The New Beverly Connection
The Beverly Center is a Los Angeles landmark because it literally towers over the Westside. Located on a rather small and oddly shaped plot of land bounded by Beverly Boulevard on the north, La Cienega Boulevard on the east, 3rd Street on the south, and San Vincente Boulevard on the west, the mall sits on a podium of structured parking. The majority of Beverly Center's stores, including anchors Bloomingdale's and Macy's, are located on the sixth, seventh, and eighth floors!
Here's a photo of the mall's La Cienega Boulevard elevation circa spring 1999 that I took as part of my All the Malls of Southern California project (click to enlarge):
The success of the Beverly Center inspired the creation of another "urban" shopping center just across the street: the Beverly Connection. Like Beverly Center, Beverly Connection features a multi-level design oriented towards the street and served by structured parking. Beverly Connection is a bit of a "hybrid" center, featuring "convenience" stores (Ralphs supermarket, Rexall Square drugs), "big box" stores (Sports Chalet, The Good Guys!, Old Navy), a multiplex theater, numerous restaurants, and an "enclosed mall" section that includes spaces for smaller shops. Here's an aerial view of both shopping centers that I snagged from Google Earth (click to enlarge):
During my recent visit I observed that most of the Beverly Connection was nearly gutted and many of its tenants were gone. It appeared that the center was in the midst of a major remodeling and redevelopment effort; when I got home, I did some research and was excited to learn more about the "new" Beverly Connection. The project demonstrates the innovative ways mall owners are keeping their properties "relevant" for customers in Los Angeles and elsewhere.
Beverly Connection, though relatively successful, was due for a makeover. The center's internal pedestrian and vehicular circulation system was a mess, making it difficult to get from one side of the mall to the other. In addition, its facade had become a bit dated. I'm glad that the renovation will address these issues, strengthening the center's draw.
The most interesting aspect of the redevelopment effort is that it will add a residential component where none existed before. A building containing 62 luxury condominiums is being added along the center's Beverly Boulevard frontage, and a second building containing a 177-unit assisted-living facility for seniors is being added along the center's 3rd Street frontage. The ground floor of both structures will contain shops to complement the center's existing retail component.
Adding residential units to existing shopping centers makes a lot of sense for mall owners. Not only does having people living at the mall add a "built-in" customer base, but it allows owners to derive more value from their real estate. But such projects are also good for the communities in which they are located. There is a definite need for more housing in the existing urban areas of Los Angeles and other major cities, especially for seniors; building it in such "mixed-use" configurations can improve traffic conditions, as residents in the "new" Beverly Connection won't have to get in their cars to pick up a gallon of milk, drop off their dry cleaning, or even to enjoy a dinner and a movie. Our cities cannot afford to keep building "out" exclusively (a phenomenon known as urban sprawl) -- they must also build "up" (mixed-use redevelopment).
While the Beverly Connection Web Site indicates the the City of Los Angeles has yet to give its final approval, the mall's owners must feel confident that the "new" Beverly Connection will move forward, as they've already started to retrofit the parking and retail. I support and applaud this project, as it results from the kind of innovative thinking we so desperately need in this city. I can't wait to visit the "new" Beverly Connection!
Here are some renderings of the project:
Beverly Boulevard frontage, showing proposed condominium building over existing retail center
3rd Street frontage, showing proposed senior housing building over existing retail center (Beverly Center at rear)
Southeast corner of Beverly Boulevard and La Cienega Boulevard, showing revamped retail center
posted by Mitch Glaser @ 3:30 PM
22 comments
22 Comments:
Beverly Center bears a strong resemblence to Le Centre Pompidou in Paris. The escalator arrangement is very similar.
While the addition of 62 condos and a 177-unit assisted living facility could be an asset to my community, the owners of the Beverly Connection and the City of Los Angeles have refused to fairly study the possible impact that the project will have on traffic in the area. Will the addition of hundreds of residents, and synergy among the Beverly Connection, Beverly Center and Cedars-Sinai lead to a significant increase in pedestrian traffic? If so, how might that impact the horrible vehicle traffic in the area? We don't know. If there are impacts, are there workable solutions, ranging from simple modification of crosswalks and signals, to improved synchronization of traffic lights, to construction of a pedestrian bridge between the Beverly Connection and Beverly Center, that will not only improve the planned project but also improve pedestrian safety and auto traffic? They haven't studied any of these issues, and many of us in the community think they should be required to do so. As a sidenote, it isn't clear that Ralph's is returning to the Beverly Connection, so it isn't clear that residents will be able to walk to a grocery store.
Hi! My name is Beverly Glaser - just had to write, because I am an independent interior designer in Minnesota, and I found this website by surfing for something else. I have never seen Beverly Center, but would love to someday.
