Let Me Put You On The Game

Here's one more post for your Monday evening...when I saw this story on Steve's Blog, I couldn't resist the urge to share it here. One of my favorite West Coast rappers, The Game ("Compton's Finest"), got into a little trouble at the Four Seasons Town Centre mall in Greensboro, North Carolina on Friday. Scandalicious! Read on:

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The Game arrested after mall confrontation

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Rapper The Game, accused of rowdy behavior and refusing to remove a Halloween mask in a shopping mall, was arrested Friday on a charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

"I'm here for a concert. I got arrested for signing autographs," the 25-year-old rapper from Southern California told television station WFMY after he was released on $500 bond. "Signing a little girl's autograph got me arrested."

But police said in a statement that The Game, whose real name is Jayceon Taylor, and a group of companions were behaving disruptively and swearing at Four Seasons Town Centre.

Mall security officers said Taylor was wearing a full-face Halloween mask and cursing loudly in front of other patrons, and refused when they asked him to leave, police said. When police arrived, Taylor continued to act up and was arrested, the statement said.

A 19-year-old companion, Michael J. Taylor, was charged with disorderly conduct and obstructing an officer when he allegedly interfered with Jayceon Taylor's arrest. He also was freed on $500 bond.

Other members of the group were sprayed with pepper spray when they surrounded the officers in a threatening manner, police said. The incident was captured on videotape by a member of the group.

Jayceon Taylor said officers overreacted.

"They thought I was Rodney King, man. It was a case of mistaken identity," he told WFMY as he headed, belatedly, to a performance in nearby Winston-Salem. "It's unfair, man. Their behavior's unfair. ... Soon as I wake up in the morning, I'll be on the phone with my lawyers."

Police said they will conduct an internal investigation, as they do in all cases where officers use force.

Spotlight On Simi Valley

I was so wrapped up in the opening of the Metro Orange Line this past weekend that I didn't realize Simi Valley Town Center, Southern California's newest regional shopping destination, made its debut on Thursday. While fellow mall blogger Steven Swain lives in Virginia, he never misses a beat -- props to him for tipping me off to the news.

Earlier this evening I shared that more people are "Living at the Mall" in Arizona. The Simi Valley Town Center is an innovative development similar to the San Tan Village project being planned for the Phoenix suburb of Gilbert. The complex combines an outdoor shopping promendae featuring department stores and other typical "mall" retailers with numerous residential units and big-box stores such as Lowe's Home Improvement and Best Buy. This paradigm of the next generation of retail centers has opened in the somewhat distant and hum-drum Ventura County suburb of Simi Valley, though its likely success should hold lessons for future developments closer to the core of Los Angeles.

It's interesting to note that before Simi Valley Town Center even opened, Federated Department Stores announced the mall would be losing one of its two department stores next year since it includes new units of both Macy's West and Robinsons-May. Hopefully the mall's owners will find a replacement anchor by next year's crucial holiday shopping season.

I'll plan on heading out to Simi Valley Town Center soon. In the meantime, I'd like to share the following article from last Thursday's edition of the Los Angeles Daily News, also posted on Steve's Blog, that does an excellent job of summarizing the evolution of malls in Southern California:

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Mall for a new generation

It's all about the air as the area's iconic centers go back to the great outdoors

By Brent Hopkins, Staff Writer

Forget the hills, the beach, even the Hollywood sign - Southern California's true icon is the mall.

From the novel outdoor shopping centers of the 1960s to the '80s' boxy, enclosed fortresses to the massive "lifestyle centers" of today, the mall has had many faces. It's gone from sunshine-warmed to air-conditioned and back again. It's contained movies, skate rinks, youth zones and choreographed dancing fountains. In the urban desert of Los Angeles, malls dot the landscape like modern oases, each trying to outdo the previous one with bigger stores, better parking, smoother landscapes.

Marking the latest entry into this ultracompetitive playing field is the Simi Valley Town Center, a $300 million development that will celebrate its grand opening today - a mall that blends department stores, boutiques, big-box retail outlets and apartments. Each of its key elements represents a lesson learned from the experiences of its retail forebears, resulting in 1.5 million square feet of commerce in nearly every form.

"Retail's been around for thousands of years, starting with someone selling pots in the desert," said John Gilchrist, a principal with the Corti Gilchrist Partnership, one of the Town Center's three developers. "Then he put a carpet down, then he put a tent up. But consumers have certain preferences and trends change."

The Town Center, which intends to re-create an Italian shopping district on a hillside, is a far cry from that desert pot stand, with six restaurants, two department stores, Best Buy, Lowe's and 500 apartments. While it's the first major shopping development since The Oaks in nearby Thousand Oaks went up in 1972, this new entry will add competition to an area that defined mall culture for much of the past half-century.

From the trailblazing Panorama Mall, a swanky center anchored by The Broadway when it opened in the early 1950s, to the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, the Valley served as an incubator for some of the region's most influential shopping centers and trends.

When they first came about, these huge centers aimed to pull together all the elements of a downtown shopping district in one location. Taking advantage of Southern California's good weather and ample land, they were open-air with vast asphalt parking lots.

But as shoppers became more accustomed to creature comforts, enclosed centers became in vogue, with multilevel, air-conditioned concourses linking increasingly huge department stores. Topanga Plaza started the trend in 1964, and Northridge Fashion Center cemented it seven years later, conditioning shoppers to nab all their purchases in one stop.

Fried-food court fare fed many a cranky child dragged along for the ride. This all led to the 1976 birth of the Glendale Galleria, the super-regional mall so huge it extended across several city blocks. By then, malls had little resemblance to the downtowns of old, becoming entirely self-contained and cut off from the outside world. This spawned the iconic Sherman Oaks Galleria in 1980, home of the much-mocked Valley Girls, and led the Panorama Mall and Fashion Square to cover up in coming decades.

But by 2000, the traditional mall didn't cut it anymore. Consumers suddenly remembered they liked the outdoors and turned their backs on enclosed centers. The Sherman Oaks Galleria shut down, only to reinvent itself as an outdoor "entertainment destination" mixing retail, movies and sit-down restaurants. Other centers reversed course and began playing up their natural elements, adding outdoor features and landscaping beneath skylights.

"A big part of it is that consumers are fed up with the sameness of shopping malls," said Linda Berman, vice president of branding and communications for Caruso Affiliated Holdings. "At a certain point, people will react to that. Closed-mall developers are getting more savvy about importing better entertainment, putting in outdoor elements, whatever it takes to make it warmer and friendlier."

Caruso, which owns a series of so-called lifestyle centers, including The Commons at Calabasas and the landmark The Grove in the Fairfax District, has been one of the biggest forces in the current movement back outdoors. Though at times controversial - critics say its whimsical developments are overly saccharine and rival developer General Growth Properties Inc., owner of the Glendale Galleria, set off a nasty legal battle attempting to block Caruso's plans to build an outdoor center in downtown Glendale - its malls have become a huge success with consumers.

