IRVINE : City to Consider Fate of Developer’s Bridge

The fate of a pedestrian bridge that would link the Crossroads and Westpark Plaza shopping centers will be decided by the City Council on Sept. 13.

The Irvine Co. agreed build the $500,000 bridge across San Diego Creek several years ago in exchange for city approval of the Westpark Plaza development.

The company has asked the City Council to remove the bridge requirement from the development agreement. The company said the structure would be seldom used by shoppers and would not fit in with the design of the retail centers.

But some city officials and residents want the bridge. The link would encourage people to walk or bicycle to their favorite shops rather than drive, they said.

The Crossroads contains a Mervyn’s department store as well as specialty shops. Westpark Plaza includes a Lucky Food Center and Payless Drug Store. The company eventually plans to build movie theaters and a restaurant at the plaza.

A survey for the city released this month found that many tenants at both shopping centers favor the bridge proposal as long as they are not charged additional rent for the project.