Glendale OKs 15.8-Acre Mixed-Use Development

The Glendale City Council last week approved a plan by developers Rick Caruso and Legacy Partners for Glendale Town Center, a $100-million shopping center and apartment complex at Brand Boulevard and Colorado Street, just southeast of Glendale Galleria.

The 15.8-acre project, which the city has been trying to get underway for 15 years, would include 300,000 square feet of retail space and up to 500 apartments built around a 1.7-acre public park.

Glendale officials, who in March chose Caruso to develop the city-owned site, will complete the environmental impact report for the project while the developers create the architectural design.

The center will be designed by Caruso’s in-house vice president of architecture and design, Dave Williams. The design team includes Boston-based architects Elkus/Manfredi and landscape architects Lifescape International.

“We plan to create a cool, green oasis in the center of the city with a small lake, fountains, promenades and abundant trees for shade,” Caruso said. “We want it to be a wonderful public amenity--a community park that may have a variety of uses such as for concerts, local youth events or art fairs.”

Caruso’s Santa Monica-based Caruso Affiliated Holdings has developed popular open-air retail centers in such communities as Calabasas, Thousand Oaks and Encino, and is developing the Grove at Farmers Market, a 640,000-square-foot retail and entertainment center on 20 acres next to historic Farmers Market in Los Angeles.

Foster City-based Legacy Partners has built more than 51,000 apartment units over the last 30 years and owns or manages about 30,000 units.