"Here, people feel like they're on vacation," Berman said. "When you're at a resort, the shopping barriers fall away. People don't really come here to shop necessarily, but they end up buying something anyway."

The trend back to more classic, outdoor centers has led other developers to take notice. General Growth knocked down the old Fallbrook Mall to make way for a collection of big-box stores with more outdoor space, while Westfield Corp. will spend more than $300 million to bring in high-end tenants such as Neiman Marcus to Westfield Topanga.

While there are limited things a developer can do within the confines of an enclosed center, Westfield is still playing up the natural aspects of the mall.

"The centerpiece of the redeveloped center is an architectural and design marvel called The Canyon," Katy Dickey, Westfield's vice president of communications, said in a statement. "With over 30,000 square feet of glass, it will be a vast sky-filled atrium, which runs through the heart of Westfield Topanga, bringing the Southern California lifestyle indoors."

The final step in bringing shopping centers back to the way they used to be comes in the form of adding apartments. Though a relatively new trend in malls, first seen locally at Paseo Colorado in Pasadena in 2001, this hearkens back to traditional retail, in which stores operated in the heart of neighborhoods instead of on their suburban fringe. For Simi Valley Town Center, the people who will live in those apartments will add a community vibe to the shops - and built-in customers as well.

"It's the doctrine of new urbanism," said Alexander Moore, a professor of anthropology at the University of Southern California. "It all goes back to the importance of the street. Not only do you want the traditional things, like boutiques and department stores, but you want real, actual people there."

Living at the Mall

Last week Thurman sent me an article from the East Valley Tribune about the growing number of shopping centers in greater Phoenix that combine housing with the usual mix of retail, restaurants, and entertainment. These developments in the Salt River Valley reflect a nationwide trend that promises to create environments far more complex and urbane than those provided by traditional malls in the past.

Westcor, which owns most of Phoenix's malls, has already recieved approval to add condominium towers to its Biltmore Fashion Park property and is considering adding housing to several other "mature" malls, especially those that will lose department store anchors once Macy's West absorbs Robinsons-May. Such a move would create a "built-in" customer base, increasing sales, and would allow the company (a division of Macerich) to derive more profit from its landholdings. Lofts are also planned for Westcor's brand new SanTan Village in Gilbert, an outdoor "hybrid" mall that will include big-box retailers and a supermarket along with department stores, a multiplex, numerous restaurants, and the usual retail offerings.

From an urban planning standpoint, the addition of residences to regional retail centers is a worthy concept whose time has come. Malls need to move beyond their role as "mono-functional centers" to become vibrant mixed-use hubs with 24-hour activity, especially in suburban areas that lack traditional "downtown" environments. The evolution of consumer preferences and the retail business has worked in tandem with the growing need for housing to create a new style of mall that is more relevant for today's lifestyles than its predecessors.

As a native of the East Valley, I'm pleasantly surprised to see that SanTan Village and Main Street Commons, a similar mixed-use development, are both being built in Gilbert, a relatively "far out" but fast-growing suburb. Indeed, when I left Phoenix in 1997, the area that will hold these two ground-breaking endeavors was little more than farmland. It's good to see more urbane environments coming to the suburbs of "Sprawl City, U.S.A."

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Malls being built with condos above stores

By Beth Lucas, Tribune

October 21, 2005

The malls of the future are coming to the East Valley. And for some people, they’ll become home — literally. Joining a recent national trend, local developers are building malls in Gilbert that have condos and lofts, and may add them to older malls such as Scottsdale Fashion Center and Fiesta Mall in Mesa.

It’s an attempt to rekindle a downtown-type atmosphere, especially in regions where sprawling suburbia has left behind the oldfashioned thriving main street of years gone by.

The trend has been building nationwide for about five years, said Michael Niemira, chief economist and director of research for the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Kierland Commons at the northwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Greenway Parkway was the first mall in Arizona to feature condos. The first 30 condos available opened in 2005 after all were sold on the same day two years ago.

About 3,000 eager buyers are on a list to claim 55 more condos that go on sale in January. At final buildout, the luxury shopping center will have 120 high-end lofts overlooking a courtyard and fountain.

"With the main street neighborhood, you feel very comfortable walking outside at night," said resident Trudy Hammond. "You’ve got everything from shops to restaurants to services, all within walking distance."

Her balcony looks down upon energy that can’t be matched in any typical East Valley community, she said.

"People love this. People want this," Hammond said. "They want more convenience in their lives. They don’t want to have to maintain a big house somewhere."

A similar retail/residential development called Main Street Commons is planned for the southeast corner of Pecos Road and Val Vista Drive in Gilbert. The Commons will be a pedestrianfriendly neighborhood with lofts above high-end retail, all built along roads meant to feel like neighborhood streets. Stores open in 2006, with homes expected to become available in 2007. Potential home buyers already are calling.

Westcor plans to build up to 400 condominiums atop stores, restaurants and parking structures at its SanTan Village near Williams Field Road and the Santan Freeway leg of Loop 202 in Gilbert — a mall that when completed in 2007 will have 3 million square feet of stores ranging from Dillard’s to a Wal-Mart.

Though the condos are at least three years from opening, already more than 30 buyers have expressed an interest, said senior marketing manager Karen Maurer.

Westcor also is debating whether to have lofts and condos at its existing malls, including Chandler Fashion Center, Fiesta Mall in Mesa, Scottsdale Fashion Square and Paradise Valley Mall.

Garrett Newland, assistant vice president for development with Westcor, said condos could be built in empty land outside the malls, or above new parking structures. Another option is tearing down anchor stores that will be left empty with the recent merger of Robinsons-May and Macy’s department stores.

"I think it’s a good idea. We’re seeing it more and more talked about," said Greg Tilque, Gilbert’s director of economic development. "Some people don’t want a house. They want to walk downstairs, right in an area they can do some shopping."

J.P. Ward, a manager at Dicks Sporting Goods in Huntersville, N.C., said he’s noticed a dramatic increase in regular customers at his mall, which is similar to the future SanTan Village. A recent survey found 78 percent of customers are from the immediate area.

"They took the concept of a New England kind of downtown — a turn of the century downtown," Ward said. "There’s a nice grassy area, with a fountain kids can play in. It’s created a customer base like I haven’t seen at any other retailer I’ve worked at . . . enables us to have a repeat customer base like you wouldn’t believe."

