NOHO West Groundbreaking Signals Transformation of North Hollywood Landmark
Pedestrian-Friendly Lifestyle Center Will Feature Contemporary Retail and Office Space Alongside Amenity-Rich Residential Apartments
Against the backdrop of the former Macy’s on Laurel Canyon Boulevard at Oxnard Street, the much-anticipated NOHO West community broke ground during a construction kick-off ceremony. Developer Merlone Geier Partners, along with GPI Companies, welcomed elected officials and other dignitaries to celebrate the new development, which has been designed to complement the existing fabric of the neighborhood by offering a 570,000-square foot retail, dining, entertainment, office and residential destination ideal for an active and contemporary community.
“We thank the local community for championing our vision of transforming the underutilized former Laurel Plaza Mall site into a new and exciting pedestrian-oriented town center with high-quality retail, commercial and residential offerings that enhance and serve the existing neighborhood and local businesses,” said Stephen Logan, vice president of development, Merlone Geier Partners.
The overall design of NOHO West features a tree-lined main street with shops, cafes and restaurants connecting a string of public plazas and green spaces designed as gathering places for family and friends. The developer’s plans for NOHO West include introducing an eclectic mix of 50-60 retail, restaurant and entertainment options while also providing large-format office space for four-to-10 tenants. Merlone Geier Partners anticipates that a grocery store, fitness center and movie theater will serve as the three anchor retail tenants. In addition, the city approved the development of 642 high-quality residential apartments at NOHO West.
The groundbreaking ceremony featured Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, who has served as an early advocate of the NOHO West concept.
Photo: Kait McKay Photography
“This is an important step toward revitalizing one of the East San Fernando Valley’s most important and historic commercial corridors,” said Krekorian. “By working with the community and the property owner, we achieved an excellent project that responds to the neighborhood’s needs and will become one of the region’s most exciting shopping and entertainment destinations. The introduction of NOHO West will improve the quality of life for residents and act as an economic catalyst in revitalizing the surrounding community.”
In addition to speeches by Logan and Krekorian, students from neighboring Laurel Hall School opened the ceremony by leading the pledge of alliance. Krekorian invited the students to leave their handprints and sign their names on a wet slab of concrete. The commemorative art will be on display at the school until moving to an honored location at NOHO West before the grand opening of the project.
Attendees were invited to view drawings and renderings depicting NOHO West, which is expected to be completed in summer/fall 2019.
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About Merlone Geier
Merlone Geier Partners is a private real estate investment company focused on the acquisition, development and redevelopment of retail and retail-driven mixed-use properties on the West Coast. Co-managed by Peter J. Merlone and Bradley A. Geier, they have raised more than $4.3 billion of discretionary institutional equity capital over the past 24 years. While demonstrating sensitivity to the community’s unique needs, Merlone Geier brings creative solutions to the complexities of creating urban and suburban places and destinations. Visit MerloneGeier.com for more information.
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