Westfield's Kim Brewer on reshaping properties for a new era
Nearly every company engaged in retail, be it a chain of stores or an operator of shopping centers like Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), has been challenged this past year to execute bold ideas and engage in some serious innovative planning for the years ahead. At URW, the lessons learned during 2020 and 2021 were eagerly applied to a very important project of ours which has been underway since 2019.
That’s when we first began the modern upgrades at Westfield Topanga. The luxury enhancements included everything from fresh new tile floors, dark walnut paneling and finishes, a complete makeover of all restroom facilities and family lounges, to the integration of state-of-the-art digital infrastructure. These upgrades came on the heels of the retail destination’s 2018 unveiling of its fully operational 15,000 solar panel array, the largest installation at any retail destination in California.
Now we have embarked upon another ambitious project that will transform the space once occupied by Sears at Westfield Topanga into a 180,000-sq.-ft. indoor and outdoor district featuring a chef-driven Food Hall with sit-down restaurants, sleek lounges and cocktail bars, unique interior and exterior boutiques, and landscaped indoor and outdoor public spaces. Sixty-plus new tenants will satisfy new public tastes and preferences in the district, among them a 7,500-sq.-ft. Hermès boutique, a 20,734-sq.-ft. Arhaus showroom, a 12-screen new-format AMC Theatres, and a Pinstripes entertainment center.
Slated to open in phases beginning in Summer 2022, Westfield Topanga will welcome guests with a grand triple-height entryway featuring floating panes of glass and transparent lattices alongside verdant outdoor spaces, giving the entire center a street facing focal point set back from the corner of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Victory Boulevard.
Located in the Santa Monica mountains, Topanga is a unique community in Los Angeles County and a special destination. Our guests reflect a melting pot of diverse backgrounds, and the reimagination of Westfield Topanga & The Village will make it the place to shop, dine, play, and relax for the community who reside in the San Fernando Valley or those that visit us from surrounding cities.
The additions we are making to the new campus will instill the property with a more intense morning, noon, and night experience. At least five new restaurants—including the bowling-bocci-beer-and-bruschetta Pinstripes bistro—are intended to capture increased dwell time. To the evening dinner crowd, we will be making a very large statement with valet parking, an array of culinary options, and plenty of entertainment for our guests to enjoy.
As one of URW’s most prominent flagship shopping destinations in the US, we have focused a tremendous amount of effort to further establish Westfield Topanga & The Village as a vanguard of experience-driven retail experiences tailored to satisfy the desires and demands of 21st Century consumers.
About the Author