Kierland Commons in Phoenix has 30 lofts above retail stores such as the Banana Republic and Bose. About 3,000 buyers are on a list to claim 55 more condos that go on sale in January. (Paul O'Neill, Tribune)

Downtown Boom Attracts Suburban Builders

Today's edition of the Los Angeles Downtown News featured a story on the latest residential towers planned for the South Park district near the Staples Center arena and the future L.A. Live complex. While this development project is unremarkable in the sense that Downtown is in the midst of an unprecedented residential building boom, it is interesting to note that its builders will be KB Home and Lennar Corp., two of the largest suburban homebuilders in the nation. These two companies have profited greately from suburban sprawl but now see their future in urban high-rise living; such a paradigm shift speaks to the changes that have occurred in Downtown Los Angeles, the larger Southern California metropolis, and the real estate market. Read on:

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Two More Towers

Mega Builders Join South Park Housing Frenzy

by Kathryn Maese

The forest of residential towers being planned around Staples Center just got denser. Last week two major housing developers announced plans to create as many as 700 units in two high-rises.

KB Home and Lennar Corp., among the biggest homebuilders in the nation, said they will partner on a 40-story and a 27-story structure on Figueroa between 11th and 12th streets across from Staples Center. Pending city approvals, the four-acre project could break ground as early as June, said KB Home spokeswoman Caroline Shaw.

"What we're really announcing is the launch of KB Urban, a concept that will help us to develop more high density projects in city centers," Shaw said. "We chose L.A. because it's in our own backyard and it's a vibrant place. We want to contribute to the Downtown revitalization."

The proposed venture, dubbed Fig Central, would add to more than a dozen housing towers in the blocks surrounding the planned L.A. Live project, a $1.5 billion entertainment district helping to fuel the area's comeback with a slate of restaurants, clubs, retail and a 1,100-room Convention Center headquarters hotel.

Last summer, a subsidiary of Lennar, Newhall Land, purchased the property from Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), the developer of L.A. Live. The site is one of many around Staples Center that has been sold by AEG to housing developers. The district is entitled for up to 2,000 housing units.

South Group developer Tom Cody, who purchased the sister site to the south with plans to develop 648 units in two 30-plus-story towers - he hopes to break ground in the middle of next year - said Fig Central will knit together the entertainment district with the emerging residential community.

"The plans I've seen are spectacular," Cody said. "It's an enormous endeavor and it is very complimentary from the standpoint that we want to see that retail happen. They know how to execute complicated, large-scale projects that have a positive impact on neighborhoods like this. It gives us the confidence that we are in the right place at the right time."

Like many of Downtown's new residential projects, Fig Central could include ground floor retail, in this case up to 250,000 square feet. An artist's rendering depicts a shopping area to be developed by LNR Property Corp. fronting Figueroa Street, along with mammoth billboards and television screens in keeping with the flashy L.A. Live design.

Lennar spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer would not comment on the project's specifics, saying the details of the deal are still being worked out. Lauffer, however, noted that the firm is looking to establish itself in the Downtown market, and recently opened an office in Wells Fargo Tower.

"We are getting involved in the urban market in L.A. and are excited about the great opportunities in Downtown, particularly around Staples Center," she said. "There is strong demand in the marketplace and there is great synergy occurring there."

Lennar Corp. and KB Home are planning up to 700 units in two towers just east of Staples Center. It's the first Downtown venture for both companies. Rendering courtesy of KB Home.

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While we're on the subject of the Downtown housing boom, here's a funny cartoon, also from today's Los Angeles Downtown News (click to enlarge):

Ride the Orange Line

Ride the Orange Line (a Flickr photoset)

This weekend the Metro Orange Line began to shuttle passengers across the San Fernando Valley. The innovative 14-mile-long busway has been touted as an alternative to higher-cost rail systems in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Earlier today Chizi and I participated in the inaugural festivities by enjoying a free round-trip journey. I'd like to share some of the photos I took:

The Orange Line begins in North Hollywood. Behind the station's sign is one of several new transit-oriented mixed-use developments currently under construction in the vicinity.

A key aspect of the Orange Line is that it feeds into the Red Line subway, which proceeds from North Hollywood southeast to Downtown.

A view of one the articulated "Metro Liner" buses acquired to operate the line.

A Metro Liner arrives at North Hollywood. Note the line of waiting passengers at the left.

Boarding at the rail-like station platform was quick and easy considering the size of the crowd.

The terminus of the Orange Line is in Warner Center, across the street from the Westfield Promendae mall. On the return trip we saw some interesting art at the station while waiting for a bus.

A Metro Liner arrives at Warner Center.

While Chizi may not have been thrilled to be photographed riding a bus, I'm sure she'll come to appreciate her place in Los Angeles transit history. I certainly enjoyed her company very much.

Yours truly, loving the trip.

On the whole, I found using the Orange Line to be a convenient and pleasant experience. However, I'm unlikely to use it much because I don't live in the San Fernando Valley. I hope the large inaugural turnout is indicative of the busway's success; the true test begins tomorrow, when the first true commuters board.

Ride the Orange Line (a Flick photoset)

Previously on P.U.

Coming Soon: Metro Orange Line

Busway Anxiety

Red Line Extension Clears Hurdle

Last Wednesday I shared that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and U.S. Representative Henry Waxman had appointed a "blue ribbon panel" of engineering experts to determine whether tunneling along Wilshire Boulevard is "safe." Mr. Villaraigosa has vociferously supported the extension of the Red Line subway west from its current terminus at Wilshire and Western Avenue to Santa Monica as a bulwark against worsening traffic congestion on the city's Westside. This extension, long a dream of transit planners, has been stymied by Rep. Waxman, who placed a ban on Federal funding for the project ostensibly because he was afraid of the methane gas along the route and its potential to cause explosions. Many suspect that Rep. Waxman's primary concern was with the large portion of his constituency that opposed the subway on race and class fears. For the whole story, read "Dreaming of a Subway to the Sea."

On Thursday, the panel announced it had concluded that the Red Line extension could proceed safely. Rep. Waxman previously indicated that such a decision would persuade him to remove the ban on Federal funding for the project. The costly subway extension cannot move forward without the possibility of Federal assistance.

If the methane gas issue is put to rest and the Federal funding ban is lifted, the Red Line still isn't a sure thing. When Congress can appropriate money to the project, there's no assurance that they will, especially in the current political climate. Furthermore, Los Angeles County voters approved an initative in 1998 that prevents local sales tax money from being used for underground transit construction. A skeptical public would need to be convinced that a new subway endeavor would have regional benefits. These financial and political obstacles ensure that any Red Line extension is at least 15 years away.

As an unabashed Los Angeles transit booster, I find the panel's findings encouraging. The Wilshire subway is a worthwhile endeavor, but "getting it done" requires advocacy and political acumen. I applaud our Mayor for demonstrating the leadership necessary in our rapidly evolving metropolis.

