Manhattan Beach mall makeover finally moving forward

By Elijah Chiland for Curbed Los Angeles | Read the original article here

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In the works for over a decade, a major overhaul planned for the 44-acre Manhattan Village Shopping Center in Manhattan Beach may be on its way to fruition.

The Daily Breeze reports that a lawsuit filed by opponents of the project in 2014 was settled earlier this month, after the city approved alternate construction plans in June. A separate appeal of the project from neighboring businesses was rejected by the Manhattan Beach City Council last week.

With these challenges out of the way, the redevelopment—which is expected to be complete by 2020—can get underway.

The planned renovations will transform the northern and central portions of the shopping mall, razing more than 70,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space to make way for 194,644 square feet of new construction.

Developer RREEF plans to give the mall a more free-flowing feel, with a “village” of open-air shops connecting visitors to the enclosed portion of the mall. Major updates include an expansion of the Macy’s store on site and the demolition and relocation of a California Pizza Kitchen.

Plans also call for a lot more parking, with new on-site lots providing between 463 and 749 new spaces.

The Manhattan Beach City Council initially approved the project three years ago, but appeals and other delays have held up work on the mall’s big update.