REDESIGNING WESTWOOD; DEVELOPERS BUY UP SPACE.Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Daily News Staff Writer Kenneth Foster Kenneth Foster, Jr. (born October 22, 1976) was a prisoner formerly on death row in Texas. He was convicted of murdering Michael LaHood in August 1996. His conviction and execution were contested because he was convicted under a law of parties, not for physically committing the sat on his bedroll in a warm patch of sunshine bathing Weyburn Avenue and in a clear, crisp voice, belted out an a cappella a cap·pel·la adv. Music Without instrumental accompaniment. [Italian : a, in the manner of + cappella, chapel, choir.] Adj. 1. version of life on the street. As usual, Foster didn't have much of an audience. Even though it was almost noon on a workday and there was a Macy's department store and coffee shop across the street, Weyburn was almost devoid de·void adj. Completely lacking; destitute or empty: a novel devoid of wit and inventiveness. [Middle English, past participle of devoiden, of pedestrians. However, that was OK with Foster, whose home for nearly a decade has been a heating vent near the department store's loading dock. ``I suffer from depression, and I'm in and out of the hospital,'' he said with a smile. ``I don't like being around people so I come here to the street.'' And for nearly a decade, Westwood has been the perfect place for Foster to get away from people. He finds a sense of security in the boarded-up store fronts and going-out-of business signs. But now he also senses big changes coming. Developers with deep pockets have rediscovered this quaint quaint adj. quaint·er, quaint·est 1. Charmingly odd, especially in an old-fashioned way: "Sarah Orne Jewett . . . Westside college community and are determined to return it to its former status as an elite entertainment destination in the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area. Where there are parking lots, empty stores and sidewalks they see a mix of theaters, restaurants, boutiques and, most importantly Adv. 1. most importantly - above and beyond all other consideration; "above all, you must be independent" above all, most especially , people. In essence, they think of Westwood as a business community whose time has returned. And their faith in its future can be measured in dollars. Collectively, developers are willing to spend more than $200 million on a variety of projects across the village. In fact, about 70 percent of the area's real estate has changed hands in the last 18 months as developers jockey for position. There is sharp disagreement, though, among community activists, developers and elected officials on the direction and scope the revitalization re·vi·tal·ize tr.v. re·vi·tal·ized, re·vi·tal·iz·ing, re·vi·tal·iz·es To impart new life or vigor to: plans to revitalize inner-city neighborhoods; tried to revitalize a flagging economy. should take. ``We just thought that, based on the previous history of Westwood, it was long overdue OVERDUE. A bill, note, bond or other contract, for the payment of money at a particular day, when not paid upon the day, is overdue. 2. The indorsement of a note or bill overdue, is equivalent to drawing a new bill payable at sight. 2 Conn. 419; 18 Pick. for revitalization,'' said Ira Smedra, whose Los Angeles-based Arba Group is pouring $106 million into what is known as the Village Center Westwood project. ``The demographics The attributes of people in a particular geographic area. Used for marketing purposes, population, ethnic origins, religion, spoken language, income and age range are examples of demographic data. are fabulous, and the surrounding communities are tremendous.'' Smedra's group of private investors is the furthest along the permitting process. A hearing before the Los Angeles City Planning city planning, process of planning for the improvement of urban centers in order to provide healthy and safe living conditions, efficient transport and communication, adequate public facilities, and aesthetic surroundings. Commission is scheduled for April. Here's a look at what's in the mix: Village Center Westwood is a Mediterranean-style complex on five acres fronting Weyburn, Glendon and Tiverton avenues. It would include a Ralphs supermarket, a drugstore, 164 living units for senior citizens, an undetermined number of movie theaters with a combined 3,400 seats, an underground parking garage for 1,650 cars, a 12,000-square-foot public library that will be donated to the city, 149,000 square feet of retail space, 26,000 square feet of restaurant space and a public plaza almost the size of a football field. It's a three-level project with the market on the bottom, retail on the second level and theaters and restaurants on top. Beverly Hills-based Regent Properties plans the Westwood Marketplace, a $50 million project on 1.9 acres along Weyburn extending south about halfway down Broxton and Gayley avenues. Plans call for a two-story urban entertainment center of about 120,000 square feet, including movie theaters with a total of 3,000 seats, restaurants, and 570 on-site parking spaces and an equal number nearby. The company also developed the Glendale Marketplace and Hollywood Marketplace. Malibu-based Christina Development Corp. has spent about $50 million buying up property throughout the village. The company owns buildings along Westwood Boulevard Westwood Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles that runs through the heart of Westwood Village and further south in West Los Angeles. Westwood Blvd begins south of Sunset Boulevard in the campus of UCLA as Westwood Plaza. between Weyburn and Kinross Avenue, near Lindbrook Drive and Westwood and along Gayley. Christina has hired Richard Meier Richard Meier (born October 12 1934 in Newark, New Jersey) is an influential, contemporary American architect known for his rationalist designs and the use of the colour white. & Partners, the architectural firm An architectural firm is a company which employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture. History Architects (master builders) have existed since early in recorded history. The earliest recorded architects include Imhotep (c. that designed the Getty Center Getty Center, art museum complex in Brentwood, Calif. operated by the J. Paul Getty Trust. It consists of six buildings on 124 acres (50 hectares) located on a spectacular promontory overlooking Los Angeles. , to draw up renovation plans for some of the buildings. On Jan. 30, Beverly Hills-based Arden Realty realty n. a short form of "real estate." (See: real estate) REALTY. An abstract of real, as distinguished from personalty. Realty relates to lands and tenements, rents or other hereditaments. Vide Real Property. Inc. bought a 97.5 percent stake in Westwood Center, which owns the village's tallest high-rise, topped by the locally famous Monty's restaurant. Extensive renovation, planned inside and out, should help boost the occupancy from its current level of 42.5 percent. Local merchants also joined the effort, spending $4 million on a street-improvement project that includes decorative tiles at intersections and along some walkways, new lighting and a pedestrian plaza. In November, a $9.5 million parking garage for 366 vehicles opened on Broxton Avenue. The last two developments already are paying dividends. The pay off The Westwood Village Community Alliance, a group of about 600 village property and business owners, said an informal survey of merchants found they enjoyed their best Christmas sales ever at the end of 1997. At Crescent Jewelers at 1055 Westwood Blvd., sales jumped 31 percent over the year-ago level and it was the best season in the store's 51-year history. ``I'd say that's a pretty good Christmas,'' said Sunny Friedman, matriarch of the family that owns the store. ``It's just fabulous what they have done with the streets. It all looks wonderful.'' It's at street level, though, where skirmishes are taking place among a various factions. Christina Development has gone on a buying binge, snapping up almost all the vacant space in Westwood over the past couple of years. The company is renovating buildings that will then be leased out. ``One distinction between our project and the other two is that they are . . . developments (from the ground up) and it will take many years to realize their potential - that is, if they get built at all, but I'm not shedding any doubts on that,'' said Steven G. Fink fink Slang n. 1. A contemptible person. 2. An informer. 3. A hired strikebreaker. intr.v. finked, fink·ing, finks 1. To inform against another person. , Christina's vice president. ``Our projects are existing structures, so we're up and running.'' The company already has received attractive proposals from prospective tenants, Fink said, but he wouldn't identify them or the rent prices being negotiated. At least one merchant already felt some financial pain from Christina's involvement. Bill Herskovic, who opened Bel Air Bel Air may refer to: Places in the United States:
