City OKs Renovation Plan for Janss Expansion : Thousand Oaks: Some mall tenants fear higher rents combined with the noise and tumult of a long construction period will drive them out of business.
By next spring, shoppers strolling through the Janss Marketplace will be able to take in a movie at an eight-screen cinema, grab dinner in a neon-lit courtyard, and gaze at sculptures inspired by Chumash Indian icons.
But they might have trouble finding some of the mom-and-pop stores that have served Thousand Oaks for years--such as the Brown Bag Deli, Yogurt Plus and the Sewing and Vacuum Center.
A $50-million renovation plan approved by the City Council late Tuesday will expand the mall by adding a four-story parking garage plus new fashion, electronics, video and book stores. To update the drab, earth-tone shopping center, developers plan colorful wall murals and intricate tile mosaics.
With the council’s enthusiastic OK, developers can now go ahead with plans to begin reconstruction in June and open the spruced-up mall by early next year.
First, however, they must negotiate with the tenants who will be affected by the expansion.
While they support the mall face lift, some tenants fear that higher rents combined with the noise and tumult of a months-long construction project will drive them out of business.
During Tuesday’s three-hour public hearing, several store owners pleaded with the City Council to intervene in their negotiations with the mall’s landlord, developer Bill Janss. Some are asking for hefty compensation to make up for their loss of business during construction, while others are complaining that the renovation will eliminate parking near their shops.
“I’m concerned about my store and my livelihood,” said Bruce Markowitz, who has owned Yogurt Plus for seven years and has six years remaining on his lease. “They say we’re in the same ballpark but we’re not even in the same city, we’re so far away.”
Council members refused to get involved in the landlord-tenant dispute. But they urged Janss to help business owners survive the construction period by relocating them to untouched areas of the mall and by providing signs to direct confused customers.
Tenants will also be allowed to review the developer’s detailed renovation plans, which will explain the order and timing of all construction, Janss said.
“The leases provide that the tenants must have quiet enjoyment of the space they rent, and we have every intention of respecting that,” Janss told the council. “It’s not in anyone’s interest to have those businesses do poorly.”
The tenants’ concerns, expressed even before the hearing in letters and calls to city staff members, prompted Councilman Frank Schillo to call last week for an economic impact report assessing the expansion’s impact on small businesses.
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Recognizing that such a study could take months, Schillo on Tuesday withdrew his request for a formal report, but said the council should make a policy decision on whether to require economic analysis on future development.
Despite his fears that small business might suffer, Schillo heartily endorsed the renovation plans. So did his colleagues, who approved the program on a 4-0 vote. Councilman Alex Fiore was absent.
“I would like to compliment the architects for proving that in Thousand Oaks, it’s possible to create something that enhances our beautiful area without having a red tile roof or brown, squat buildings,” Councilwoman Jaime Zukowski said.
The council’s unanimity was tested only during a brief debate on signs.
On a 2-2 vote, the council rejected a proposal to scatter the mall’s exterior with free-standing signs, including some advertising new anchor tenant Mervyn’s.
Council members Judy Lazar and Frank Schillo supported Mervyn’s request for high-profile signs, but Mayor Elois Zeanah and Zukowski voted no. To resolve the deadlock, the council granted permission for three decorative monument signs listing only the Janss Marketplace name.
Zukowski did offer the Mervyn’s representative hope for more visibility when she told him of a city committee reviewing the sign ordinance with an eye toward allowing directory boards. If such signs are approved, she said, the department store could install its name on the Janss Marketplace monuments.
After the vote, Mervyn’s representative, Ignacio Gomez, said he would have to persuade his bosses to move in despite the lack of signs.
“It will be very difficult for me to sell this to management,” Gomez said. But despite his tough talk, Gomez accepted handshakes and welcomes from City Council members, and noted that Mervyn’s has long sought a site in Thousand Oaks.
