Westfield Promenade
Encyclopedia
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. It was previously known as The Promenade at Woodland Hills and Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade.
It is one of three shopping malls owned by Westfield in the San Fernando Valley, the others being Westfield Topanga
and Westfield Fashion Square
, and one of several malls they own in the greater Los Angeles area.
The mall is two stories tall and features a two-part Macy's
department store, a 16-screen AMC Theatre
, and a Barnes & Noble
as its main anchors. The mall also features a popular food-court, several high-end clothing stores including a Coach leather-goods store, and several other restaurants.
Westfield Promenade and Topanga
malls are separated by less than two blocks in the Canoga Park/Woodland Hills area of the San Fernando Valley. Initially, the Promenade was conceived as the area's upscale mall, while Westfield Topanga was oriented toward more middle-tier shopping, justifying the close proximity. Westfield apparently abandoned this business model in 2006 when a massive redevelopment project was undertaken at Westfield Topanga. The mall, already of large size, was made significantly larger and more than 100 new stores were added, many of which are high-end "boutiques" such as Cartier
and Ferragamo, the existing Nordstrom
was moved and expanded and a Neiman Marcus
department store is being added; it is unclear what Westfield's current plans for the Promenade are.
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 and sold to Bullock's
, becoming Macy's in 1996 as well. Following the 1994 Northridge earthquake
, Saks Fifth Avenue used the opportunity to close their underperforming store and it was demolished in 1994 for the addition of the AMC Theatre, which opened in 1996.
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
. At that time it was renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade". The unwieldy "Shoppingtown" name was dropped in June 2005.
Westfield Promenade was plagued for years by tenant problems and slow business, although the addition of the movie theatre during renovations after the 1994 Northridge earthquake
, more recent renovations in 2001 and the addition of the Barnes & Noble and its nearby restaurants has helped increase mall traffic and bring in better, more stable tenants. Unfortunately, the newly revamped Westfield Topanga has overshadowed The Promenade. The mall may be slated for more renovation after Westfield is finished with work on Westfield Topanga.
Westfield has on numerous occasions examined plans to connect the two centers, with methods such as an enclosed bridge and a light monorail system being discussed. On all previous occasions, the discussions have ended without conclusion due to concerns over logistics, cost and other issues. In mid-September 2007, Westfield began notifying area residents via the mail of an upcoming mall to bridge the 2 existing malls. The new shopping area, an open air promenade design, will be known as "the Village". Ground clearing for this new complex became clearly visible with the demolition of Topanga Theater on September 19, the largest building in the proposed footprint of the new mall.
Starting in October 2009, a seasonal ice skating rink was opened under the name of Woodland Hills Ice.
The Promenade currently features the following businesses, amongst others:
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...
owned by Westfield Group and located on Topanga Canyon Boulevard in the Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California
Woodland Hills is a district in the city of Los Angeles, California.Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern area of the San Fernando Valley, east of Calabasas and west of Tarzana, with Warner Center in its northern section...
district of Los Angeles. It was previously known as The Promenade at Woodland Hills and Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade.
It is one of three shopping malls owned by Westfield in the San Fernando Valley, the others being Westfield Topanga
Westfield Topanga
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...
and Westfield Fashion Square
Westfield Fashion Square
Westfield Fashion Square, formerly Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, is a shopping mall in the Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles, California. It is owned by Westfield Group...
, and one of several malls they own in the greater Los Angeles area.
The mall is two stories tall and features a two-part 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...
department store, a 16-screen AMC Theatre
AMC Theatres
AMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
, and a Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
as its main anchors. The mall also features a popular food-court, several high-end clothing stores including a Coach leather-goods store, and several other restaurants.
Westfield Promenade and Topanga
Westfield Topanga
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...
malls are separated by less than two blocks in the Canoga Park/Woodland Hills area of the San Fernando Valley. Initially, the Promenade was conceived as the area's upscale mall, while Westfield Topanga was oriented toward more middle-tier shopping, justifying the close proximity. Westfield apparently abandoned this business model in 2006 when a massive redevelopment project was undertaken at Westfield Topanga. The mall, already of large size, was made significantly larger and more than 100 new stores were added, many of which are high-end "boutiques" such as Cartier
Cartier SA
Cartier S.A., commonly known as Cartier , is a French luxury jeweler and watch manufacturer. The corporation carries the name of the Cartier family of jewellers whose control ended in 1964 and who were known for numerous pieces including the "Bestiary" , the diamond necklace created for Bhupinder...
and Ferragamo, the existing 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 moved and expanded and a 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...
department store is being added; it is unclear what Westfield's current plans for the Promenade are.
History
Opened in 1973 as The Promenade at Woodlands Hills, it was originally a high-fashion center anchored by J. W. Robinson's, Bullocks WilshireBullocks Wilshire
Bullocks Wilshire, located at 3050 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, is a 230,000-square foot Art Deco building.-Design:...
and Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury American specialty store owned and operated by Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises , a subsidiary of Saks Incorporated. It competes in the high-end specialty store market in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, i.e. 'the 3 B's' Bergdorf, Barneys, Bloomingdale's and Lord & Taylor...
. The Bullocks Wilshire store was renamed I. Magnin
I. Magnin
I. Magnin & Company was a San Francisco, California-based high fashion and specialty goods luxury department store. Over the course of its existence, it expanded across the West into Southern California and the adjoining states of Arizona, Oregon, and Washington...
in 1990 and in 1995 became a Bullock's Men's store, being 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 1996. The Robinson's store was closed in 1993 and sold to Bullock's
Bullock's
Bullock's was a department store based in Los Angeles, California. The company operated full-line department stores all across California, with some stores in Arizona and Nevada. Bullock's also operated the more upscale Bullocks Wilshire in parts of Southern California.- History :Bullock's was...
, becoming Macy's in 1996 as well. 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...
, Saks Fifth Avenue used the opportunity to close their underperforming store and it was demolished in 1994 for the addition of the AMC Theatre, which opened in 1996.
The center was briefly acquired by Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. is an American commercial real estate company, ranked #1 in the United States as the largest real estate investment trust. Simon is a fully integrated real estate company which operates from five retail real estate platforms: regional malls, Premium Outlet Centers, The...
in 1997, before being sold in 1998 to Westfield America, Inc., a precursor to 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...
. At that time it was renamed "Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade". The unwieldy "Shoppingtown" name was dropped in June 2005.
Westfield Promenade was plagued for years by tenant problems and slow business, although the addition of the movie theatre during renovations after 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...
, more recent renovations in 2001 and the addition of the Barnes & Noble and its nearby restaurants has helped increase mall traffic and bring in better, more stable tenants. Unfortunately, the newly revamped Westfield Topanga has overshadowed The Promenade. The mall may be slated for more renovation after Westfield is finished with work on Westfield Topanga.
Westfield has on numerous occasions examined plans to connect the two centers, with methods such as an enclosed bridge and a light monorail system being discussed. On all previous occasions, the discussions have ended without conclusion due to concerns over logistics, cost and other issues. In mid-September 2007, Westfield began notifying area residents via the mail of an upcoming mall to bridge the 2 existing malls. The new shopping area, an open air promenade design, will be known as "the Village". Ground clearing for this new complex became clearly visible with the demolition of Topanga Theater on September 19, the largest building in the proposed footprint of the new mall.
Starting in October 2009, a seasonal ice skating rink was opened under the name of Woodland Hills Ice.
Featured businesses
- AMC TheatresAMC TheatresAMC Theatres , officially known as AMC Entertainment, Inc., is the second largest movie theater chain in North America with 5,325 screens, second only to Regal Entertainment Group, and one of the United States's four national cinema chains AMC Theatres (American Multi-Cinema), officially known as...
- Barnes & NobleBarnes & NobleBarnes & Noble, Inc. is the largest book retailer in the United States, operating mainly through its Barnes & Noble Booksellers chain of bookstores headquartered at 122 Fifth Avenue in the Flatiron District in Manhattan in New York City. Barnes & Noble also operated the chain of small B. Dalton...
- The Coffee Bean & Tea LeafThe Coffee Bean & Tea LeafThe Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is a Los Angeles, California-based coffee chain, owned and operated by International Coffee & Tea, LLC. The first Coffee Bean opened in September 1963. The chain has over 750 locations in 22 countries...
- Corner Bakery CafeCorner Bakery CafeCorner Bakery Cafe is a U.S. chain of cafes that specialize in pastries, breads, breakfast dishes, gourmet sandwiches, and salads. Corner Bakery Cafe is considered to be a part of the fast casual market segment of the food service industry, offering a somewhat higher quality of food and atmosphere...
- 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...
- Maggiano's Little ItalyMaggiano's Little ItalyMaggiano's Little Italy is an Italian-style chain of casual dining restaurants with locations throughout the United States, Mexico, Canada, and Northern Ireland founded in Chicago's River North neighborhood in 1991 by Richard Melman's Lettuce Entertain You and named for Melman's late partner,...
- McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
- P.F. Chang's China Bistro
- Ruth's Chris Steak HouseRuth's Chris Steak HouseRuth's Chris Steak House is a chain of more than 121 steakhouses across the United States and in several international locations. The restaurant is regarded as an upscale fine dining establishment, marking a gradual elevation in its status since its founding in the 1960s...