The Promenade (shopping mall)

The Promenade
The Promenade in 2011 before tenants left
Map
LocationWoodland Hills, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Coordinates34°10′51″N 118°36′15″W / 34.180832°N 118.604257°W / 34.180832; -118.604257
Opening dateMarch 1973; 51 years ago (1973-03)
Previous names
  • Woodland Hills Promenade (1973–1998)
  • Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade (1998–2005)
  • Westfield Promenade (2005–2015)
DeveloperColdwell Banker[1]
OwnerStan Kroenke
No. of stores and servicesLess than 10 (July 2016)[2]
No. of anchor tenants0 (3 at peak)
Total retail floor area615,400 sq ft (57,170 m2)
No. of floors2 (1 in former Barnes & Noble and 3 in former Macy's)
Parking2,662
Interior of The Promenade in 2023

The Promenade (formerly known as Westfield Promenade) is a dead shopping mall in the Woodland Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

The mall is located two blocks away from the Westfield Topanga Mall, and is currently owned by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke along with several adjacent properties.

History

[edit]

Opened in 1973 as the Woodland Hills Promenade,[1] the shopping mall was originally a high-fashion center anchored by J. W. Robinson's, Bullocks Wilshire and Saks Fifth Avenue. The Bullocks Wilshire store was renamed I. Magnin in 1990 and in 1995 became a Bullock's Men's store, being renamed Macy's in 1996. The Robinson's store was closed in 1993[3] and sold to Bullock's,[4] becoming Macy's in 1996 as well. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Saks Fifth Avenue used the opportunity to close their underperforming store[5] and it was demolished in 1994 for the addition of the AMC Theatre, which opened in 1996.[6][7]

The 34-acre retail development (14 ha) was conceived and developed by Kaiser Aetna as part of their master commercial-retail-residential development plan for their section of the massive former Warner Ranch now known as the Warner Center.[8] Coldwell Banker was the property manager and Ernest W. Hahn, Inc., was the general contractor. A few months before the first store opened, Kaiser Aetna sold their interest in the mall to Continental Illinois Properties for an estimated $15 million.[9] In March 1973, Robinson's was the first anchor store to open.[10] Both Saks[11] and Bullock's Wilshire[12] followed by opening five months later.

In 1989, the center was acquired by the O'Connor Group from Pan American Properties.[13][14]

The center was briefly acquired by Simon Property Group in 1997, before being sold in 1998 to Westfield America, Inc., a precursor to The Westfield Group.[15] At that time it was renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade". The "Shoppingtown" name was dropped in June 2005.[16]

The addition of the movie theatre during renovations after the 1994 Northridge earthquake, more recent renovations in 2001[17] and the addition of several new retailers and restaurants briefly reignited interest in the center. A redevelopment of the Westfield Topanga (which is also owned by Westfield) in the mid-2000s overshadowed the Promenade, causing several tenants such as Barnes & Noble Booksellers to leave.[18] In 2015, Macy's shuttered their two Promenade stores.[19]

By September 2015, Westfield had purchased the properties that it did not own within the mall area, usually owned by anchors, to enable the company to resell the property as an entire package for other uses. Tenants have filed a lawsuit against Westfield for allowing the property to deteriorate.[20] According to a July 2016 Los Angeles Daily News article, Westfield told their tenants that they plan to close the interior of the mall soon. Vacancy rates were estimated to be over 80%. It was also reported that Westfield officials told a Woodland Hills neighborhood council that Westfield was considering replacing the mall with upscale apartments.[2] The Los Angeles Times called the decaying retail property "a drag on the neighborhood" while a Los Angeles City Councilman called it a "blighted site".[21] Around this time in 2016, Westfield removed its logo from all of the malls's signage and renamed the mall The Promenade.[20]

In October 2016, Westfield announced plans to replace the mall with a $1.5 billion mixed-use residential and retail development named Promenade 2035 that would include 1,400 upscale housing units, a grocery/pharmacy, a hotel, an office complex, plus an entertainment and sports center. The housing units would range from studio units to luxury villas.[21] Promenade 2035 would have opened in stages, starting in 2020 and continuing on until 2035. Exterior tenants, such as the AMC Promenade 16, would gradually be moved over to Westfield Topanga's large expansion, The Village at Westfield Topanga, while the interior of the mall was being demolished.[22][23][24]

