Westfield Topanga
Encyclopedia
Westfield Topanga, formerly known as the Westfield Shoppingtown Topanga and more commonly known to locals as the Topanga Mall or Topanga Plaza, is a two-story shopping mall
consisting of 230 tenants spread across three sections. It is located on Topanga Canyon Boulevard on the border between the communities of Canoga Park and Woodland Hills in the western part of Los Angeles
' San Fernando Valley
. The mall, owned by The Westfield Group
, is anchored by Macy's
, Nordstrom
, Neiman Marcus
, Target
, and Sears
.
A US$330 million renovation to the mall was completed in 2008, which included the addition of over 100 new stores including new anchors Target and Neiman Marcus, a substantial renovation to the existing anchor stores, a new food court, a two-story carousel
, and three parking garages.
, May Company
and Montgomery Ward
. Nordstrom
was added in 1983.
In 1992 May Centers, Inc., the original developer, was renamed CenterMark Properties and was sold by parent company May Department Stores
in 1993 to a consortium led by Westfield Holdings, Ltd., a predecessor of Westfield Group.
The May Company location was renamed Robinsons-May
in 1993 and completely renovated following the 1994 Northridge earthquake
, The Broadway location was sold to Sears in 1996 after its acquisition by Federated Department Stores, and the Montgomery Ward closed in 1999 following the chain's bankruptcy. As previously mentioned, Robinsons-May was renamed Macy's
in September 2006, and despite rumors to the contrary, the store will continue operating despite the close proximity of a second Macy's store at the Westfield Promenade
up the street.
, and three-story Nordstrom
department store
. A newly designed, cafe-style dining terrace, family lounges, and an indoor carousel were also added to the existing mall. The former Montgomery Ward, which had been largely out of use for years, was demolished as part of this project.
Nordstrom was moved to a new building at the southeast corner of the parking lot, which faces Victory Boulevard and Owensmouth Avenue. Neiman Marcus opened in fall 2008 at the site of the former Nordstrom building, on the mall's west end. Three new parking structures have been erected to supplant the ground level parking lost when the mall's outer walls were expanded to accommodate the new stores, the largest of these being the five-levels, complete with an electronic parking space indicator system.
, which is less than two blocks away. In addition to the two major malls, Westfield owns a small, outdoor shopping center located almost exactly between the other two and on the same major boulevard as the others; the company's plans involve renovating the outdoor mall to refresh it and to make it a hub for people traveling between all three shopping locations.
Many different retail/office space configurations are being considered, some of which could take construction costs as high as $750 million USD
. How the three malls will be connected is still up for debate, although Westfield has semi-publicly considered a monorail system on more than one occasion, a novel but unlikely idea made nearly impossible by several logistical problems. Original plans called for the work to be finished by early 2010, but much of that work is being delayed while planning revisions and budget issues are being handled.
When the project is completed, the three mall complex will be the largest in California with a total of 3800000 square feet (353,031.6 m²).
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
consisting of 230 tenants spread across three sections. It is located on Topanga Canyon Boulevard on the border between the communities of Canoga Park and Woodland Hills in the western part of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
' San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
. The mall, owned by The Westfield Group
The Westfield Group
The Westfield Group is an Australian shopping centre group undertaking ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, property management, leasing and marketing activities...
, is anchored by Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
, Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus, formerly Neiman-Marcus, is a luxury specialty retail department store operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in the One Marcus Square building in Downtown Dallas, Texas, and competes with other department stores such as Saks Fifth...
, Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
.
A US$330 million renovation to the mall was completed in 2008, which included the addition of over 100 new stores including new anchors Target and Neiman Marcus, a substantial renovation to the existing anchor stores, a new food court, a two-story carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
, and three parking garages.
History
Opened July 10, 1964, Topanga Plaza was California's first enclosed shopping mall. It was originally anchored by The BroadwayThe Broadway
The Broadway was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr., who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, The Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the...
