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CENTER OPENING
102 • SHOPPING CENTER BUSINESS • December 2015
As physical retail environments
face the challenge of competing
for consumers’ attention, devel-
opers and owners are being forced to
examine ways to reinvent their spaces for
continued success in the shifting retail
landscape. With an eye on experience,
Westfeld Corporation planned its latest
development, The Village at Westfeld
Topanga, a 550,000-square-foot outdoor
street-retail addition to its popular fag-
ship regional mall complex, Westfeld To-
panga. The Village opened in September.
“Westfeld Topanga is among the high-
est grossing retail centers in greater Los
Angeles,” says Larry Green, senior vice
president of development at Westfeld
Corp. “We had this great retail destina-
tion at Topanga, but the customer was
telling us they also wanted a place to ‘hang
out.’ The Village is that meet, socialize,
shop, dine out, work out, entertain and
be entertained destination.”
The Village is within walking distance
to the larger center, but is also connected
to Westfeld Topanga by a trolley service.
The Village offers patrons a more relaxed
experience with trendy retailers, restau-
rants, patio dining, a full-service gym, spa,
yoga studio and a weekly farmer’s market.
“The Village offers great LA ‘street’ re-
tailers and restaurants, but we also have
incredible place makers in the space,”
says Green. “The Village is home to ex-
tensive landscaping, fve outdoor fre pits,
four water features, bocce ball courts, koi
ponds, a water screen and pop jet foun-
tains for children to play in.”
“Trees also play a big part in The Vil-
lage,” says Green, who notes that West-
feld worked to relocate and replant
mature sycamore, olive and pine trees
throughout the project. “The landscaping
within The Village is mature; we had 40
trees boxed up and replanted throughout
the development. It really feels like the
project was built around this great grove.”
Alongside a mature natural landscape,
Westfeld set out to make the architectural
components more intimate. “The store-
fronts at The Village are very intimate,
around 10 to 12 feet, and are located
throughout seven separate buildings” says
Green. “We wanted it to feel like it was de-
veloped over time. We also have retail that
faces out to the street, so we’ve created a
very active street scene as well.”
In planning the layout of The Village,
Westfeld traveled to every outdoor cen-
ter in the country and beyond, notes
Green. “There was a lot of discussion
about whether or not the development
should have a street down the middle
with parking. In the end, I think we got
it right. The Village’s walkable plazas and
pathways include cool water elements,
children’s play areas, bocce ball courts,
relaxing outdoor lounges, and more. We
decided not to have cars down the middle
Complete OfferingWestfeld rounds out its successful Westfeld Topanga fagship with The Village, an over 550,000-square-foot outdoor street retail development.
Randall Shearin and Katie Sloan
The 550,000-square-foot Village at Westfeld Topanga opened in September in California, bringing new retail to the San Fernando Valley.
CENTER OPENING
104 • SHOPPING CENTER BUSINESS • December 2015
to add to the gathering space atmosphere;
it really provided us with this incredible
outdoor space.”
The Village at Westfeld Topanga is also
the site for the satellite studio of KCSN
88.5 FM, a public radio station, which
broadcasts from The Village seven days a
week. “The radio station will be curating
two or three music events every week,”
says Green. “Everyone from hip Los An-
geles artists, to international and national
stars will be coming to The Village to per-
form during the week.”
The Village is also home to several
tenants making their Los Angeles market
debuts, including Fabletics, an athletic
apparel brand co-founded by actress Kate
Hudson, DAVIDsTEA, a Montreal-based
tea specialty retailer, and ConfeXion, win-
ner of Food Network’s ”Cupcake Wars.”
“This is where you will see very interest-
ing retail,” says Green. “The Fabletics lo-
cation is one of its frst brick-and-mortar
stores on the West Coast.”
The center is anchored by Costco, REI,
Crate & Barrel, 24 Hour Fitness and
Burke Williams and features health and
ftness, beauty, home furnishings, jewel-
ry, electronics, apparel as well as specialty
retailers.
With the center’s grand opening in Sep-
tember, Westfeld aimed to give shoppers
the experiential component they were
seeking at Westfeld Topanga.
“People can come here, shop, visit their
doctor and have a dining or entertain-
ment experience in one stop,” says Green.
“Three coffee shops, gyms, yoga studios,
spin class — the very best of L.A.’s ‘street’
retail, celebrity concepts, customer ser-
vices and conveniences -— all of those ele-
ments are here. Everything we have done
with The Village was done to reinforce its
appeal as a community destination and
gathering place for locals and Valley visi-
tors alike.”
With the opening of The Village, West-
feld’s Topanga properties offer a desti-
nation with Neiman-Marcus, Nordstrom,
Costco, Macy’s, AMC Theaters, Target,
over 300 specialty stores, 60 restaurants
and eateries, a strong luxury collection
and the very best in LA’s street retail and
personal services. SCB
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Going to ICSC New York National Deal Making?December 7-8, 2015Contact Ed Wasserman 818.632.1147 edward.wasserman@daktronics.comwww.daktronics.com/shopping
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The design for The Village is intimate, with
storefronts approxmiately 10 to 12 feet wide.
Westfeld traveled to the country’s best
outdoor centers to create the design for The
Village at Westfeld Topanga.
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