More from the Los Angeles Times:

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Building Subway Beneath Wilshire Deemed Safe

Conclusion by a panel of experts supports Mayor Villaraigosa's effort to extend the Red Line

By Richard Fausset
Times Staff Writer
October 28, 2005

A westward extension of Los Angeles' Red Line subway can be safely built below Wilshire Boulevard despite the presence of dangerous underground gases, a panel of tunneling and transportation experts concluded Thursday.

"By following proper procedures and using appropriate technologies, the risk would be no greater than any other subway systems in the U.S.," the group concluded in a report to local transit officials.

The preliminary decision by the five-member panel, which was convened by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, could bolster Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's vision of building a subway to the beach.

Currently, the subway runs between Union Station and North Hollywood. Federal law bans using federal money to extend the Red Line. The law was introduced by U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles) after a 1985 methane explosion at a Fairfax-area clothing store. Concerns have also been raised about the presence of lethal hydrogen sulfide gas.

Earlier this month, Waxman said he would ask Congress to rescind the law if the panel concluded that tunneling was safe. On Thursday, Waxman said the conclusion was "encouraging," but said he would not seek to repeal the law until he had a chance to talk to panel members in the next few days.

"I certainly am not going to make any decision before I have a thorough understanding of their report," Waxman said from Washington, D.C. "I just want to understand what their findings were, and the basis for it."

The panel of experts from around the country spent the week studying the geology of the Wilshire corridor and reviewing tunneling methods. The experts presented their preliminary opinion to MTA officials at a closed-door meeting Thursday morning, but their arguments were outlined in a report released to The Times.

According to the report, much has changed since the 1985 explosion.

The technology for tunneling and detecting gas has improved, as has the "attitude regarding safety."

Construction engineers have much more experience with the challenges posed by tunneling. And a number of basements for parking garages have been built along Wilshire without major incident.

"They were pretty confident that any difficulties that would be encountered could be taken care of," said MTA Chief Executive Roger Snoble, who attended the meeting.

Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge — who led the push to create the panel when he was on the MTA board — was excited by the findings.

The panel will prepare its findings in a written report that will be presented to the MTA's construction committee on Nov. 17, authority spokesman Rick Jager said.

Dreaming of a Subway to the Sea

As the Merger Churns

On Monday Federated Department Stores announced that it would close six additional "duplicate" stores in five states, including two in Southern California, as it continues to integrate the operations of former competitor May Department Stores. The merger will result in the closure of 82 stores nationwide, 26 of which are located in the greater Los Angeles and San Diego areas. May's regional offices in North Hollywood will also close, resulting in the loss of over 1,000 jobs.

The divesture list has been expanded to include one of the two existing Macy's stores at The Oaks in Thousand Oaks and one of the two existing Robinsons-May stores at Westfield North County in Escondido. It's interesting to consider that each of these malls will be losing not one but two department store anchors as a result of the merger. The retailing landscapein Southern California will be irrevocably changed.

This week's announcement also indicated that its first round of "going out of business" sales would begin on January 29, 2006 at 32 stores across the nation, including these in the greater Los Angeles and San Diego markets:

Robinsons-May

Fashion Valley (San Diego) *

Los Cerritos Center (Cerritos)

Santa Monica Place (Santa Monica)

South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa) *

Westfield Fox Hills (Culver City)

Westfield North County "north store" (Escondido)

Westfield North County "south store" (Escondido)

Westfield Plaza Camino Real (Carlsbad)

Westfield Santa Anita (Arcadia)

Westfield University Town Center (La Jolla)

Macy's West

Galleria at Tyler (Riverside) **

Inland Center (San Bernardino) **

Montclair Plaza (Montclair) **

* After closing, these stores will be converted into Bloomingdale's units.

** The "going out of business" sales will not occur at these Macy's stores, but at the Robinsons-May stores in the same mall. It appears that Federated intends to clear out the Robinsons-May stores at these malls, then briefly close them to re-stock them with merchandise and open them as Macy's units. The existing Macy's stores at these malls will close quietly.

For more information:

Macy's: Coming Soon to a Mall Near You

Remembering Robinsons-May

Big Changes in Store for Southern California's Malls

Pink Slips Galore

Wilshire Subway On Track

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villariagosa has publicly pledged to push for an extension of the Red Line subway westward from Koreatown into Santa Monica along Wilshire Boulevard. If you're not familiar with the many issues surrounding this transit project, I suggest you read "Dreaming of a Subway to the Sea."

The Los Angeles Independent recently reported that the Mayor has continued to keep the Wilshire subway at the forefront of his agenda although he is acting "behind-the-scenes." Read on:

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Westside Subway Extension Alive Again

Politics: Villaraigosa and Waxman name expert panel to study tunneling feasibility.

By ROSANNA MAH and TONY CASTRO, Staff Writers

19.OCT.05

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has gotten Rep. Henry Waxman to soften his longstanding opposition to construction of the Westside subway extension, which has been blocked for two decades by a federal ban.

Waxman, one of the most powerful members of Congress, has joined Villaraigosa in appointing a blue ribbon panel of experts to study whether it is safe to tunnel under Wilshire Boulevard from Western Avenue to the ocean.

Both Villaraigosa and Waxman downplayed the Westside congressman’s willingness to open feasibility studies.

But former Mayor Jim Hahn says that he was consistently unable during his term in office to get Waxman to reconsider — blaming the congressman as “the reason we can’t build the subway.”

Waxman’s opposition has been based on concerns about methane gas underground in the area close to where the subway tunneling would run — a hazard responsible for a 1985 explosion at the Ross Dress For Less store adjacent to the Farmers Market.

The panel will study the safety in tunneling through the area, as well as any potential dangers from methane gas zones.

How Villaraigosa was able to soften Waxman’s opposition shows an often overlooked side of the mayor’s political astuteness: the ability of a politician known for his charismatic flair for show-boating to also wield influence quietly behind-the-scenes.

“I’ve know Henry for over 35 years — I don’t think that he’s going to be wooed by charm alone,” observed former Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alatorre, who has served as an unofficial adviser to Villaraigosa in the past year.

“I think that you have to make your case, and I think there is a case to be made for the position that the mayor has taken about the completion of the Wilshire [subway] all the way to the beach...

“There has been some movement [toward the subway extension idea] on the part of Congressman Waxman. He’s opened to the idea of listening, and I think you have to continue to push forward.

“You push forward, not steam roller over Congressman Waxman, but work with him and alleviate his concerns.”

According to insiders, Villaraigosa may also have been aided in assuaging Waxman’s concerns by the new technologies mitigating dangerous underground gases, by the Wilshire corridor’s increasing traffic congestion, as well as by the alliance with the Congressman who represents much of the Westside.

“You have a mayor who reaches out and talks about bringing people together,” notes political observer Jaime Regalado, director of the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A.

“That was not Jimmy Hahn’s style or Richard’s Riordan’s style. It is Antonio’s style and it measures well with the Congressman and how it works. It’s a new ball game.”

