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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

At Daktronics, our video display design fexibility and experience fnds us working in plenty of dynamic environments. Whether we’re creating the latest digital shopping center banner or installing some of Times Square’s most iconic billboards, we succeed no matter the project size or stage.

With 13,000+ video display installations worldwide and offces around the globe, our dedicated and driven team has display solutions for any location or event.

Going to ICSC New York National Deal Making?December 7-8, 2015Contact Ed Wasserman 818.632.1147 edward.wasserman@daktronics.comwww.daktronics.com/shopping

PHOTOS: Spectacolor ‘Revlon’ Times Square | Macerich Freehold Raceway Mall, Freehold, NJ | Macy’s Herald Square, New York, NY

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.