Southern California Commerical Real Estate Lawyer & Attorney : Aronson Light Law Firm : Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, California

All across Southern California, the battle over the size, location and scale of development continues.

Santa Monica

In 2004, Santa Monica residents blocked Macerich's plans for redeveloping the three-story, 570,000 square-foot Santa Monica Place Shopping Center and replacing it with three 21-story condominiums, retail, restaurants and offices. Macerich has recently scaled back plans for the center, providing for the same footprint as the original building, but with an open air center, a third floor dining deck overlooking the ocean and a more open, village-like feel to connect to the Third Street Promenade. In March, Macerich submitted this plan to the City of Santa Monica and has received relatively positive initial reaction from the community. The approval process is expected to continue through this summer. 

Sherman Oaks

In the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles, Westfield has recently proposed expanding the 867,000 square foot Westfield Fashion Square by 280,000 square feet, adding 80 new stores, expanding and remodeling the food court, adding a 5-story parking garage and updating the exterior. Although many area residents dissatisfied with the out –of-date center are thrilled with idea, a significant opposition has formed, concerned with increases in traffic to the center, particularly on the weekends and holidays. The next step is an Environment Impact Report assessing the expansion and a public hearing where the local community may voice their concerns and/or support for the expansion.

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In a long-expected move, Westfield has announced that it will redevelop the huge parcel of land that separates its Promenade and Topanga Plaza shopping centers in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles.  The proposed 3.8 million square foot development will reportedly include a hotel, condominiums and apartments, offices, shops and restaurants.  The project cost is reported to be $750 million.  The property has been underutilized for many years and is home to a vacant two-screen movie theater, a number of older restaurants, and various other small commercial buildings.  The entitlement process is expected to  take two years or more, and some objection is likely to arise over the perceived increase in traffic that the project may generate.  Westfield is nearing the end of a complete renovation of Topanga Plaza, with a new Target and a relocated Nordstrom now open and Neiman Marcus under construction.  Once the work on Topanga Plaza is complete, it is expected that Westfield will renovate the Promenade, but no official announcement has yet been made.

Woodland Hills is located within the San Fernando Valley, the northern half of the incorporated City of Los Angeles.  1.3 million of the City's nearly 4 million residents live in the Valley.  L.A.'s Valley residents have tried unsuccessfully on several occasions to secede from the City . Were secession to be successful, the new municipality would be the 7th largest city in the United States. The Valley is home to five other incorporated cities: Calabasas; San Fernando, Burbank; Glendale; and the gated residential community of Hidden Hills.  (Hidden Hills may be the only incorporated municipality in the United States whose City Hall is located outside the city; residents purchased and moved City Hall to a residence in the City of Los Angeles just outside the gated entrance to Hidden Hills after a court ruling granted passage through the gates to anyone wishing to view public records maintained by the City.)

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