BURBANK RESISTS RETAIL PROJECT AT EX-LOCKHEED FIGHTER PLANT.Byline: Lee Condon Daily News Staff Writer A Phoenix-based developer wants to build 1.1 million square feet of retail, hotel and office space at Lockheed's old Burbank fighter plant, but city officials say the project has too much retail and isn't what they want. Burbank City Manager Bud Ovrom and other city officials have asked Vestar Development to limit its retail offering for fear the project would steal business from recently built downtown shopping complexes. But Ovrom got hold of a company news release scheduled to go out Friday that shows Vestar plans to build 845,000 square feet of retail, substantially more than the city wants. ``It's discouraging dis·cour·age tr.v. dis·cour·aged, dis·cour·ag·ing, dis·cour·ag·es 1. To deprive of confidence, hope, or spirit. 2. To hamper by discouraging; deter. 3. because we have spent the last three months telling Vestar that we do not believe we could recommend anything greater than 500,000 square feet of retail,'' Ovrom said. ``There's a legitimate question about how much development an area can handle. They don't want to hear what we're saying,'' he said. Jim McDermott
James Adelbert "Jim" McDermott (born December 28 1936 in Chicago, Illinois) is the current U.S. Representative for Washington's At-large congressional district. , a spokesman for Vestar, said the company and city officials have been unable to reach agreement with the city on the appropriate amount of retail space, but said both sides agreed that the environmental review process should start. ``We are trying to listen to them,'' McDermott said. ``We're certainly not shutting the door on what their concerns are.'' Dubbed dub 1 tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs 1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood. 2. To honor with a new title or description. 3. Burbank Empire Center, Vestar plans to submit plans to the city Friday. The company plans to build the project at Lockheed's old B-1 site, which is bordered by Buena Vista Street, Empire Avenue, North Victory Place and Victory Boulevard Victory Boulevard is a major thoroughfare on Staten Island, measuring approximately 8.0 miles (12.87 km) and stretching from the west shore community of Travis to the upper east shore communities of St. George and Tompkinsville. . Lockheed and Vestar are still negotiating the sale of the property. ``We think the location is great for both retail and office uses,'' said Vestar Senior Vice President Rick Kuhle in the release obtained by Ovrom. ``The key is to combine the uses in ways that benefit both with the least amount of impacts on the surrounding sur·round tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. community.'' But city officials said they want to see more of the site designated for commercial uses, possibly space for a movie studio. The area had been envisioned by city leaders as a ``Media District North,'' and they have embarked on a long-shot effort to get DreamWorks SKG SKG Stichting Kwaliteit Gevelbouw (Dutch) SKG Spielberg, Katzenberg,and Geffen (DreamWorks Studios) SKG Thessaloniki, Greece - Thessaloniki (Airport Code) SKG Smith and Kraus Global to abandon plans to build in Playa playa or pan or flat or dry lake Flat-bottomed depression that is periodically covered by water. Playas occur in interior desert basins and adjacent to coasts in arid and semiarid regions. Vista and move onto a part of this site. |
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