The upgrade will not add a lot of density to the properties, vowed representatives of J.H. Snyder Co., the Los Angeles developer that owns the centers with RREEF Real Estate. "Nobody needs to fear a large new shopping center that is going to increase environmental impacts," said Drew Planting, a senior partner at J.H. Snyder.
But concerned neighbors will be watching closely, said Mark Winter, a director of the Marina Peninsula Neighborhood Assn. "The fear we all have is that our ability to move around the streets will be impaired."
The owners acquired the properties more than a year ago and will spend more than $100 million on renovations and development by the time the makeover is complete, they said. "We want an indoor-outdoor experience," said Cliff Goldstein, also a senior partner at J.H. Snyder. "We hope to remind people of their last trip to Spain or Italy, or newer American-style" shopping plazas.
Various designs for the malls are under consideration, and the owners intend to unveil their proposals in about three months, Planting said.
The malls house a combined total of almost 420,000 square feet with such tenants as bookstore Barnes & Noble and grocery stores Pavilions and Gelson's. They also have large parking lots that may be replaced with a more pleasant environment for strolling and leisure, Planting said, perhaps with park-like landscaping and water features such as fountains. Parking might be moved into structures.
Each of the two existing centers has a movie complex, both of which are "antiquated," he said. Developers haven't decided whether to upgrade or remove the theaters.
The developers are meeting with community groups and hope to submit plans by Los Angeles architect Jerde Partnership to the city within 100 days. If they are approved, construction could begin by late next year.
Upgrading malls to keep them competitive is a routine practice in the shopping center industry. These complexes built in the 1970s and 1980s are due, Planting said.
"The marina has gotten more upscale, but it's also gotten younger" with families moving into nearby Playa Vista, he said. "We're going to focus on a merchandising mix that meets the newer demographics."
The pace of retail and residential development on the Westside is unnerving residents such as marina area activist Winter who worry about "packing too many people into too small a space," as he put it.
