Fairfax : Fate of Site Uncertain

The president of the company that hopes to develop the site of the May Co. store at Fairfax Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard said the project may end up being an office complex instead of a shopping mall.

Steven P. Albert, president of Forest City Properties Corp., told residents at a community meeting last Thursday that it is too early in the planning process to know what will emerge.

Forest City also plans to expand the nearby Park Labrea residential complex by more than 2,000 units.

It is now home to about 10,000 tenants, hundreds of whom crowded a recreation room at Park Labrea to find out about Forest City’s plans.

Many of them said they were concerned that development of the May Co. site in addition to plans for a large-scale shopping center at the Farmers Market nearby would worsen traffic and parking problems in the area.

City Councilman John Ferarro, who represents the area, has yet to express an opinion on the two projects, both of which will require city approval to go ahead.