Thanks for letting me blog with you.
The Beverly Connection has been and always will be a failure. The greedy Apollo Group could care less about the community and the fact that the traffic will be grid locked for miles on Beverly and 3rd. These developers don't care because they'll make their money back by selling unneeded luxury condos for over $1 million dollars and then they will rape the elderly and their families pocketbook by overcharging rent for those who are on a fixed income-i.e."assisted living". Don't believe the hype and don't support the greed!!!
Beverly Hills, West Hollyood and the other surrounding areas will be stuck in traffic because of this additional overdevelopment in an already very taxed location. The Apollo Group are "opportunist" developers who devise a "develop and get out quick" scheme. They will build these luxury condos at the corner of Beverly Blvd. and La Cienega and sell them individually for over $1million each. Then on the opposite side, they are building an "Assisted Living" community whereas the profits are through the roof (if you've ever had a loved one living in one of these, then you know the cost of sharing a 1 room/1 bathroom can exceed $5,000 a month). Then THE APOLLO GROUP intends to expand the shopping area and, given the fact that we have the BEVERLY CONNECTION acrosss the street, an intelligent being could conclude that this is just a little skim off the top with no concern to financial gain or loss for these developers. In essence, the main goal for this particular developer, Richard Ackerman of The Apollo Group, is not only to pretend that he's enriching the community by having not only 650 shops on the same corner, but to add 300 + more and make his money off of the ELDERLY AND THEIR FAMILIES as they will be the one to be forking out the big cash to house their loved ones on this crowded block. Moreover, it is not enough to STICK IT TO THE ELDERLY, but to Mr. Richard Ackerman, it is his duty to stick it to consumers who may wantonly and out of sweet persuasion, purchase one of Ackerman's $1 million dollar condos overlooking one of the busiest intersections in the world located at Beverly Blvd. and La Cienega in Los Angeles. Just a shout out to the greed mongrels!!! We see ya comin' and you're not welcomed.
This is a gross example of overdevelpment due to greed and lack of leadership of our 5th District City Councilman of Los Angeles, Jack Weiss. The developers of The "New" Beverly Connection gave numerous campaign contributions to Mr. Weiss before he was elected city councilman. If you were to read on The Beverly Connection's Home page, you would find that the City Planning Commission APPROVED a SPECIAL variance to EXCEED the height limits for that particular zone. Shocked? I know it's hard to imagine but, given that Jack Weiss (our Councilman) and the developer (Richard Ackerman) are long lost financial buddies, it's not such a stretch of the imagination. This development is not for the people but a "get rich quick scheme" that ultimately will render us NATIVE LOS ANGELINOS helpless. Please protest and call Jack Weiss's office:
822 S. Robertson Boulevard,
Suite 102
Los Angeles 90035
Phone (310) 289-0353
Fax (310)289-0365
E-Mail councilmember.weiss@lacity.org
If this goes through then protest Mr. Weiss's bid to run for City Attorney of Los Angeles and any other future endeavors he may try to pursue--it's our lives that we're trying to save, not his career!!!!!!
It's so disgusting what their doing at the corner of La Cienega and Beverly AKA The Beverly Center. The streets are going to be so clogged throughout West Hollywood and Beverly Hills and do we really need more shopping malls? Greedy, greedy Apollo group and their investors cannot withstand the pressure of the community. We don't need any more traffic in Los Angeles. High rise condos they're trying to build above the height limit is another gross display of "don't count your money while you're sittin' at the table, there will be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done". They'll split after they make the mess and fill their greedy souless pockets. Boycott the Beverly Connection!!!
Beverly Connection in Los Angeles does not hire women or African Americans nor minorities. They want to facilitate rich white people. Do not shop at The Beverly Connection.
I have lived in the neighborhood for over 30 years so I hope I can chime in. I think the redevelopment is going to be an asset to the area, if someone can afford a million dollars for a condo, good for them, I don't have to be jealous. Senior care is expensive, thats just a fact, whether a person is housed in an ivory tower or not. Much of the traffic in the area is caused by careless drivers, people making u-turns in the middle of the street, people stopped for no reason blocking lanes of traffic, people making turns from the wrong lane and blocking the traffic lane while they try and merge. It's careless driving and not the amount of cars. Also in California we are allowed to turn right on red unless its posted not to and you don't have to wait for an arrow on Fairfax and Third to turn. Ah, that feels better.
