Westfield Topanga mall set for $70M upgrade

Shops to remain open as commercial development ramps up

Westfield Topanga mall will undergo a $70-million renovation
Westfield Topanga mall will undergo a $70-million renovation

 

Three months after getting a new owner, Westfield is gearing up for major renovations at its sprawling Topanga mall.

About $70-million worth of upgrades are planned for the shopping center in Canoga Park, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
Improvements will include enhanced security, new floors, new lighting, paneling, and long-term art exhibits. All restrooms and family lounges will be refurbished, too.

With anchor tenants that include Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, the mall draws about 22 million visitors per year. All shops will remain open during the renovation, and officials promised the construction work will be completed after business hours, and won’t impact shoppers much, the Daily News added.

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In June, European mall landlord Unibail-Rodamco purchased Westfield, which operates Westfield World Trade Center in New York, Westfield Century City in Los Angeles and Westfield Old Orchard in suburban Chicago, for about $15 billion, The Real Deal reported.

The French retailer owns a $52-billion portfolio in Europe and Westwood’s $22-billion portfolio of American and U.K. malls, according to the Wall Street Journal.

David Rush, senior vice president at commercial real estate company CBRE Group., told the Daily News that the project is part of the “urbanization” of the Warner Center area. He added that the upgrades are part of the evolution of the urban mall.

The Westfield Topanga, which opened in 1964, is adjacent to the Village at Topanga, and the Westfield Promenade, which is being redeveloped with 1,400 residential units, two hotels, and 244,000 square feet of retail space. Sandstone Properties announced plans this year to build a 184-unit project at Warner Center, which would be steps from Westfield Topanga. [LA Daily News] — Gregory Lynch