CSUN Urged to Halve MarketCenter Plans

A community task force has recommended that Cal State Northridge scale back by half its proposed MarketCenter, a move that would reduce the university’s ability to generate much-needed revenue from the retail project.

The 28-member North Campus Task Force, which includes members of homeowners’ groups, economic organizations, local chambers of commerce and CSUN students and faculty, presented its recommendations in a six-page “conceptual plan.” The group hopes its efforts will become an integral part of a final master plan for the 65-acre state land parcel on the north end of campus.

“That’s what’s on all of our minds,” said Dick Hardman, a task force member and the executive director of the Northridge Chamber of Commerce. “If [the university] presents this to the developer, who says, ‘We’ve got our plan already,’ then all of our efforts will go for naught. If they’re doing this to kind of appease us without taking us seriously, then the ties between the university and us will continue to be in trouble.”

Instead of focusing on a retail center, the group recommended other potential moneymakers, such as an entertainment complex with sound stages and pre- and post-production facilities--which could also provide internships for CSUN students--a multipurpose sports stadium and a hotel and conference center.

The MarketCenter was originally slated for about 20 acres, but some of the task force members were concerned that a large shopping center would compete with area businesses--a concern the university shares, said Frank Wein, the university’s consultant to the north campus development.

“We want to be complementary, not competitive,” he said.

It is not yet clear how much the task force’s plan will affect the development of the north campus. Wein said the ideas will be considered as part of a future overall master plan. The master plan for just the MarketCenter is expected to go before the Cal State University Board of Trustees in a public hearing in September.