
Westwood and cares about its prosperity. Living nearby in Hancock
Park, he has watched the decline of Westwood over the past few
years.
If approved, the project would be located on a 5-acre piece of
land in Westwood already purchased by Smedra. The site consists of
the south side of Weyburn Avenue between the alley east of Westwood
Boulevard and Tiverton Avenue, directly across the street from
Macy’s department store.
Westwood Brewing Company is one of the restaurants that sits
near the future site. Richard Moore, director of operations,
expressed his excitement.
"The project is beautiful. It can do a lot with Westwood," Moore
said. "We welcome it. It will compliment Westwood and is
professionally done. It’s the right idea, anything that’s going to
be good for the town we’d like to see."
Project development is slated to begin in the summer of 1997.
Completion is expected to take about two and a half years, with a
possible opening around the beginning of the year 2000.
"We can’t wait for it to come. It will bring business to the
village and bring life back to Westwood," said Shari Foster, a
manager at the Olive Garden restaurant near the site.
Existing conditions of the site include two parking lots,
totalling 544 spaces combined, and some abandoned buildings.
Besides the Farmer’s Market on Thursday afternoon, there is little
use of the east side of Westwood.
"Westwood has phenomenal demographics with a void in the middle.
It’s terrible. All you see is empty store fronts," Smedra said.
The 600,000 square feet Village project was designed by Kanner
Architects, a local Westwood business.
Smedra states, "The Kanners have got it down to a T," mirroring
the project after the Village itself at its prime using a
distinctive line of towers and a Mediterranean style.
"This project is the next millennium of design. (The community)
wants a European atmosphere," stated Tracy Williams, a consultant
for the project.
The project’s plan consists of three levels and subterranean
parking. The first level, the plaza level, would contain a 24-hour
Ralphs, a drug store and other neighborhood service stores such as
a dry cleaner, a barber and a beauty supply store.
Clothing and shoe stores would inhabit the street level, in
addition to children’s shops, a music store and an eyewear
specialist.
Finally, the third level would be composed solely of
restaurants, a 16-screen movie theater and an IMAX theater. The
surrounding restaurants would have a view of Weyburn Avenue and the
plaza level below.
Beyond the buildings, the plaza level would house waterfalls,
outside seating, lush shrubbery and trees.
This open-air public plaza may provide the ambience that
Williams believes Westwood is looking for.
"Do the current parking lots have ambience?" Williams asks.
However, the Village project worries some community residents,
including Laura Lake and her community preservation group, Friends
of Westwood. Lake and the Friends accuse the project of adding
traffic congestion, too many movie seats for Westwood and not
enough parking to accommodate the size of the project.
The project will propose 13 intersections and a shuttle system
which will cost little to nothing to ride, responds D’Lynda
Fischer, project manager.
"More traffic on Wilshire can’t be helped. (The Village’s)
biggest traffic would be at 7 or 8 after people from nearby offices
have already gone home," Fischer said.
The closing of Glendon Avenue, part of the project’s plan, may
also present traffic problems since it is one of the only through
streets connecting the village to Wilshire Boulevard. The street
would be transformed into a large plaza area joining the first
level of the project.
Fischer claims that additional traffic is favorable, signaling
that more people are attracted to the village.
Yet another complaint generated by the new project concerns the
violation of the community plan. Fischer explains that when plans
were made for Westwood 10 years ago, the people believed that there
were enough movie theaters and placed a cap on the existing 6,042
seats.
Fischer believes that the community did not consider the
evolving process of the village and that additional movie seats,
about 4,700, would benefit Westwood.
The parking plan for the project would consist of approximately
2,500 parking spaces, significantly less than the amount of movie
seats and expected shoppers.
"We never want to plan parking for 4,700 movie seats because all
the seats never will be occupied at the same time," Fischer said,
stating that movie attendance barely reaches 45 percent of the
available seats on busy days.
Another issue brought to the attention of Smedra and Fischer by
concerned residents is crime. Recent gang problems and the shooting
that occurred in Westwood almost 10 years ago has influenced people
to speculate on the idea of more movie theaters in Westwood.
"People do blame theaters for the downfall of Westwood. We will
have security on site. We are also trying to expand the security
system to the rest of the village. People need to perceive that
they are safe," Fischer said.
Movie theaters, although only about one-third of the actual
proposed project, are what Smedra sees as the attracting force
behind his project.
"The village needs an anchor tenant. Big box retailers like
Target and Sport Mart are the only ones that will come in now. We
need quality retailers with an anchor," Fischer said.
Despite the size of the project, students seem unaware of its
development. When told a little about the project, Barbara
Hajtuczek, a third-year marine biology student said, "I’m bummed
I’m not going to be here. I want to be in the class of 2000."
Other students expressed reservations about such a large change
of the face of Westwood.
"Truthfully, a project to some extent is okay, but not such a
large-scale thing, more quaint and interesting stores would be
nice," stated David Klatt, a third-year economics student. But
after viewing the project plans, he changed his mind. "Wow, this is
gorgeous," he said.
On Dec. 10, an emergency meeting, open to the public, will be
held by Lake and the Friends to discuss a redesign of the project.
Smedra has recently written a letter to Lake asking if he could
attend in order to present his plan.