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Newsmaker: Major Retail Remodels and Reinventions Open in Los Angeles
No major high-end retail center has been developed in Los Angeles County since the Americana at Brand open-air shopping hub was introduced 10 years ago in Glendale, Calif.
But that changed in September when Americana developer Caruso unveiled the luxe retail center Palisades Village in Los Angeles’ exclusive Pacific Palisades neighborhood near the ocean. The developer turned a fading and sleepy business district into a hot shopping spot.
In a different part of town, another major mall was getting a facelift. The 36-year-old Beverly Center, owned by Taubman Centers, unveiled a $550-million remodel that gave it a fresh and contemporary look.
At Palisades Village, a number of prominent boutiques opened. Those included Towne by elysewalker, Paige, Cynthia Rowley, A.L.C., Zimmerman and Vince. Also scheduled to open was a boutique from Italian label Bruno Cucinelli as well as boutiques from New York brands Faherty and Veronica Beard.
The open-air retail district also features green spaces in which to picnic or lounge. Other tenants include restaurants, an Amazon bookstore and the Bay Theatre by Cinépolis.
The less-than-1-million-square-foot Beverly Center was redesigned with skylights and bigger windows to bring in more sunlight. The new interior features a central area with a billboard-sized LED screen in the Grand Court. The exterior is covered with a metal-mesh façade that covers the building’s beige exterior.
In May, Zara opened a 28,300-square-foot emporium there, making it the largest Zara store in the region. On Black Friday weekend, Brooks Brothers opened a boutique after closing its Beverly Hills flagship a few miles away on Rodeo Drive.
Multi-brand emporium The Webster is scheduled to open an 11,000-square-foot flagship at the mall in 2020. And the Beverly Center continues to house a large delegation of European fashion-house boutiques including Versace, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana.
This year’s shopping-center news included a final note for the prominent 1980s mall Westside Pavilion. In March, its owner, Macerich Inc., announced it would redevelop much of the mall into creative office space.
