NORTH HOLLYWOOD : Laurel Plaza Tenants in Dark on Cleanup

After meeting Thursday with the owners of Laurel Plaza, the tenants of the earthquake-damaged mall remain in limbo about whether they will ever be allowed to reopen their businesses.

Representatives from F. C. Laurel Inc. told the tenants they want to meet with them individually to talk about the cleanup of asbestos that became a hazard after the Northridge earthquake.

But F. C. Laurel officials stopped short of saying if and when the mall will ever reopen, or whether the firm will pay for the asbestos cleanup.

This latest delay angered tenants, who have been deprived of their livelihoods since the 33-store mall closed. The mall’s manager, Forest City Enterprises Inc., has over the past few months set two reopening dates; both have come and gone.

“I’m very upset, because they did not give us any straight answers” said Anthony Tapanes, owner of Hot Dog Heaven, after the meeting.

The tenants say Forest City Enterprises has been deliberately stalling the reopening because it wants to tear the mall down and build a new one at the site.

Some tenants said after the meeting they believe Forest City has been hoping the tenants will voluntarily back out of their leases to avoid paying asbestos cleanup costs. Getting rid of the tenants would clear the way for building the new mall, the tenants say.

The mall owner is using a divide-and-conquer strategy in meeting with tenants individually, they further charge.

But F. C. Laurel and Forest City maintain that the proposed new mall is a separate issue. They are trying to resolve the situation fairly, they say.

They say they are meeting individually with tenants because their problems must be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

For example, some tenants have insurance that will help pay for the asbestos cleanup.

“I know there is a lot of frustration among the tenants, and I am working to try to resolve some of that frustration,” said James Richardson, a project director for Forest City, during a news conference after the meeting.

He said that after the meetings with tenants, he will meet with lenders, then go back and meet with the tenants again, at which point “we’ll go over with the tenants what the future of the Plaza is.”