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Sunday, July 21, 1996

Additions to include shopping, parking spaces, landscapingBy Michael A. Nissan

Summer Bruin Contributor

There's a big hole in the middle of Broxton Avenue these days. And although it may currently seem like an inconvenience, it is among the first steps of what 5th District Councilman Mike Feuer calls the "revitalization of Westwood."

The goal of the revitalization project is to improve and invigorate the Village's economy and general atmosphere, Feuer said.

This invigoration will be done through an increase in parking spaces, additional stores, street and landscaping changes in addition to the new, already implemented police substation which doubles as an information booth for tourists.

Among the most visible of the current projects is a large, multi-level parking structure on Broxton Avenue, which will be opening sometime next year. The structure is expected to accommodate approximately 380 vehicles and two retail stores at its street level. Funding for the $6 million to $7 million development is being derived entirely from money retrieved from parking meters.

"I think it's great that they have decided to build a parking structure here. Now, I won't have to waste time driving around Westwood looking for an open space," said Jack Gelnak, a fourth-year psychobiology student.

The project, which was developed through a partnership between the city of Los Angeles, the Westwood Village Community Alliance and UCLA, is being funded partly by the city. But the great majority will be coming from the Westwood Village Community Alliance, according to Rochelle Ventura, Feuer's chief field deputy.

The Alliance, comprised of Westwood landowners and merchants, has contributed about $600,000 a year to improve the community, according to Alliance Chairman Rich Givens.

An important aspect of Westwood's "new look" is the Community Service Center, which opened last February. The center, a police substation, serves as headquarters for police foot and bicycle patrols, and provides crime prevention presentations to the Westwood community. The presence of the substation appears to make residents, students and visitors of Westwood feel more secure.

"Visitors and community members have indicated that they have seen more police (in Westwood) and how appreciative they are that the center is open. There has also been a decrease in the number of transients and panhandlers," said university police officer Ricardo Bolaños.

"The police substation represents real teamwork among the Alliance, my office, the police department and UCLA security. It is a good model of cooperation on how we can really achieve something," Feuer said.

In addition to contributing to the security of Westwood Village, the Westwood Village Community Alliance also sponsors jazz performances at the Armand Hammer Museum in an effort to make Westwood more entertaining to residents and visitors.

Another key component in the plan to revitalize and improve the face of Westwood is Project Streetscape. Project Streetscape represents a cooperative effort on behalf of the Westwood Village Community Alliance and Councilman Feuer's office to improve the decor and general appearance of Westwood Village.

"There is a streetscape improvement plan to improve the aesthetics of Westwood: the way the streets look, street furniture, street trees, street lighting and so forth. The streetscape improvement project requires assessing property owners who will be heard at two consecutive public hearings in the next several weeks," Feuer said.

The streetscaping will include 77 new trees, decorative bus benches and tiny lights along the tress at night, said Ventura.

Finally, the Village Center Westwood may prove to be Westwood's most significant addition yet. The proposed development of the large-scale, open-air shopping and entertainment complex may include a Ralph's grocery store, Longs Drugs and a movie theater. The center may also accommodate approximately 2,500 vehicles in addition to the parking facility on Broxton.

"There is a big project that is proposed for the area just south of Macy's. It is, as currently contemplated, a three-level, open-air retail, entertainment, restaurant, shopping complex," Feuer said.

Feuer added that the complex would include a grocery store and a drug store as well as other shops that he feels people in Westwood have been requesting for a long time.

However, not everyone is ecstatic about the complex and the additional parking it will entail.

Laura Lake, president of Friends of Westwood, a community-based organization, has expressed some concerns over the ability of the small Westwood area to accommodate the increased traffic that might result from the patronage of this establishment.

"A traffic consultant ... said it would have severe traffic impacts. These are streets that cannot handle that amount of traffic. Closing off Glendon would have major parking impacts," Lake said.

In addition, Lake believes that the establishment of the complex may take patronage away from other local merchants.

Feuer, however, is optimistic about the prospects for a revitalized Westwood.

"My bottom line is that I will continue to be very, very focused on Westwood. I am committed to the revitalization of Westwood and making it the jewel in Los Angeles it once was."

Kanner Architects

Pictured above is an artist's rendering of the proposed Village Center Westwood. Councilman Mike Feuer is committed to bringing Westwood Village back to its status as an important attraction in Los Angeles.Kanner Architects

A model of the Village Center Westwood, set to house a grocery store, drug store and additional parking.