Though he is known in political circles as the power-broker on the Los Angeles Westside, Waxman is a man who historically has been more comfortable with the nuts and bolts of public office and for downplaying his own achievements.

Press conferences, such as the one last spring where he and other Westside political figures endorsed Villaraigosa’s mayoral candidacy are rare in the Waxman playbook.

Notably, last week’s announcement of the Villaraigosa-Waxman panel appointments came in the form of a news release from Villaraigosa’s office — a stark contrast to the media hype and news conferences that have surrounded many of the mayor’s appointments and announcement during his first 100 days in office.

Understandably, a spokesperson for the mayor played down any ulterior motive in the understated manner of the panel’s announcement.

Waxman himself would only answer a request for comment on the apparent softening of his opposition to the subway with a brief written statement:

“I am pleased we'll have an independent study now and look forward to reviewing the panel's work.”

Mayoral spokesperson Janelle Erickson said Villaraigosa and Waxman have spoken privately several times about the Wilshire subway and transportation issues over the past three months.

“We are hoping,” Erickson said, “that the panel will bring back findings that will allow the MTA with, the support of Congressman Waxman to consider building a subway under Wilshire Boulevard.”

L to R: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, U.S. Representative Henry Waxman

Dreaming of a Subway to the Sea

Kroger May Bag Albertsons

Last month I reported that Albertsons, once a darling of the supermarket industry, has decided to put itself up for sale after years of floundering in its efforts to remain competitive. Traditional supermarket chains face increasing pressure from warehouse clubs like Costco, upscale "gourmet" operators like Whole Foods, and (of course) Wal-Mart, whose push into Supercenters has enabled the big-box superstar to become the nation's largest grocer.

Recent reports indicate that Kroger, Albertsons' largest supermarket competitor, is among the suitors for the company. Another mega-merger is possible for the retail sector, following fast on the heels of the mammoth Kmart-Sears and Federated-May combinations earlier this year. This trend speaks to the evolution of retailing in the United States, as it creates organizations on the kind of massive scale required to compete with Wal-Mart.

Kroger's move is largely defensive in nature, as there is significant overlap in many markets. However, an Albertsons purchase would bring the company into several important and potentially lucrative areas, such as Chicago, Florida, and the Northeast. In many parts of the West, however, Kroger would be compelled to sell or close numerous stores due to regulatory concerns or simple economic realities.

Such a merger would be unthinkable even a decade ago due to anti-trust issues. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has recognized that the competitive landscape among supermarkets has shifted in the age of Wal-Mart and its growing share of grocery sales. As recently as 1999, the FTC required that Albertsons sell many of its Las Vegas units to Sacramento-based regional grocer Raley's as a condition of its approval of the company's acquisition of American Stores, which controlled the Lucky chain. However, in 2002, the FTC allowed the sale of Raley's unsuccessful Las Vegas division to Kroger although its Smith's subsidiary was already a major player in the market, largely because of the many Wal-Mart Supercenters that had popped up all over town in the interceding years. While the government would probably not reject a Kroger-Albertsons union, it may force concessions in markets where Wal-Mart does not have a significant presence.

As was the case with the Federated-May merger, Southern California is the largest market in the country that would be affected by a Kroger-Albertsons combination. Albertsons became a major player after acquiring Lucky in 1999, though it has met middling success after dumping the local banner in favor of its own. Kroger already controls Ralphs, the market leader. While there are some Albertsons locations that could be converted to one of Ralphs' formats (conventional stores, upscale Ralphs Fresh Fare units, and no-frills Food 4 Less warehouse stores), numerous store closings would be likely. Since Wal-Mart has few Supercenters in the region, Federal and State regulators may require that some units be sold to competitors. Vons, a division of Safeway that also operates local Pavilions stores, could add a few locations as a result, but the main company that could take advantage would be Stater Brothers, a local supermarket chain that is successful in the far-out suburbs but largely unknown in the Los Angeles Basin. It would be interesting to see what Kroger would do with Bristol Farms, an upscale local chain recently acquired by Albertsons.

In Phoenix, Kroger owns market-leader Fry's, a local banner that has already grown by absorbing the legendary local Smitty's chain and most of the Arizona stores formerly operated by Smith's. As recently as 15 years ago, 8 supermarket chains competed for customers in the Salt River Valley -- today there are 4. Regulatory concerns may be negligible there, as Wal-Mart has blanketed the metropolis with Supercenters and Neighborhood Markets. However, competitors Safeway and family-owned Bashas (which operates upscale AJ's stores and Hispanic-oriented Food City units in addition to its traditional namesake stores) could end up expanding as a result.

Kroger is unlikely to have much interest in Albertsons' stand-alone drugstore operations, Osco and Sav-On, which are former divisions of American Stores. CVS, Rite-Aid, and Walgreens are all reportedly interested in acquiring them, so the end of Albertsons could also result in a consolidation of the drugstore sector of retailing in the United States.

Kroger is competing with several teams of private equity firms, who are most likely to sell off Albertsons piece-by-piece if successful. Even if Kroger fails in bagging the whole chain, it may end up taking control of a few key Albertsons divisions, albiet at a higher price. It will be interesting to see how the competition to buy the once-mighty chain pans out.

Busway Anxiety

This weekend the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will begin service on the Orange Line across the San Fernando Valley. The Orange Line is a 14-mile-long busway featuring rail-like stations and extra-long articulated "Metro Liner" buses. Modeled after a system in Curitiba, Brazil, it is the second such transit line in the country.

Built along a former railroad right-of-way, the Orange Line is not grade-seperated and includes signalized intersections with numerous north-south boulevards. After test runs began about a month ago, Metro embarked on a public awareness campaign to advise Valley drivers of the changes in traffic control while the Sheriff's Department engaged in heavy-handed enforcement to underscore the message. With safety begin a major concern for the busway, it was somewhat ironic that a Metro Liner nearly collided with another vehicle yesterday while being rode by Mayor Villariagosa, as reported in the Los Angeles Daily News:

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Close call on Orange Line

By Lisa Mascaro, Staff Writer

October 25, 2005

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was taking his first ride Monday on the Metro Orange Line to promote safety around the busway when suddenly the driver hit the brakes, narrowly avoiding a motorist who apparently ran a red light at Kester Avenue.

It was a real-life, real-time example of what officials are seeing repeated across the San Fernando Valley as buses practice for Saturday's opening. For the mayor and others on board, it underscored the need for motorists and pedestrians to be careful.

"For San Fernando Valley residents who've waited for their share of transportation improvements, the Orange Line is a down payment on progress," said Villaraigosa, who also chairs the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, at a press conference at the Valley College Station.

"Pay attention to the red lights. Pay attention to all the traffic signs at the intersections. Save yourself some money, but most importantly save yourself some injuries and pay attention.

"Let's make the Orange Line the Valley's safest new short cut."

Sheriff Lee Baca's deputies have issued more than 500 citations over the past month along the route, and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky noted the sheriff's "ruthless and merciless" enforcement of the traffic laws.

"The reason we're being so hard is because we want people to live through this experience - and there's no reason why they shouldn't," said Yaroslavsky, another MTA board member, who has led the effort to build the Orange Line.

"This is a great amenity, and the only thing that can ruin this amenity is (if) somebody, through their own negligence, ends up getting hurt or getting killed."

Dozens of intersections have been reconfigured along the 14-mile busway, which runs on a former rail corridor between North Hollywood and Warner Center. A right turn on red is now banned at many of the corners - to prevent motorists from turning into the path of a bus.

"In the San Fernando Valley, that's a new type of sign," said Councilwoman Wendy Greuel. "We want to make sure people are actually reading those signs and obeying those signs."

Sherman Oaks resident Haleh Zahab complained to officials about getting a $147 ticket for making an illegal right turn at Burbank and Fulton avenues after dropping her child off at school.

The intersection is posted with a sign, but not a red-arrow signal like other intersections have. She asked whether the sign could be upgraded to a light.

"We'll look at it," Villaraigosa told her.

Critics have long said the $330 million Orange Line should have crossing gates like those at a railroad crossing, but officials maintain that gates are unnecessary because traffic can be managed the same way it is on city streets.

The mayor - on his first ride of the Orange Line - heaped praise on the busway, saying it will offer Valley commuters an alternative to sitting in gridlock on the 101 Freeway.

He also admired the landscaping along the route. The MTA has brought hundreds of thousands of plants and trees in a $20 million beautification effort.

Officials stopped briefly at the Sepulveda Station, noting they've created 3,200 parking spaces along the route.

"It's going to be a great addition to our regional transportation system," Villaraigosa said.

The Orange Line is expected to draw at least 5,000 riders a day during its first year.

Yaroslavsky said the busway will remain a work in progress, with service added or adjusted based on commuter demand.

"When we cut the ribbon on Friday and it opens to the public on Saturday, that's not the end of the project. That's the beginning," he said.

"We'll look at what works and build on it, and we'll see what doesn't. ... That is our challenge. That is our goal. We will continue to fine-tune this thing. Saturday is a beginning, not an end."

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While collisions are almost certain to occur, any tragic incidents involving loss of life would negatively impact ridership, especially within the first year. Angelenos need to feel that the busway is safe.

I understand Metro's reluctance to install crossing gates, as such a move would negatively impact intersecting traffic flow far more than simple traffic signals. However, as Supervisor Yaroslavsky points out, additional safeguards may prove necessary.

An abundance of grade crossings is problematic for any high-capacity transit system. The safest and most efficient design for the busway would entail seperation from the boulevards in a trench or elevated structure. Unfortunately, Metro is largely unable to fund such an expensive effort, especially when the very concept of the busway is experimental in nature. Historians of Los Angeles transit know that the Pacific Electric interurban trolley system suffered after 1920 due to an ever-growing number of automobile grade crossings that slowed the trains down and increased the rate of collisions; today's Orange Line faces similar problems.

These pamphlets are being distributed on the Metro Red Line subway, which will connect to the Orange Line in North Hollywood:

By the way, I plan on riding the Orange Line this weekend.

The Next Generation

One of the benefits of becoming a blogger is learning that your interests are not as unique as you once thought. The Internet has a way of bringing like-minded people together to share thoughts and ideas in an extremely powerful and meaningful way.

My loyal readers know that I am absolutely obsessed about shopping malls. For a long time I thought my interest was unique, but upon entering the blogosphere I found that I was far from alone in my passion. Steven Swain, in particular, loves malls just as much as I do, and his Internet vigilance tipped me off to Carolina Circle City, a "tribute blog" to a "dead mall" in Greensboro, North Carolina. I am extremely impressed by the information contained within the blog as well as its owner's dedication -- especially when I consider that its owner is a precocious 15-year-old named Billy Coore. The kid is brilliant.

On Sunday the Greensboro News & Record ran an article about Billy's blog and the end of Carolina Circle Mall. I am thoroughly impressed, since P.U. has yet to garner any press coverage. The article touches upon nearly all of my favorite subjects: malls, dead malls, retail, blogging, photo documentation, history, urban planning, local politics, even Wal-Mart. I'd like to share it with all of you here:

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The old Carolina Circle Mall lives on - at least in cyberspace

By Allen Johnson

October 23, 2005

To everything there is a season, and a blog to every purpose under heaven.

Consider the case of a new Web log devoted entirely to Carolina Circle Mall.

Carolina Circle is no more, pounded into so much rubble and scraped away to make room for a new Wal-Mart. All that's left is red clay, clumps of uprooted trees and brush and scattered stacks of rusty steel girders.

Coming soon: another temple to low prices and low wages. Hoo-rah.

But the loving new blog keeps the memories alive and sees life through the shops and promenades of what used to be one of the most pleasant places to shop in Greensboro.

Titled "Carolina Circle City," and authored by a self-described 15-year-old Sagittarian named "Billy," the site covers any and everything you'd want to know about The Mall that Time Forgot -- and more.

Billy Coore of McLeansville is a ninth-grader at Pendle Hill Christian School." A lot of my childhood was there," he says of the old mall. "I have many, many memories there."

Adds his dad, John Coore: "He's been crazy about that mall ever since he was a baby."

So it was no surprise when Billy prodded his dad to take him out to the old mall to shoot photos and video recently as dozers and excavators picked it apart.

In a Q&A with himself about Carolina Circle, the young blogger makes clear his affection. For instance:

Q. What was your favorite version of the mall? Ice Rink Version or Carousel Version?

A. Carousel Version. I grew up going to the Carolina Circle with ... a carousel. Even though I was born after the ice rink years, if it wasn't for the carousel, I wouldn't care about the mall as much.

Q. What was your favorite store?

A. Montgomery Ward. It had everything from your electronics to your apparel. I remember that smell it always had outside and inside. It's too unique to describe. During the demolition, I could still smell it.

I can't say that I still smell the old mall. Some say I didn't smell the coffee, either, about its inevitable demise.

I still believe to this day that Guilford County could have saved the sprawling off-white building if it had only followed through with a plan to place court space and county offices there and to locate a branch of GTCC there.

Part of that devotion was rational and eminently practical (which, of course, may have sealed its fate; the commissioners aren't exactly known for being rational or practical). So the commissioners balked. The deal never happened.

Then Dr. Don Linder came along and attempted a sports complex called Pyramids Village. I was more skeptical about that one, but still hopeful. Linder had lots of cash and cachet.

