Golden Mall Merchants Say Return of Cars Did the Trick : Retail sales: Business is up 10% to 15% since the aging shopping strip was reopened to traffic, store owners say.

Merchants along Burbank’s once-struggling Golden Mall say they got just what they wanted for Christmas this year--more customers and increased sales.

Shopkeepers said the former pedestrian-only mall, recently reopened to cars after more than 20 years, has attracted many new customers during the holiday season. They are hopeful the trend will continue.

“We’ve had the busiest Christmas season we’ve ever had and we’ve been here 40 years,” said Morey Goodstein, owner of Morey’s Shoes & Boutique.

Goodstein said his sales have been running 12% to 15% higher than last year. “Many of the customers have said that they never knew we were here,” Goodstein said.

Art Reisman, manager of Burcal, a women’s wear store, said his sales have been running 15% above last year.

“It’s been the biggest pre-Christmas season we’ve ever had,” said Reisman, whose store will celebrate its 50th anniversary on the mall in 1990.

City officials joined in the effort to boost sales by decorating street lamps with tinsel, ornamental lights and huge Christmas wreaths along the mall, located on San Fernando Road.

The mall had been closed to traffic since 1967 as part of an urban renewal experiment that merchants and city officials said never worked. They said the downtown shopping district has been in steady decline ever since, with many stores abandoning the mall.

Now, after cars were welcomed again in October, customers are rediscovering the mall.

“It’s been a big improvement,” said Burbank resident Mary Jorgensen. “I can’t get over what a difference it’s made. It’s really nice. I come out here every week now to get my hair done.”

But some store owners said that while business will probably continue to increase, it will be a while before they recover money they lost during the six months of construction to reopen the mall.

“During that six-month period, business was almost non-existent,” said Vernon Michel, owner of Michel’s Records and Tapes. “So we are literally taking a business that was bankrupt and trying to make it viable again. Opening the mall to traffic has helped, but it’s going to take time for people to change their shopping habits, to rediscover the downtown area.”

Still, Michel, who has operated his business on the mall for 25 years, is optimistic. He said Christmas season sales have increased 10% to 15% over last year and that he is staying open later in the evening to take advantage of the holiday crowds.

“The trend seems to be that business will pick up even after Christmas,” Michel said. “I’m encouraged.”

Tony Lazzara, owner of Lazzara’s men’s shop, said he also lost customers during construction and ended up closing his store for five weeks. “There was too much dust,” he said. “It was a mess.”

Although his business has also increased during the holidays, Lazzara was one of several merchants who said they expect to do much better once a $300-million retail and office complex opens up nearby.

The Burbank Gateway Center is being built on a 41-acre site that adjoins the west end of the Golden Mall on San Fernando Road. The shopping mall will be anchored by the Ikea furniture store and Mervyn’s and Sears department stores.

According to project studies, the new shopping mall will create 7,900 jobs and generate an estimated $8.4 million in taxes.

Councilman Thomas E. Flavin agreed with Lazzara and other Golden Mall merchants that business in the downtown shopping district can only get better.

“I know it has been difficult for many of the merchants on the mall for a long time,” Flavin said, “but I think it’s only onward and upward from here.”

Some Golden Mall customers say they have already noticed changes.

“You never used to see people walking around here,” said Jean Insalaco, who regularly drives from Glendale to shop at the mall. “Now you always see people. It’s getting more crowded.”

Insalaco said she prefers to shop at the mall because she doesn’t like to fight for a parking space at the Glendale Galleria.

“I did all my shopping here this year,” Insalaco said. “I like it much better.”

Several merchants said that they plan to remodel their stores and keep longer hours.

“We definitely want to get into that ‘90s image,” said Michael Fasano, manager of Killeen Music. “It’s exciting what’s happening all around us. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do. We’re going to be another Glendale.”