Northridge Portrait : QUAKE LEAVES ITS MARK ON EPICENTER COMMUNITY

No one would have wanted it that way. But when Northridge became the epicenter for the devastating 6.7-magnitude earthquake on Jan. 17, 1994, the community and its main institution, Cal State Northridge, were thrust into the national spotlight like never before.

Now 18 months later, the community still is struggling to recover. And some leaders believe it will be at least another year, depending on the economy, before Northridge is mostly restored. But one longtime quality--suburban anonymity--does seem to have made a rebound.

Recent callers looking to relocate to the area often want to know why its main shopping mall remains closed, said Scott Spooner, a past president of the Northridge Chamber of Commerce. “We will say because of the earthquake, and they say, ‘Oh, what earthquake is that?’ ”

“Unfortunately,” Spooner added, “fame or infamy can be fleeting.”

A BRIEF HISTORY

* Ranches: Mostly ranchland through the late 1800s, today’s Northridge first developed in the early 1900s around a water stop for a newly built Southern Pacific railroad line through the Valley. The earliest subdivision, about 1908, thus drew the name of Zelzah, a biblical reference meaning “oasis.”

* Name changes: Zelzah changed to North Los Angeles in 1933, said local historian Paul Dentzel, although another account places the change in 1929. Then, after that name led to confusion in mail deliveries, the name Northridge was picked in 1938, an apparent reference to the town’s northern geography.

* Industry: The town first grew as an agricultural shipping center for products such as walnuts and citrus. By the 1930s, horse ranches, including many owned by Hollywood stars, prompted the community to dub itself “The Horse Capital of the West.” The end of World War II brought general urbanization.

EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY

After becoming ground zero for the costliest urban earthquake in the United States--over $20 billion-plus in damage, 57 deaths and more than 8,700 injuries in the region--the good news is that signs of recovery are everywhere.

Curbside piles of rubble are becoming less common, multistory apartment buildings hard-hit by the quake are being repaired, and even the 1.5-million-square-foot Northridge Fashion Center Mall is due to reopen July 17, with the last three of its six anchor stores to follow in August.

A new project is even under way on the site of the former Northridge Meadows Apartments complex, where 16 people died. “From my point of view we’re about halfway through,” said Spooner. “Now if we could get a little help from the economy, things would be great.”

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE

With more than 3,000 employees, nearly 24,000 students and a budget of about $150 million, no other institution has a greater impact on the community than Cal State Northridge. “We are Northridge. Well . . . not all of Northridge, but a big piece of Northridge,” said spokesman Bruce Erickson.

Now CSUN must wrestle with completing repairs for its estimated $350 million in damage, finding ways to bolster what had already been sagging enrollments and somehow identifying a clear institutional purpose.

The campus has a new motto, “Cal State Northridge. We’re Everybody’s Business,” and is hoping some of its quake recognition won’t wear off too soon. Erickson said people around the country still recognize CSUN by saying, “Oh, yeah, you guys are the school that bounced back after the earthquake.”

Community Profile

Based on 1990 U.S. Census figures. Population: 64,979 Median age: 33 Number of households: 2.9 Persons per households: 96% Population over 18 with bachelor’s degree or higher: 30.5% Population below poverty level: 9.5%

Income

Average household income is more than 35% higher than the Los Angeles city average. Northridge: $62,703 Citywide average: $45,701 Northeast Valley: $44,444 Southeast Valley: $48,182 Northwest Valley: $56,427 Southwest Valley: $61,722

Ethnicity White: 69% Latino: 16% Asian: 12% African American: 3%