I've lived in the community for over 40 years and have seen the traffic increase ten fold. To think that we need another shopping mall next to another huge eye sore such as the Beverly Center is insane. The "Manhattenization" that is transpiring at the corner of La Cienega and Beverly is disgusting. The Beverly Connection is hardly going to be an assest to the community unless you have no life and no where to go except to meandor about in a sea of congestion. Traffic is congested in this area because people are trying to get to and from their homes and to and from work; not because people are doing u turns or because of careless driving. This Beverly Connection fiasco will only make things worse--check the traffic study fool and get a clue!!!
Welcome to Los Angeles (i.e. your comment about the traffic) perhaps after living in the area for 40 years you should sell your home, take your million dollar profit and live comfortably in Iowa, where there is no traffic and no Beverly Center. You maybe surprised but there are people who actually enjoy the restaurants and shopping in the neighborhood.
Aren't there enough malls and shopping centers in the area? Such as The Beverly Center and The Grove. Join the boycott of The Beverly Connection and do not sell your Spanish duplexes for the sake of another ugly mall. It's all about retaining the integrity of the neighborhood--something the previous blogger may not understand.
It is surprising that people need to indulge themselves to pass their fruitless time on shopping malls. As the previous blogger said, we do not need any more malls. The newly wed or the nearly dead may love 'em but us younger folk who are the majority in the neighborhood could do without more malls and congestion. Big profit for the real estate investors living in Malibu reap the benefits but suckers you are for buying into it. Shame on your ignorance.
I agree we do have enough shopping in the area, I suppose it would be nice if the city would purchase the Beverly Connection and turn it into open space and as a park. But this won't happen. So we really don't have a choice, either we keep the eyesore aka Beverly Connection or we support them rebuilding it into something at least nice to look at?
I don't believe it will be something nice to look at. It will be an eyesore due to the fact that while you're sitting in you're car trying to get home, you won't care about the "pretty" building--trust me. The traffic will be unbearable so I'll just sit on my porch and laugh at you all in your cars; honking, irritated, stressed out etc.. The Beverly Center used to be a park--do your homework and welcome to Los Angeles!!!!
most of you have no idea what the hell you are talking about. Ackerman is adding some 167 parking spaces that werent there before and by demolishing the movie theatre and putting in residential units he will actually be cutting the traffic flow. A 1,800 seat movie theatre creates more traffic than an assisted living facility and some condos, less people go back and forth from residential structures than they do a movie theatre. He is also creating a larger sidewalks by giving the city a 5 foot easement and by buring the car entrance with a tunnel you can walk from builing to building without gettin hit by aa car. Developers in LA WANT TO CREATE MORE PARKING because they charge for it. He will be charging $1 per car. He has every incentive to provide adequate parking since doing so will add some 5 million to the equity in the project. A traffic study and a light and shadow study were done as part of this project so people who say there was no EIR are clueless. PLUM wouldnt have approved the project otherwise.
As for creating more traffic, you have a million square foot mall across the street, the extra 300,000 square feet he is adding to the original construction is literally a drop in the bucket, plus the biggest source of traffic was the movie theatre, it generated more traffic than 4 or 5 big box retailers ever could. By getting rid of it he can add more useable square footage without increasing traffic and at the same time increasing his rents.
The people at Apollo did their homework and this is a project that every traffic engineer should study.
Its hard for you laymen to understand by each building has a certain amount of traffic built into it. Theatres and hospitals are the worst, the developers understood this, so they got rid of the theatre in favor of more profitable big boxes that have less traffic "built into" them but that rent for more and condos that can sell and never have to worry about again.
The comment above was thoughtfully put together and was probably written by the developer himself. Who is he trying to kid?
Can't we call just get along?
The HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION (BEVERLY-WILSHIRE), has finally WON the LAWSUIT against the Apollo Group and their DEVELOPERS. The building of the condos on Beverly has now come into question and the DEVELOPERS have to do an Environmental Impact Report(EIR). HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!
It's too bad so many people are opposing these types of mixed use developments because if increased traffic.
WE LIVE IN A CITY, PEOPLE!
That having been said, I think those who are pushing for an EIR are reasonable to do so, but there is a strong NIMBY vibe going on here that I think is unhealthy.
What a shame, mixed use development such as this could make for a vibrant community and provides smart growth development...Unfortunately, I understand that local community groups killed the residential concepts now there will be NO Condos and NO assisted living...further development is also being prohibited...Pretty soon the Retailers will be boarded up and the Project Bankrupt....GOOD JOB! It could have provided a great amenity for the aging population that can no longer take care of their single family homes or drive to move into an aparmtent in their neighborhood and provide for a means for a pedestrian friendly residential and retail environment....However, this will not be...GOOD JOB to the community Groups..When the Stores go out of business, perhaps the project can now lead the community into Decline...
WOW!
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