Burbank Town Center owner submits plans for housing and hotel projects
Construction has begun at the Burbank Town Center, which is undergoing renovations announced in April. The food court will move to the first floor and new restaurants will be built on the third floor.
The owners of the Burbank Town Center are looking to add several hundred apartment units and a small hotel near the struggling mall.
In April, CAPREF Manager LLC announced its plans to revamp the mall with an updated interior design and new facade on the Magnolia Boulevard entrance, which includes an outdoor escalator and public space to create a more open feel.
Additionally, the real estate operator will be working with Crown Realty and Development Inc. to build a seven-story, mixed-use development with 765 apartments where the outgoing IKEA store is located, along with 35,000 square feet of retail space at ground level.
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Scaffolding appears at Burbank Town Center as its owners revamp the mall.
Scott Plambaeck, a deputy city planner for Burbank, told the Planning Board on Monday about the latest proposals from CAPREF, which involve building a 265-unit apartment project on the existing Office Depot site, a 70-unit condominium complex where the Corner Bakery is located and a 200-room hotel on the site of Chevys Fresh Mex restaurant.
However, in order for CAPREF to move forward with its plans to construct the housing units and hotel, Plambaeck said the real estate company would need to seek a planned-development amendment to reflect the new types of structures being planned there.
While the mall owner waits to go through the public-hearing process to get those amendments, CAPREF is already in the process of making interior renovations to the mall, including a more contemporary color palette and new food court tenants.
The Burbank Town Center originally was supposed to have an office building, but it was never built. Because of a lack of customers during the daytime to support the mall, the shopping center has struggled, Plambaeck said.
CAPREF is no stranger to malls in Southern California. It currently manages the Glendale Marketplace, the Paseo Colorado in Pasadena and the Strand in Huntington Beach.
Plambaeck said the real estate developer is looking to spend about $60 million in improvements to the mall as well as the planned housing and hotel.
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