During one meeting at the complex he produced slick brochures and marketing studies about the projected residential growth in the area and the demand for such a facility. Already, his new soccer fields on part of the old mall's parking lots were booked with youth and adult soccer teams. Next, he assured me, he'd attract retail shops. Heck, he might even build a ballpark out there.

The rest, as they say, is misery. Linder's grand plan never fully played out. He sold part of the complex to the city. The rest he now plans to develop as a shopping center with Wal-Mart as the anchor.

One thing you can say for sure: Carolina Circle had the right name. Round and round it went, always stopping precisely where it had begun: nowhere.

But I think I've finally pinpointed its appeal to me. Like Billy, I grew up with it, and I remember its brief heyday in the 1970s and early '80s, when there were shops and people and the famous ice skating rink (unlike Billy, I preferred the rink to the carousel that replaced it).

And I preferred Carolina Circle to Four Seasons because it was smaller, friendlier and more intimate. It had many of the same stores, but you could shop there during Christmas season and not feel overwhelmed. There were big stores and little ones. There was Montgomery Ward, which remained until the bitter end. There was my college buddy, who managed one of the record stores there.

Now, shopping seems to be going back to the future. Malls are passe and old-fashioned shopping centers, where you actually have to walk outside in fresh air, are back in vogue. A new retail development, the Village at North Elm, takes the concept a step further, affecting the look and feel of a little self-contained town, complete with streets and alleys. It looks promising.

Still, I'll miss the dingy old hulk off U.S. 29. Though probably not half as much as Billy Coore.

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In conclusion, mad props to the next generation of mall bloggers!


Billy's Blogs:

Carolina Circle City

Flashback City

Road City (N.B. I am also a "roadgeek")

All of them are excellent reads. Keep it up Billy!

Derby in Danger

Angelenos are not the type of people to wax nostalgic. Our city was built on a sense of "manifest destiny," a mindset that entails a rejection of the past in favor of "progress" and new ways of thinking. For years historic buildings and institutions here were destroyed without mercy; however, a counter-movement has developed to embrace and protect the remnants of earlier times. The Los Angeles Conservancy is at the forefront of this battle -- its Modern Committee (Modcom) has worked to preserve vestiges of the city's most recent past, a time in which neon, "space age" design, and the "car culture" were at their peak.

The Los Angeles Conservancy wasn't successful in saving the Ambassador Hotel on Wilshire Boulevard, but its ModCom has been working with other advocacy groups to save the former location of the Brown Derby restaurant in Los Feliz, approximately two miles away from my home. The legendary Brown Derby chain once had five locations in Los Angeles -- the buildings that once held the other four are long gone. The Los Feliz building is now home to a unit of Southern California's Louise's Trattoria chain and The Derby nightclub, a long-time hipster hang-out featured in the movie "Swingers." Developer Adler Realty Investments has plans to raze the Derby's former home and build 80 condominiums, a 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods supermarket, 7,441 leasable square feet for small shops, and 390 parking spaces.

Here is a depiction of the southwest corner of Los Feliz Boulevard and Hillhurst Avenue "before and after" the mega-development, courtesy of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council:

A view of the proposed development's Hillhurst Avenue elevation:

Preservation efforts are best encapsulated in the Save The Derby Web Site.

I think the most remarkable thing about this building is that, unlike the other Brown Derby restaurants, the Los Feliz location was a "drive-in." Opening in 1940, it was designed by famed "roadside architect" Wayne McAllister, as was the iconic Bob's Big Boy on Riverside Drive in Toluca Lake, a drive-in that opened nine years later. Here it is in its heyday:

Sadly, the structure has been modified so thoroughly that it hardly represents the glamour of the "car culture," bringing claims of its historic significance into doubt. Bob's Big Boy may have been saved, but it deserved to be because its original design remains largely intact. The Johnie's Broiler in Downey, now home to a used car developership but largely unmodified, is a more worthy cause in the fight to save drive-ins.

Frankly, in looking at the current photograph of the property displayed above, I see little worth saving. As an urban planner, I believe in the "recycling" of property that has outlived its "economic usefulness." If approved, the redevelopment of the site will undoubtedly bring the property owner profits, but it will also provide badly-needed housing in the type of high density mixed-use configuration that I believe is key to the city's future development. Its merits are similar to those of the Beverly Connection redevelopment proposal that is the subject of a hearing before the City Planning Commission tomorrow morning. In this instance, I think the development potential of this site outweighs its negligible historical significance. The Brown Derby restaurants that were actually worth saving are gone; justice cannot be served by saving the last Brown Derby solely because it is the last one.

For those who believe the existing building should be saved, I recommend attacking the project on design concerns rather than arguments for historical preservation. Is there a design that could maintain the existing structure while yielding a comparable return on investment for the property owner? Aren't the project's bulk and height somewhat out of character with the surrounding neighborhoods? Won't this project make traffic on Los Feliz Boulevard -- already horrific at peak times -- even worse? There may be a way to redevelop this site in a manner that benefits all the parties involved better than the current proposal does, but only if everyone is willing to negotiate.

The battle over the urban future of Los Angeles is about far more than saving a restaurant, but the controversy concerning "The Derby" speaks to the raging conflicts over land use that will shape tomorrow's metropolis. Preserving the past is important but it must not be done for purely nostalgic reasons at the expense of the larger goals that should shape the Los Angeles of the future.

Thanks to Mike at Franklin Avenue for tipping me off to this story.

Off to Nashville

One of my high school friends, Steve, is getting married this weekend in Nashville, Tennessee. Yours truly will be in attendance. In a few hours I'll be headed down to the South and will return Sunday night.

I'll be flying on Northwest Airlines for the first time...unfortunately, the company is currently bankrupt. I just hope this doesn't mean they've stopped serving soda and peanuts, as that's all I really have to look forward to during the flights.

Last year another high school friend, Zach, got married in Wisconsin...he was the first of our "clique" to do so. If you get bored while waiting for me to resume posting, may I suggest you view the photographs from that event:

Zach's Wedding (a Flickr photoset)

JibJab Takes On Big Boxes

Props to Thurman for tipping me off to "Big Box Mart," the latest cartoon from JibJab.com. I really enjoyed it, as it looks at some of the political issues concerning Wal-Mart and similar retailers in a very humourous way.

Watch "Big Box Mart"

Ode to a Legal Drug

For a long time, I resisted coffee. I couldn't stand the taste of it. Then I got a job in which I was required to come in at 7 a.m. and work 10 hour days...caffeine became an imperative, so I learned to love coffee. Now I can't get enough.

Last night Chizi took a break from idolizing Oprah to blog about her coffee addiction. Of course, it's impossible to think about coffee without thinking of Starbucks. It's hard to imagine what life was like before the mega-chain began hawking caffeinated pleasure at nearly every street corner in America. Most people in this country have no love for drug dealers, yet Starbucks is one of our most admired companies. Don't front -- I know you go there too.

