Westfield Shoppingtown has withdrawn its request to expand restaurant space at its new Promenade wing, following a legal challenge by rival mall developer Caruso Affiliated. In August, Caruso sued to stop the expansion, demanding a new environmental impact report. Westfield has decided not to fight this lawsuit.
Groundbreaking for expansion of the Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita mall will be held Wednesday, June 4, 2003 at 9:00 AM. The $98 million expansion will include a 16-screen movie theater, Borders Bookstore, Sports Chalet, a new food court, 30 new shops, and two parking structures. The expansion is Phase One of a possible two-part expansion of the mall, which originally opened 29 years ago.
Expansion of the Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita will begin soon. It will add 104,400 sq. ft. of retail, 18,400 sq. ft. of restaurants, a 7,800 sq. ft. food court, 45,000 sq. ft. of specialty stores, 54,300 sq. ft. of movie theaters, and a 5,400 sq. ft. auto center. The planned tenants include an AMC theater, Borders Book Store, and Sports Chalet. Expansion will be completed in 2005.
The City Council will likely approve Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita's mall expansion for the outdoor section known as The Promenade if Westfield can resolve parking issues that will arise during construction.
Signs with foreign characters need review as signage may not be appropriate. Councilman John Wuo suggested that the Arcadia Chinese Association would be willing to unofficially review signage requests with Chinese characters.
The expansion plan for Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita raises traffic concerns with City Council members. Kenneth Wong, president of Westfield America maintains composure as he answers. The proposed expansion is called The Promenade, an outdoor 100,000 square feet area that would be between Nordstrom and Macys.
Caruso and Westfield are still battling over the proposed Caruso lifestyle center. A decade ago the race track's south parking lot had been rezoned for commercial development. Rick Caruso feels his development will help Westfield while Westfield believes a new mall will cannibalize tenants and harm both companies and the city's sales tax revenues.
Rouben A. Yardemian owns a retail store at Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita. He writes in response to Rick Caruso's letter that there will not be "mall wars." Yardemian believes Arcadia is not big enough for two malls.
Arcadia Police Department's PACE office in the Westfield Shoppingtown mall has a new name and sign. It is now called Arcadia Police Department-Community Services and two officers, Sgt. Bob Guthrie and Officer Paul van der Noorn, are now manning the station in the lower level, near JC Penney.
Arcadia City Council has approved a plan revision for the expansion of the Westfield mall. The revised plans involve adding a grade plus one-level parking structure south of Robinson-May, and a 5,400 square feet auto center northeast of the site.
Two teenage stabbing victims are expected to recover from injuries they sustained when they fought with unknown attackers outside the southeast side of the Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita mall.
Seen as retaliation for Westfield tactics, Caruso Affiliated announced it would ask Arcadia voters to block mall rival Westfield from leasing space to Target Stores or a similar "big box" discounter.
H & M, a fashion retailer, will open a store at Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita on December 14, 2006. The store will have fashions for men, women, teens, and lingerie.
Rick Caruso faces off with Westfield Group's Kenneth Wong at a City Council meeting. Some 350 Arcadia residents came to hear about the proposed expansion of Westfield Shoppingtown and Caruso's outdoor lifestyle center.