, May Company
May Company California
May Company California was a chain of department stores operating in the Southern California and Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California. It was a subsidiary of May Department Stores and merged with May's other Southern California subsidiary, J. W...
and Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward
Montgomery Ward is an online retailer that carries the same name as the former American department store chain, founded as the world's #1 mail order business in 1872 by Aaron Montgomery Ward, and which went out of business in 2001...
. Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
was added in 1983.
In 1992 May Centers, Inc., the original developer, was renamed CenterMark Properties and was sold by parent company May Department Stores
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
in 1993 to a consortium led by Westfield Holdings, Ltd., a predecessor of Westfield Group.
The May Company location was renamed Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May
Robinsons-May was a chain of department stores operating in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California...
in 1993 and completely renovated following the 1994 Northridge earthquake
Northridge earthquake
The Northridge earthquake was a massive earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 04:31 Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, lasting for about 10–20 seconds...
, The Broadway location was sold to Sears in 1996 after its acquisition by Federated Department Stores, and the Montgomery Ward closed in 1999 following the chain's bankruptcy. As previously mentioned, Robinsons-May was renamed Macy's
Macy's West
Macy's West was a longtime division of Macy's, Inc. , representing one of the New York-based department store chain's earliest notable acquisitions and westward expansions...
in September 2006, and despite rumors to the contrary, the store will continue operating despite the close proximity of a second Macy's store at the Westfield Promenade
Westfield Promenade
The Westfield Promenade is a large shopping mall owned by Westfield Group and located on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Woodland Hills district of Los Angeles...
up the street.
2006-2008 Expansion
The Westfield Group recently completed the first phase of an expansion project, which added over 100 stores, including a large two-story TargetTarget Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
, and three-story Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
. A newly designed, cafe-style dining terrace, family lounges, and an indoor carousel were also added to the existing mall. The former Montgomery Ward, which had been largely out of use for years, was demolished as part of this project.
Nordstrom was moved to a new building at the southeast corner of the parking lot, which faces Victory Boulevard and Owensmouth Avenue. Neiman Marcus opened in fall 2008 at the site of the former Nordstrom building, on the mall's west end. Three new parking structures have been erected to supplant the ground level parking lost when the mall's outer walls were expanded to accommodate the new stores, the largest of these being the five-levels, complete with an electronic parking space indicator system.
Future expansion
In July 2007 Westfield revealed partial plans to link Westfield Topanga with their other local indoor mall, the Westfield PromenadeWestfield Promenade
The Westfield Promenade is a large shopping mall owned by Westfield Group and located on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Woodland Hills district of Los Angeles...
, which is less than two blocks away. In addition to the two major malls, Westfield owns a small, outdoor shopping center located almost exactly between the other two and on the same major boulevard as the others; the company's plans involve renovating the outdoor mall to refresh it and to make it a hub for people traveling between all three shopping locations.
Many different retail/office space configurations are being considered, some of which could take construction costs as high as $750 million USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. How the three malls will be connected is still up for debate, although Westfield has semi-publicly considered a monorail system on more than one occasion, a novel but unlikely idea made nearly impossible by several logistical problems. Original plans called for the work to be finished by early 2010, but much of that work is being delayed while planning revisions and budget issues are being handled.
When the project is completed, the three mall complex will be the largest in California with a total of 3800000 square feet (353,031.6 m²).
Anchors
- Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(Formerly May CompanyMay CompanyMay Company may refer to several American businesses:*The May Department Stores Company, a defunct retail company acquired by Federated Department Stores in 2006**May Company California, a defunct California department store that merged with J. W...
and later Robinsons-MayRobinsons-MayRobinsons-May was a chain of department stores operating in Southern California, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada, previously with headquarters in North Hollywood, California...
, 251,887 sq ft.) - Neiman MarcusNeiman MarcusNeiman Marcus, formerly Neiman-Marcus, is a luxury specialty retail department store operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in the One Marcus Square building in Downtown Dallas, Texas, and competes with other department stores such as Saks Fifth...
(120,000 sq ft.) - Sears (160,271 sq ft.)
- TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
(100,000 sq ft.) - NordstromNordstromNordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
(225,000 sq ft.)