And the company demanded a $60,000 deposit. Herskovic paid the deposit, found a new location in the village and started a moving sale. ``I wanted to stay in Westwood,'' he said. ``I like the community, and my children went to UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX . We just like the pace here.'' Council oversight One person who will play a big role in how the village eventually evolves is Los Angeles City Councilman Michael Feuer Michael Feuer (1958-)[1] is a Californian politician and lawyer. He now represents the 42nd Assembly District which includes Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, and part of Los Angeles in the California State Assembly. He was elected in 2006 on the Democratic ticket. , and he's got some specific criteria for development. ``It's got to be pedestrian oriented o·ri·ent n. 1. Orient The countries of Asia, especially of eastern Asia. 2. a. The luster characteristic of a pearl of high quality. b. A pearl having exceptional luster. 3. , have high-quality retail and restaurants and neighborhood serving uses, like a grocery store,'' Feuer said. ``And it needs to have adequate parking.'' He's supporting Smedra's project, calling the Village Center Westwood a catalyst for the village. ``There is a lot that's very positive about that proposal. It's very pedestrian-oriented. There has been a lot of misinformation mis·in·form tr.v. mis·in·formed, mis·in·form·ing, mis·in·forms To provide with incorrect information. mis disseminated disseminated /dis·sem·i·nat·ed/ (-sem´i-nat?ed) scattered; distributed over a considerable area. dis·sem·i·nat·ed adj. Spread over a large area of a body, a tissue, or an organ. about this,'' he said. Some of the criticism comes from Friends of Westwood, which was formed in the 1980s and helped get a specific plan passed that sets out what type of development is appropriate in the area. The group is blunt in its assessment of Smedra's project, saying it's too massive in scope and will cause friction with the residential neighborhood along Tiverton Avenue. The number of theater seats is also a sore point. Will it work? ``The last thing Westwood needs is more movies. We have more movie seats than Universal City,'' said Laura Lake, president of Friends of Westwood. ``It's coals to Newcastle.'' She also objects to the fact that a portion of Glendon Avenue will become a pedestrian mall pedestrian mall pedestrian (US) n → Fußgängerzone f pedestrian mall n (US) → zona pedonale , portions of the project will be below street level, and steps aren't being taken to deal with the increased traffic it will bring. But Martin Kristal, co-president of Westwood 2000, another group focused on revitalization, likes Smedra's project. The group also supports what the other developers are doing. ``Our group really is trying to encourage lots of projects. One of the real pluses of the Smedra project is that it offers a market, a drugstore, theaters and an upscale restaurant. It brings a number of pluses to the village.'' Will the revitalization eventually succeed? Demographics suggest it will. About 200,000 people live within a three-mile radius of Westwood Boulevard. The average household income is $93,756. The median age is 35. There are 27,000 workers within walking distance of the village, and 130,000 vehicles a day pass through the intersection of Westwood and Wilshire boulevards Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for H. Gaylord Wilshire (1861-1927), an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. . Then again, these are just numbers. Kenneth Foster, the street minstrel, thinks this revitalization thing might be a steep hill Steep Hill is a popular tourist street in the historic city of Lincoln, UK. At the top of the hill you will find the entrance to the Cathedral and at the bottom is Well Lane. The Hill consists of independent shops, tea rooms and pubs. to climb. ``You can throw money at things but people's attitudes don't change,'' he said between songs. ``There's some negative energy in Westwood now. It's like `us' against `them.' '' Westwood by the numbers Location: Three-mile radius from Wilshire and Westwood Boulevards Population: 200,000 Average household income: $93,000 Median age: 35 Business outlook: 27,000 employees within walking distance of Village Traffic at Wilshire and Westwood Boulevards; 130,000 vehicles drive by every 24-hour period. Westwood Marketplace Regent Properties plans a $50 million project that includes a two-story urban entertainment center of about 120,000 square feet, theaters with 3,000 seats, restaurants, and 570 on-site parking spaces. Village Center Westwood Arba Group plans a $106 million complex that includes a Ralph's supermarket, pedestrian plaza on Glendon Avenue, movie theaters, restaurants and underground parking. New City Parking Structure This $9.5 million project was designed by UCLA's Capital Programs Division and the Los Angeles City Bureau of Engineering. It's six levels can hold 336 vehicles. CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Map, Box PHOTO (1--Color) The Bruin Theater, a Westwood landmark (2--Color) Pitching in: Local merchants are spending $4 million on decorative tiles at intersections, new lighting and a pedestrian plaza Daily News BOX: Westwood by the numbers (see text) MAP: (Westwood) Traci Wooden / Daily News Source: Daily News Research |
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