Sherman Oaks : Bloomingdale’s Plan Gets Mixed Reaction

Local residents’ reaction was mixed Wednesday night to a proposal by Sherman Oaks Fashion Square to replace The Broadway store with Bloomingdale’s.

At the meeting, community activists and aides to City Councilman Michael Feuer learned from mall representatives of their plans to expand The Broadway store by 42,000 square feet to accommodate Bloomingdale’s.

Area resident Joan Leonard, who attended the meeting, said that some of the mall’s neighbors were opposed to any enlargement, while others supported the idea of Bloomingdale’s coming to the mall.

“I actually like the plan,” Leonard said. Expansion opponents said they are worried about traffic congestion and difficulty in entering and exiting the mall, she said.

Greater Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Russell said the chamber is excited about the project.

Mall officials said last month they had signed a deal with Federated Department Stores to replace The Broadway with Bloomingdale’s. Both chains are owned by Federated. About a year ago, the mall won city approval to expand by 170,000 square feet but never used its entitlement. The current project asks to build 42,000 square feet of that entitlement in a part of the mall different from what was originally requested.

A city public hearing on the proposal will be held at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 15 at the Sherman Oaks Woman’s Club, 4808 Kester Ave.