These are the developing stories from 2016 we’ll continue to follow this year
Pickwick Gardens in Burbank has struggled financially since the economic downturn in 2008. Now the family that has owned the property since 1955 is turning to the community for help to determine its future.
From more planning toward a new terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport to changes in the local retail scene, here are the stories we’re keeping an eye on in 2017.
District to expand mental health commitment
A new wellness center will open at John Burroughs High School early this year as part of Burbank Unified’s growing commitment to meeting students’ mental-health needs, following the school board’s adoption of a mental health and wellness master plan last April.
Burbank school officials created the plan because of increased reports of student anxiety and depression.
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The three-year plan outlines five goals: reduced barriers for students to receive mental-health services, a district wellness center to streamline student referrals, a social/emotional curriculum to promote mental health and wellness, a districtwide culture based on positive social interactions and ongoing education for staff and families about student wellness.
“[I’ve] never been more proud to be part of a district and a team that has taken a policy and a vision and worked so openly together,” said Burbank Supt. Matt Hill during the school board meeting when the plan was approved. “That is not an easy process to do, especially for a topic that we don’t talk about that often in our society and especially in school districts. But Burbank is leading the way on having a thoughtful plan. This is one of the best plans I’ve ever seen.”
New terminal to move forward
Following approval by Burbank voters in November, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority is moving forward to build a new 355,000-square-foot, 14-gate terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport.
It will still be a few years until airport officials can break ground on the B-6 parcel, a piece of land on the northeast quadrant of the airfield. Before they can do that, several environmental tests need to be conducted on the site to see if the ground is safe to build on.
Officials said that soil testing could take between three to five months.
The airport used to be owned by Lockheed Corp., which built aircraft there during and after World War II.
When the airport authority’s plans move further along, airport officials will host a series of community workshops seeking input from residents about the design of the new terminal.
FPPC complaint against Visit Burbank
Though the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority is going ahead with its plans to construct a replacement terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport, several residents are still concerned about the authority’s plans and are alleging that some inappropriate financial activity occurred to sway voters toward supporting the project.
Measure B, which was on the Nov. 8 election ballot, asked Burbank residents if they would allow the airport authority to build the new 355,000-square-foot terminal at the airport.
Many airport officials said they were surprised that 69.7% of the voters supported the new terminal. However, those who were skeptical about the project began to do some digging.
In December, Burbank resident David Spell filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission alleging that the Burbank Hospitality Assn., also known as Visit Burbank, used public funds to pay for campaign mailers for the Committee for Yes on Measure B.
According to a city memo dated Sept. 20, former state Assembly candidate Sunder Ramani, a member of the Committee of Yes on Measure B, asked the Burbank Hospitality Assn. to donate $50,000 to his organization “to educate Burbank residents on the importance of voting yes on Measure B.”
According to the California Fair Political Practices Commission, it is illegal to use public funds on campaign material.
The state agency has opened an investigation into the matter and should have a response later this month.
The future of Pickwick Gardens
In October, the owners of Pickwick Gardens announced they are looking to make major changes to the roughly 9-acre site on Riverside Drive.
Rob Stavert, president and CEO of Pickwick Gardens, talks about updating the facility and the involving the community in the process.
Members of the Stavert family, who have owned the property since 1955, are turning to residents living in the Rancho district, where Pickwick is located, and the surrounding community to seek input about what they would like to see done with the site.
The Staverts are partnering with land developer Shea Properties to engage in several community meetings with residents to determine the best use for the site, which currently houses banquet halls, conference rooms, a bowling alley and an ice rink.
Unlike most development projects, where officials bring forward a project to the community and adjust their plans accordingly, the Staverts said they have no predetermined plan for the property.
Ron Stavert, president and chief executive of Pickwick Gardens, said the business has not been able to recover from the economic downturn in 2008. Attendance in the banquet halls and bowling alley has not been the same since then.
Additionally, the ice rink is in dire need of repairs, but they would cost somewhere in the seven-figure range.
IKEA to open in spring 2017
The current Burbank IKEA will close, but a new location is nearing completion across San Fernando Blvd. When it opens, it will be the largest IKEA in North America.
After about a little more than a year of construction, the new IKEA store at 805 S. San Fernando Blvd. in Burbank is set to open sometime in the first quarter of this year.
The 456,000-square-foot facility, which will be the Swedish retailer’s largest store in the United States, will replace the current 242,000-square-foot store a few blocks away in the Burbank Town Center.
As of last month, construction crews were wiring all of the electrical components inside the building, and employees from the current store were setting up display areas.
The new store has an underground parking lot, a much larger warehouse and a dining area that can accommodate about 600 people.
Because of the additional space, the new store will be able to display all of IKEA’s newest products, and the additional warehouse space will mean all of the products shown on the display floor will be available for consumers immediately.
Revamping the Burbank Town Center
With the new IKEA set to open early this year, property owners of the existing IKEA store and Burbank Town Center are looking to revitalize the site.
Crown Realty and Development Inc. announced in May its plans to redevelop the outgoing IKEA store into a six-story, mixed-use project with 765 apartments and about 40,000 square feet of retail space on the ground level. Company officials are also looking to create a community gathering area for various uses such as a farmers market or ice rink.
As it waits for the new IKEA store to open, Crown Realty will be working with real estate operator CAPREF Manager LLC to revamp the Burbank Town Center, first by remodeling the entryway at San Fernando and Magnolia boulevards.
A portion of the second-floor roof will be removed to create an open-space atmosphere and an escalator will be installed to allow easy access to the upper level from the street.
The two companies will also be revamping the food court, children’s play area and elevators.