Cerritos still reaping millions from its bold...

Cerritos still reaping millions from its bold decision

I can understand the concern that you have about the financial

terms of the Town Center not being in the best interest of Glendale’s

taxpayers. If you were so interested, you would make an about-face

and whole-heartedly support Mr. Caruso’s plan. Don’t be short-sighted

as to let this opportunity slip through your fingers, causing you to

regret your actions while other cities reap the fruits from similar

projects.

I have personally experienced the growth that has taken place in

the city of Cerritos, where I lived for 16 years. In 1973, its

largest revenue source was the Cerritos indoor mall. People from

nearby cities in Los Angeles and Orange counties shopped at the mall

and the city benefited from the sales and property taxes the mall

provided.

In the early ‘80s, the City Council entertained a proposal that an

auto mall be constructed within the city of Cerritos and conducted

the obligatory hearings for the construction of such a project. I

recall vividly that one of the arguments in favor of the auto mall

was that it was expected to provided the city with $250,000 in

additional sales-tax revenue. Before the auto mall was five years

old, the city of Cerritos was receiving millions of dollars in

sales-tax revenue. Besides the beautiful and plentiful parks created

and maintained from the auto mall revenue, the city built one of the

most beautiful entertainment venues in Southern California -- the

Cerritos Performing Arts Center. Indeed, the city of Cerritos has so

much money that the council is continually looking for projects on

which to spend the money.

Do you think that because the city of Cerritos had a viable and

successful shopping mall and auto mall that they stopped there? No,

the city fathers, with foresight, imagination and vision, constructed

the Cerritos Town Center located right off the 605 Freeway and

Bloomfield Avenue. While the town center does not contain residential

housing, it contains specialty shops, chain stores found in every

mall, movie theaters, restaurants and a plaza area complete with

fountain and bandstand.

The city of Cerritos has an indoor mall, the largest auto mall in

the state and a town center competing with one another for customers

and making the city of Cerritos lots of money. Why can’t the city of

Glendale do the same?

It can and it should. The longer the delay, the more revenue the

city of Glendale is losing, and the blame lies squarely on your

shoulders, Mr. Quintero. Open your eyes and see what’s going on

around you. Pasadena has Old Town with competition from Paseo

Colorado, and Paseo Colorado has competition from the South Lake

Shopping District (which, by the way is expanding) and all of them

are thriving and making lots of revenue for the city of Pasadena.

Burbank is booming with its center and the retail it has attracted,

providing revenue to the city coffers. And while all of this is going

on around you, you are losing the most dynamic plan for the infusion

of revenue into this city simply because the Galleria erroneously

believes it will lose its place in the marketing sun.

Mr. Quintero, it is up to you. Either continue with your overly

cautious and protective ways and let history blame you for your lack

of foresight and vision; or, get on the bandwagon and take the brass

ring so Glendale can be proud of having a major attraction and a

source of tax revenue that will please the tax payers of Glendale.

You can, and you should do it now!

VINCE AMMIRATO

Glendale