Farrell Supports Mall Despite Wave of Protest

Los Angeles City Councilman Robert Farrell, apparently unmoved by a storm of protests, Wednesday publicly reaffirmed his support for a controversial shopping center near USC that critics argue would disrupt a residential neighborhood noted for its historic homes and ethnic diversity.

Farrell said he would have preferred a commercial development more than twice the size of the three-acre project that has been proposed. The proposed site is at the northern edge of North University Park, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the city and one that awaits final approval for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

Stressing economic considerations, Farrell said the shopping center would offer a “broader range of products for lesser prices” and “union-wage jobs.” Moreover, he said he did not think that development of the center would imperil the adjacent neighborhood, even though several houses would have to be removed.

“I think this can be a win-win for people who advocate (economic) redevelopment and for people who advocate life styles implicit in the promise of a historical district,” Farrell said at a public hearing at the Community Redevelopment Agency. Farrell, along with the promoters of the shopping center, wants the CRA to use its powers of condemnation to acquire the property necessary for the project.

Contributed Funds

The shopping center would face Adams Boulevard and extend south between Vermont and Menlo avenues.

The center’s promoters, Boys Market Inc. and developer Danny Bakewell, have contributed several thousand dollars to Farrell over the past years.

Acknowledging those contributions, Farrell nevertheless said reporters were naive to characterize the dispute as a case of politically connected developers attempting to exploit defenseless homeowners.