The Westfield Group will acquire 15 department stores which are owned by Federated Department Stores, Inc., including stores in Arcadia and West Covina. Robinsons-May in Arcadia and Macy's in West Covina will become property of Westfield and converted for other uses.
Macy's and Robinsons-May will merge in an $11 billion deal that will reshape the southland retail landscape. The Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita currently has both stores.
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.
The Westfield Santa Anita mall will be adding new tenants and is expected to submit plans for a new anchor store. Red Robin restaurant is scheduled to open in the open-air Promenade section by the end of the year. Forever 21 may move into the Robinsons May space and Target may be an anchor store.
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.
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.
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.
Westfield Group has vowed not to donate to City Council campaigns in the April 2006 election, joining mall rival Rick Caruso and Caruso Affiliated, who made a similar pledge in September.
Westfield Group expects to complete its second expansion project at Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita in three years -- an $85 million, 185,000 square feet wing that would convert the mall into a cross between a traditional indoor mall and an outdoor shopping center.
Developer Rick Caruso's $400 million open-air mall at the Santa Anita Park race track may be stiff competition for retailers at Westfield Shoppingtown. City leaders hope the two malls can coexist.
Westfield Santa Anita celebrated the opening of The Promenade, its $120 million open-air expansion of 30 stores. The 115,000 square foot addition was built on the former parking area adjacent to Nordstrom and Macy's. The 30 new stores, including Coach, J. Jill, Banana Republic and other upscale retailers, are set among landscaped walkways featuring fountains, seating areas, and shade trees.
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.
Red Rock Chili restaurant's co-owner Brent Beckwith defends Westfield and the Arcadia First! coalition in this letter. He feels business owners and residents have a right to voice their best interests and that the group is not merely a front for Westfield's interests.
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.
A tile tapestry was unveiled on the northwest wall of the Arcadia Public Library on Friday, April 8, 2005. More than 200 individual tiles were painted by the public to depict life in Arcadia. A photo is included.
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.