URBAN OUTFITTERS OPENS IN DOWNTOWN BURBANK.

Byline: Susan Abram Staff Writer

BURBANK - California's ninth Urban Outfitters store opened Tuesday in downtown Burbank, with shoppers waiting patiently for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to end so they could be among the first inside.

For months, city residents watched as developers transformed the former Newberry's discount store at 328 San Fernando Blvd., into Urban Outfitters, a two-floor clothing store targeting college students.

``The (San Fernando) Valley has been largely untapped with this kind of retail,'' said John Hauser, West Coast distributor for Urban Outfitters. ``We're always actively looking for buildings like this, and we're excited to be part of Burbank's growth.''

City officials are banking on the trend-setting retail store, both financially and aesthetically.

Redevelopment Agency officials, basing their estimate on the chain's performance and Burbank's demographics, expect the shop to generate about $30,000 a year in sales-tax revenue.

About 1.8 million people who shop at nearby IKEA are likely to stop by at Urban Outfitters, according to the Burbank Chamber of Commerce.

City officials also hope the shop will draw more retailers into downtown, which has long struggled with its small-town image.

``We know they are going to be a great draw to Burbank,'' said Mayor Stacey Murphy. ``We can't wait for the synergy to start.''

Urban Outfitters is the city's first establishment to open under the Downtown Tenant Assistance Program, which helps selected retailers move into the area.

Developer Bill Tucker, president of Tucker Associates, had first proposed an Urban Outfitters in November for the 20,000-square-foot building that once housed a Newberry's five-and-dime store. The site had been vacant since 1996. But city officials rejected his plan because he asked for a $742,500 loan. A month later, Tucker came back with a request for a $675,000 loan, and officials approved it.

Urban Outfitters, whose parent company is Pennsylvania-based McDevitt Co. - a successful retailer with more than 75 stores nationally and in Great Britain - was one of the first to open on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade, acting as a catalyst to attract additional shops to the area. In addition, Urban Outfitters can be found in Old Pasadena and on Los Angeles' Melrose Avenue.

Shoppers who were the first to get inside the Burbank shop said they would likely come back - and not just the college crowd.

``I like the trendiness of it. I think it's going to do good business here,'' said 39-year-old Jodi Wagner as she sifted through shoes and tank tops. ``I love Burbank. I had been wishing something like this could open here.''

Agnes Hinthorne, 79, said she walks downtown all the time.

``This store has been empty for so long,'' she said. ``I think this is great. I like the T-shirts.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

susan.abram(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

The new Urban Outfitters in downtown Burbank starts filling quickly Tuesday with shoppers who waited through an opening ceremony to look around the 20,000-square-foot store.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer