Galleria group should work in conjunction with Caruso Affiliated

There have been a number of people who have written for and against

Caruso Affiliated Holdings’ Town Center project. We recently had a

City Council hearing regarding the environmental impact report for

the Town Center.

The biggest “anti” voice is from the owners of the Glendale

Galleria, the General Growth Company. They would like to be the

developers and owners of the development themselves. We all want to

eliminate competition if at all possible, but General Growth is

missing an opportunity to have more and different customers come to

the area due to the easy access from one development to the other.

One of their objections has been that the development turns its

back to the Glendale Galleria. In the sketch that Caruso has provided

the city, its development provides no less a back to the Galleria

than the Galleria presently provides the community along Central

Avenue. Caruso has provided a physical access to its development,

which is directly across from the entrance to the Galleria.

All businesses would like to control their competition. Providing

a choice to customers has increased sales at auto malls and

restaurants, not decreased them. I’m certain the new stores, shops,

restaurants, theaters and residential area will enhance the area and

bring both new and old customers to the Town Center and the Galleria.

This will not only benefit the Town Center and the Galleria, but also

the Marketplace and all businesses along Brand Boulevard.

Possibly General Growth, instead of fighting the development,

should work to mitigate its differences with the Caruso group and

find an equitable and beneficial solution. One suggestion might be to

fund a plan to build a trolley system between the Town Center and the

Galleria. Customers will then be able to travel easily from one

development to the other. This trolley system could be expanded by

the city and adjacent property owners, the Exchange and the

Marketplace, to service their properties as well. This would be in

concert with the design of the Grove and Farmers’ Market that Caruso

Affiliated Holdings has so successfully developed.

As well as helping each other’s project, they could create an

identity and be the unifying element that the city has been searching

for, in its Master Plan, all these many years.

ROBERT L. CARLI

Glendale