Recently I stumbled upon an awesome Web Site: Starbucks Everywhere. I love documentation, so I respect the site owner's desire to visit and photograph every Starbucks in the world. Quite an ambitious goal, if you ask me. I encourage you to check it out and see if your local Starbucks is pictured. Mine is:

(Northeast corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue)

Caffeine addicts of the world unite! At least it ain't crack...

P.U. Blog of the Week: October 11-17, 2005

This week I'd like to give props to The Ambassador's Last Stand. Mike, half of the "dynamic duo" behind Franklin Avenue (arguably the best blog in and about Los Angeles), has been following the controversy regarding the destiny of the historic Ambassador Hotel for over two years. Last week he launched this "spin-off" blog documenting the hotel's last days while it is slowly (but surely) being demolished by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to make way for a mega-school serving 4,200 students.

Unfortunately, Angelenos have become accustomed to seeing their city's history eviscerated in the name of "progress." While I certainly understand that there is a pressing need for more classrooms here, I believe that LAUSD didn't make a conscientious effort to preserve this important landmark. While I moved to L.A. long before the hotel closed in 1989, the building holds a special place in my heart since I once lived only a few steps away from it. I applaud Mike's effort to document the Ambassador's destruction and honor its history.

A Mall in Need

I'd like to share an interesting article from this week's edition of the Los Angeles Downtown News about the Los Angeles Mall, a shopping center in the Civic Center owned and operated by the City of Los Angeles. Most Angelenos are probably unaware that this place even exists...the L.A. Mall definitely needs some "T.L.C." This article does such a good job of chronicling the center's deficiencies that I have nothing to add. Suffice it to say that as a Civic Center employee, Downtown booster, and shopping mall aficionado, I fully support Councilwoman Hahn's efforts to breathe some life into this forlorn place.

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Shopping for a Solution

Much Maligned L.A. Mall Is Targeted for Extreme Makeover

by Kathryn Maese

It's been called every name in the book. Dirty. Ugly. Dark. Outdated. Most recently, Councilwoman Janice Hahn added a few choice words of her own to describe the City-run Los Angeles Mall: "fragmented, dilapidated and uninviting."

Call it what you will, the subterranean retail strip just east of City Hall has been a running joke for more years than civic leaders care to recall. Most who speak about the early-1970s throwback do so with derision.

It's a reputation Hahn said she wants to change.

There is a better idea for this mall. Right now it is languishing," said Hahn, who once co-managed the Baldwin Hills-Crenshaw Mall, and whose 15th District includes portions of South Los Angeles and the harbor area. "I'm doing this for all the city employees who every day give a collective groan when it's time for lunch. We also have a new urban lifestyle developing in Downtown and people living here 24-7."

Last month, Hahn drafted a motion asking the General Services Department and the Chief Administrative Office to report back to the Council's Information Technology & General Services Committee, which she chairs, on how to give the facility some sex appeal.

Bounded by Temple, Main, Los Angeles and Aliso streets, the shopping center is marred by uneven walkways, drab architecture, dim lighting and lack of visibility from the street and plaza level. Last year, the Downtown Breakfast Club lampooned the L.A. Mall for being one of the worst projects in Downtown over the last 25 years. During a video spoof, public television host Huell Howser sarcastically raved about the design and, in his Tennessee twang, said, "I love to come down here on sunny days."

Hahn also wants to extend the hours, keeping the mall open on evenings and weekends. "The outdated concept of nine to five is crazy," she said. "That's why in the past we haven't been able to get tenants like CPK and Cheesecake Factory. Now we have a whole new constituency."

Many Failed Attempts

The undertaking may sound simple, but Hahn is only the latest Civic Center denizen to tackle the thorny piece of real estate. In the late 1980s and early '90s, the city hired a consultant to turn the property around and attract big name tenants. The plan, like the mall itself, ended up collecting dust. Hahn's motion said, "Those plans appear to have been set aside for unknown reasons."

More than a decade later, the Downtown Los Angeles landscape is much changed from the time when Mayor Tom Bradley was in office and Disney Hall was a mere twinkle in architect Frank Gehry's eye. Hahn said she plans to use Downtown's momentum to improve the mall once and for all, perhaps tying it into the nearby $1.8 billion Grand Avenue plan, which is expected to deliver a promenade of shops, restaurants and entertainment.

"I think we have this whole experience happening in Downtown and a lot of things coming online," she said. "We can bask in some of that glory."

Basking will have to wait, however. Currently the L.A. Mall is a mishmash of merchants: There are 11 tenants offering haircuts, Lotto tickets, gifts, shoe repair and other services, along with 13 eateries and four retail stores. Of the 47,867 square feet of mall space, city offices account for a huge chunk - 22,300 square feet.

More than two years ago, Controller Laura Chick audited the city's real estate holdings, including the Los Angeles Mall. The report found that the venue lacks a strategic plan focusing on maximizing revenues, improving customer satisfaction, and creating convenient public access to city offices.

"The Los Angeles Mall is a perfect example of unfulfilled and unrealized potential. Here we have this prime commercial space, right in the core of our Civic Center, and it is only a shadow of what it could be," Chick said in the audit.

Revenues have gone up and down over the years for a variety of reasons, said Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr., the city's director of asset management, who oversees the facility. For example, revenues dropped after 9-11 because new security procedures were implemented and the streets around City Hall were blocked off. In the last fiscal year, the mall generated $462,846.

"The mall hours are limited to 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., which significantly impacts revenue generation by merchants," said Jones-Sawyer. "There is no customer traffic after 5 p.m. [and] subsequently retail shops' revenue generation is negatively impacted."

Recent efforts to lease the vacant slots have drawn little interest from retailers, often resulting in vendor proposals that are similar to existing mall tenants. No leases were signed in 2004; three have been inked this year.

Currently, mall rents are well below the average of $4.25 a square foot that newer retail space such as the Grove shopping mall commands, or even the $3.25 a square foot landlords fetch at older malls, said Ingrid White, senior managing director for Charles Dunn Company's retail services group.

Bits of Momentum

When and if Hahn's plan moves forward, it could build on small bits of momentum. In July, the city approved a five-year lease for a 3,611-square-foot California Pita and Grill restaurant. It will replace the Bob's Big Boy that occupied the slot for almost 30 years. This could bring the city monthly revenues of $4,500, or $1.25 a square foot.

Likewise, exercise studio Curves is negotiating a lease for an 1,800-square-foot mall location; it would pay $2,250 a month, or $1.22 a square foot. The space was previously occupied by a city office and has been vacant for nearly a year. But for Curves franchise owner Mickey Verma, the main attraction is foot traffic, which the city estimates at about 20,000 people daily.

"We thought that it seemed like a good space and it's surrounded by a lot of density and population from City Hall, the poli