In December 2017, Westfield was acquired by French commercial real estate company Unibail-Rodamco, which would later be renamed Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.[25]

In 2018, residents of the surrounding area voiced their concerns with Westfield's Promenade 2035 plan, arguing that it would not improve the inadequate existing roads and transportation systems in the surrounding area and would be detrimental to the local community, which would cause delays.[26][27][28][29]

AMC Theatres Promenade 16 in 2006

In February 2020, a few weeks prior to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, AMC announced its plans to move a few blocks to the nearby Westfield Topanga at the location where Sears once stood.[30] After the pandemic severity decreased, AMC reopened nearly all of its shuttered theaters in March 2021.[31] Since construction at the nearby Topanga was delayed due to the pandemic, AMC Theatres relocation was delayed by almost two years.[32] The AMC Promenade closed permanently on June 1, 2022, and the new multiplex at Westfield Topanga opened the following day.[33]

In December 2020, the Los Angeles City Council officially approved Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield's "Promenade 2035" plan to replace the dead mall with a new development that would include a sports arena, two hotels, a 28-story office tower and more than 1,400 new apartments calling it a "mini-city ... within this larger city".[34]

In 2021, it was reported that Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield would sell its commercial properties in the United States.[35][36] As part of that divestment, the dead mall was sold in March 2022 to an unnamed investor group that was later confirmed to be sports owner and real estate developer Stan Kroenke, with anticipated plans to convert the property into a mixed use development and practice facility for the Los Angeles Rams.[37][38][39]

In February 2022, Ruth's Chris Steak House announced that it would vacate the mall by July and relocate to a nearby Woodland Hills location.[40] After a long delay, Ruth's Chris finally moved in December 2023.[41]

[edit]

The Promenade currently features the following businesses, amongst others:

References

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  1. ^ a b "Woodland Hills Promenade set for grand opening ceremonies". The Van Nuys News. September 30, 1973. pp. 14C. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  2. ^ a b Bartholomew, Dana (July 31, 2016). "The Promenade faces bleak future as more tenants abandon struggling mall". Los Angeles Daily News.
  3. ^ Woodyard, Chris (October 17, 1992). "Robinson's & May Co. Combine : 12 Southland Store Closures Cast Pall Over Area's Malls : Retailing: Operators have seen their revenues slump as they struggle with recession". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ Reza, H.G. (January 11, 1994). "Promenade Hoping for Turn Around in '94 : Woodland Hills: The mall's focus is on specialty stores that cater to high-end shoppers. Three restaurants are planned". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ^ Apodaca, Patrice (January 27, 1994). "Earthquake / The Long Road Back : Slow Days for Mauled Mall : Northridge Center, Badly Damaged in Quake, to Partly Reopen in 6 Months". Los Angeles Times.
  6. ^ Manning, Frank (March 8, 1996). "Woodland Hills : 16-Screen Theater to Replace Saks Store". Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^ Fowler, James E. (March 29, 1996). "It's Show Time : Complex Opening Today Brings Art Films, High-Tech Venue to Valley Moviegoers". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ Turpin, Dick (June 18, 1972). "Valley Shopping Complex Rising: Three Major High Fashion Stores Slated". Los Angeles Times. p. L 1. ProQuest 156958892.
  9. ^ "Trust Acquires Promenade Shopping Mall". Los Angeles Times. October 22, 1972. p. d22. ProQuest 157038717.
  10. ^ "Robinson's to Open Woodland Hills Store". Los Angeles Times. March 11, 1973. p. L 10. ProQuest 157243328.
  11. ^ "Saks Opens $2.5 Million Valley Store". Los Angeles Times. August 5, 1973. p. e18. ProQuest 157374112.
  12. ^ "San Fernando Valley Center in Operation". Los Angeles Times. August 26, 1973. p. e17. ProQuest 157311802.
  13. ^ "Promenade Mall in Woodland Hills Sold". Los Angeles Times. December 13, 1989.
  14. ^ Apodaca, Patrice (October 22, 1991). "Mall Raises the Roof : Retailing: The new owners of the Promenade in Warner Center pin their hopes on a renovation to woo back shoppers. Some observers see risks". Los Angeles Times.
  15. ^ Pendleton, Jennifer (March 9, 1999). "Owners Shopping for Ways to Revive Mall: Retail: Promenade in Woodland Hills is target of make-over by Westfield America, which wants to link it more closely with Topanga Plaza". Los Angeles Times.
  16. ^ Albright, Mark (June 1, 2005). "If you didn't call them 'shoppingtowns,' don't: Three local malls that called themselves by the Australian name will quietly drop the label". Tampa Bay Times.
  17. ^ Sieroty, Chris (May 13, 2000). "Owner to refit Promenade". Daily News of Los Angeles – via NewsBank. The remodeled mall will feature the AMC 16 theaters along with such lifestyle stores as Restoration Hardware and Z Gallerie.
  18. ^ Wilcox, Gregory J. (December 31, 2012). "Barnes & Noble at Westfield Promenade in Warner Center closes". Los Angeles Daily News.
  19. ^ Wilcox, Gregory J. (January 8, 2015). "Macy's closing two Woodland Hills stores". Los Angeles Daily News.
  20. ^ a b Bartholomew, Dana (September 13, 2015). "Lawsuit: Promenade mall a blighted 'ghost town' as Village at Westfield Topanga opens next door". Los Angeles Daily News.
  21. ^ a b Khouri, Andrew (October 17, 2016). "Westfield proposes $1.5-billion mixed-used complex at site of aging Warner Center mall". Los Angeles Times.
  22. ^ Tinoco, Matt (October 15, 2016). "Woodland Hills' Deteriorating Promenade Mall To Transform Into New Housing And Retail". LAist.
  23. ^ Chiland, Elijah (October 13, 2016). "Massive development planned for Warner Center's Promenade mall: More than 1,400 residential units and two hotels". Curbed LA.
  24. ^ Bartholomew, Dana (October 15, 2016). "Westfield unveils plan to turn The Promenade into $1.5B 'live, work and play' complex". Los Angeles Daily News.
  25. ^ Cummins, Carolyn (December 12, 2017). "End of an era: Westfield accepts $32.8bn offer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  26. ^ Grigoryants, Olga (May 2, 2018). "Promenade 2035 Project review finds 'significant' impacts on Warner Center". Los Angeles Daily News.
  27. ^ Shelley, Susan (July 17, 2018). "Promenade 2035 could gridlock every West Valley street". Los Angeles Daily News.
  28. ^ Grigoryants, Olga (July 5, 2018). "Westfield's Promenade 2035 project sparks concerns at Warner Center neighborhood council meeting". Los Angeles Daily News.
  29. ^ Shaikin, Bill (May 17, 2019). "Dodgers in the Valley? Ballpark might have replaced mall — had the Angels not squashed the idea". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  30. ^ Stulick, Amy (February 12, 2020). "AMC at Promenade Moving". San Fernando Valley Business Journal.
  31. ^ "AMC Theatres to Have 98% of Its U.S. Locations Open Beginning Friday, March 19". AMC Theatres (Press release). March 17, 2021.
  32. ^ "Westfield Expansion to Open Summer 2022". Valley News Group. January 21, 2022.
  33. ^ "AMC Theatres® Unveils Its Most Popular Moviegoing Amenities With the Opening of AMC Dine-in Topanga 12, in Canoga Park, CA, Opening Thursday, June 2". Yahoo Finance. May 31, 2022.
  34. ^ Zahniser, David (December 2, 2020). "L.A. signs off on $1-billion 'mini-city' in the west San Fernando Valley". Los Angeles Times.
  35. ^ Madans Welk, Hannah (March 7, 2021). "Mall Operator URW Plans to Sell All US Properties". Los Angeles Business Journal.
  36. ^ Vincent, Roger (April 8, 2022). "Westfield malls go up for sale as U.S. shoppers find other places to buy". Los Angeles Times.
  37. ^ Wittner, Michael (March 25, 2022). "Rams Buy Woodland Hills Mall For $150M: Report". MSN.
  38. ^ Shaikin, Bill; Vincent, Roger; Farmer, Sam (February 24, 2022). "Rams could build a team training site in Woodland Hills". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  39. ^ Grigoryants, Olga (May 5, 2022). "Billionaire Rams owner Stanley Kroenke is the new owner of the vacant Promenade mall in Woodland Hills". Daily News of Los Angeles.
  40. ^ Grigoryants, Olga (February 8, 2022). "Ruth's Chris Steak House moving to new Woodland Hills location". Los Angeles Daily News.
  41. ^ Grigoryants, Olga (December 7, 2023). "Ruth's Chris Steak House moves to new space in Woodland Hills". Los Angeles Daily News.
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