Caruso gets his ‘Way’

CITY HALL — Developer Rick Caruso went to City Hall on Tuesday night to defend his choice of Excelsior Lane for a side street to the Americana at Brand, and by the time he left to applause, members of the public were shaking his hand and the City Council had named the street after him.

This came after the council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency two weeks ago, gave a lackluster reaction to the proposed Excelsior Lane name, refused to approve it and requested that a Caruso Affiliated official, equipped with some alternative names, come back with an explanation.

On Tuesday, Caruso obliged.

“We did not take the naming of the street lightly,” he said, adding that it took six months for his team to reach their decision. “We think it makes an awful lot of sense. We think there’s elegance to it, a class to it. And we think it ties in well with the city.”

Just two weeks ago, the council did not agree. Councilman Bob Yousefian argued it had little to no connection with Glendale culture or history.

Caruso, along with Mayor Ara Najarian in a letter to the Glendale News-Press on Monday, referenced the late American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “Excelsior” poem as inspiration behind the true meaning of the word and its so-called roots in Americana culture.

The comparison he drew between developing the Americana at Brand — which polarized the community for several years — and the poem’s traveler climbing a mountain against harsh odds was a good enough explanation for the council.

But after a polished slide presentation of the project’s progress set to Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American,” and continued deliberation, some on the council took the proposal further, pushing for the Caruso name on the street sign instead.

Najarian and Yousefian argued that naming an avenue after the developer would be a “modest tribute” to his vision for Glendale.

“For me, naming that street Caruso Way or Caruso Lane, is, I think, very important,” Yousefian said.

Councilman Dave Weaver — who earlier in the discussion had said he was against the issue having even been agendized — quickly acquiesced to the idea, and before long, the council had Caruso back at the podium and embarrassed.

“I did not come here with that expectation, so I’m flattered and I’m honored,” Caruso told the council. “If the council wants to do that, I would be honored. How could I say it’s not a wonderful gesture on your part?”

Najarian also suggested keeping the Excelsior Lane name for the private street and renaming Orange Street, which is a public street, as Caruso Way, or perhaps the circular trolley avenue through the development, or maybe it’s open park space.

Councilman Frank Quintero — who opposed the idea from the start — argued the original proposal for Excelsior Lane was fine, and that there was no need to take it so far.

“I don’t see any reason to change it,” he said.

But Quintero was alone in his dissent.

The council held their vote for the name Caruso Way, which was followed quickly with applause and handshakes from a small audience as Caruso and several executives walked back down the aisle to leave.

It is the first time a city has so soundly endorsed and recognized his impact to the community, Caruso said Wednesday.

A small lane at his popular retail development in west Los Angeles — The Grove — dons the same name, but it is an entrance to a garage and lacks the significance of what was said on Tuesday, Caruso said.

“It’s not every day someone wants to name a street after you,” he said.

At the Jan. 22 Redevelopment Agency meeting, Caruso Affiliated officials told the council that Excelsior was part of an “aggressive” marketing strategy for The Excelsior — a residential condo building bordering the street.

But on Tuesday, Caruso said his marketing team would figure it out “fairly quickly.”

The Americana at Brand is set to open in April.

?JASON WELLS covers City Hall. He may be reached at (818) 637-3235 or by e-mail at jason.wells@latimes.com.