LIVELIER BRAND SOUGHT FOR CITY GLENDALE OFFICIALS SEEK WAYS TO IMPROVE AREA.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

GLENDALE - The city staff will work on putting together a plan that would enhance mid-Brand Boulevard landscaping, help businesses there expand, and bring in entertainment and key retailers to revitalize the long-floundering area.

The redevelopment agency board Tuesday directed the staff to explore improvements, especially as the city forges ahead with long-term plans that include creating a rival restaurant and retail district in the new Town Center just blocks down the street.

The board discussed ideas such as making sidewalks wider to promote outdoor dining at restaurants, closing off all or one side of the street to cars to make more room for pedestrians, keeping shops open later and bringing in street performances to draw people to the area.

City Councilmen Dave Weaver and Bob Yousefian agreed that mid-Brand has more potential as an entertainment attraction than a shopping destination.

``Let's bring some life back into the city,'' Yousefian said, suggesting the street would be a great place for restaurants and clubs.

City officials, who have been working in recent years on improving the mid-Brand area by building parking structures and adding landscaping and new lights, discussed more ideas on how to attract people to the street that has never really taken off as a destination for shopping and dining.

Mid-Brand is the section of the boulevard between Broadway and Lexington Drive.

City Manager Jim Starbird said a city needs a sound infrastructure before private property owners reinvest in their businesses and create a vibrant destination like Old Town Pasadena.

``Twenty-five years ago, Old Town Pasadena was beyond dead. It was empty,'' Starbird said. ``It took a long time and it took some risk for it to become what it is now.''

In a separate action, the council, redevelopment agency and housing authority boards, during a joint meeting, also directed the staff to continue preparing a specific plan that would set height limits and design standards for downtown in an effort to encourage excellent projects and prevent inappropriate development.

The plan would specify what types of businesses city officials would like to see on Brand Boulevard and identify areas where more restaurants or more retail should be encouraged.

The staff will also look into developing incentive plans for restaurants to expand and national organizations to open businesses in the city.

Yousefian said he would like to see some changes to give city officials more authority to block uses that might be incompatible on the street. He noted that city officials had no authority to prevent the recent move of the Salvation Army moving to a prominent corner on Brand Boulevard.

City funding partly subsidized the previous tenant, Zany Brainy, which closed.

But Mayor Frank Quintero said he does not want to create standards that would zone out businesses including mom-and-pop shops on Brand.

``I don't think we should be in the business of consolidating or subsidizing businesses on mid-Brand,'' he said. ``Town Center will probably have nothing but chains, so let's do what we can to keep mid-Brand with local merchants and restaurants. I have no interest in turning mid-Brand into a place for The Gap.''

A draft of the plan is expected to be completed in September and would likely be ready for adoption by the council in May.

Naush Boghossian, [phone]

naush.boghossian(at)dailynews.com

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City officials are talking about ideas to revitalize Brand Boulevard between Broadway and Lexington Drive.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer