$500M Westfield Plan Includes Luxury Condos

CENTURY CITY, CA-The Westfield Group has proposed a $500-million transformation of its Westfield Century City shopping center that would include 260 luxury condominiums and a host of new shopping and dining options, according to plans the company has submitted to the City of Los Angeles. Called the New Century Plan, the Westfield project would build upon a makeover that is already under way at the 810,000-sf shopping venue at the corner of Avenue of the Stars and Santa Monica Boulevard.Westfield has already spent $150 million on the makeover. Its $500-million New Century Plan calls for removing two aging office buildings at 1801 Avenue of the Stars and 1930 Century Park West and replacing them with a mixed-use luxury condominium tower on Avenue of the Stars.Other parts of the plan include new premium shops, a central plaza, open space, more parking and an upgraded streetscape along Santa Monica Boulevard. Westfield's new plan would build on the makeover that is already under way, according to Ken Wong, president of Westfield America Inc., the US arm of Australia-based Westfield.The company completed the first phase of its makeover in December by introducing its new outdoor Dining Terrace, additional luxury shops and a new AMC flagship movie theater. The second phase of the makeover, being completed this year, replaces the old marketplace and movie complex with additional upscale dining, premium shops and amenities.Open space plays a big part in the New Century Plan. Westfield proposes to create eight acres of open space, featuring a new central plaza and a series of gathering places within the center. Its streetscape plan would transform more than 1,000 linear feet along Santa Monica Boulevard and 340 linear feet along Avenue of the Stars.Westfield's plan will now undergo a review by city officials, including an environmental review. The company says it will conduct "an extensive outreach program" to gather community comments on the plan, which will be subject to several public hearings before the Los Angeles Planning Commission and the city council.Westfield acquired the Century City center and the two adjacent office buildings in 2002. The outdoor shopping center is anchored by the West Coast flagship Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Gelson's Super Market, AMC Century City 15 Theatres and more than 100 specialty shops.