Westfield Topanga

History

Opened on February 10, 1964, Topanga Plaza was one of California's first major enclosed shopping malls. The original anchors were May Company, Montgomery Ward, and The Broadway. The "Rain Fountain" on the south end consisted of several circular arrays of vertical monofilament lines stretching from the ceiling to a raised landscaped area on the floor. The effect of the rain was created by droplets of recirculated glycerine slowly descending along the wetted lines.

An indoor ice skating rink, Ice Capades Chalet, was located on the first floor of the southern section of the mall, surrounded by the original food court. The ice skating rink was closed in the late 1970s.

In April 1984, Nordstrom opened as the mall's fourth anchor.

In 1992, the original developer May Centers, Inc., was renamed CenterMark Properties and was sold by parent company May Department Stores in 1993 to a consortium led by Westfield Holdings, Ltd., a predecessor of Westfield Group.

In 1993, the May Company store became Robinsons-May. Three years later, The Broadway shuttered. As a result, Sears retrofitted the outpost and relocated from its nearby Fallbrook Center mall.

In 2001, Montgomery Ward shuttered as a result of the chain ending operations.

In 2005, Nordstrom relocated on the Sears side of the mall. Alongside, the Wards store was razed, replacing it with a two-story Target store, which opened a year later on October 6, 2006.

In 2006, Robinsons-May became Macy's, and Target opened.

In 2008, Neiman Marcus opened as its fifth anchor, which replaced the original Nordstrom store.

On January 28, 2015, it was announced Sears would shutter as part of an ongoing decision to eliminate its traditional brick-and-mortar format.

In September 2015, Westfield opened a major expansion of Westfield Topanga, called The Village at Westfield Topanga. The open-air shopping destination was located along Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and sits between the Westfield Topanga and the largely-inactive Promenade mall. The Village was purchased in January 2023 for $325 million by Rams owner Stan Kroenke, bringing his total property ownership in Warner Center to 100 acres. The Village, since renamed Topanga Village, will continue to operate as an open-air lifestyle and retail destination. The Promenade mall and a former Anthem office building are being redeveloped into the Rams Village at Warner Center which is their headquarters and practice facility.

In 2020, the Islands restaurant, which had been located at two different locations of the mall, lost its lease and closed its doors.

Westfield turned the previous Sears outpost into an entertainment district featuring a new food hall named "Topanga Social," a retail center, and 12-screen AMC Theatre. The theater, dubbed "AMC DINE-IN Topanga 12", opened on June 2, 2022. Some food options include bacon chicken mac & cheese bowl, chicken cobb salad, royal bacon brie burger, chocolate hazelnut churros, and mega milkshakes, which are cooked on the premises and delivered directly to the patron's assigned seating area.

By 2023, after the government lockdown, Westfield Topanga had announced several newest additions, among them are Hermès, Levis, Bottega Veneta, Dior, Saint Laurent, Swatch, Celine, Uniqlo, FYE, and Abercrombie & Fitch.

In popular culture

• Divorce American Style (1967): Starring Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Reynolds, Jean Simmons, Jason Robards, and Van Johnson, this film features a scene where Barbara Harmon (Reynolds) and Fern Blandsforth (Emmaline Henry) are shopping. They have a conversation next to a pillar (left side of screen) that says Topanga Plaza.
• One Hour Photo (2002) starring Robin Williams, Connie Nielsen, Eriq La Salle and Gary Cole
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014): The scene used in the film was shot in the Apple Store.
• Parks and Recreation (2009). This NBC comedy includes scenes at Westfield Topanga during an episode of the fourth season entitled, "Pawnee Rangers."
• The Last Man On Earth (2015) starring Will Forte and Kristen Schaal

Parking

The Owensmouth Garage in the east entrance to the mall connects to Blaze Pizza, Nordstrom and Gyu-Kaku and in 2015, the 5th level became staff parking. Next to it is an additional parking lot that connects Target and Macy's. Facing Topanga Canyon Blvd., an additional enclosed parking lot is available which connects Red Robin, and Total Woman Gym and Spa. There is also a large outdoor parking lot available which connects to Level 2's North Italia (formerly Forever XXI) and The Cheesecake Factory. The Village, across the street from Victory Blvd., has paid 90 minute parking facing Topanga Cyn. Blvd., and an enclosed 5 story parking structure with dedicated Costco (Mezzanine) parking along with 4 additional lots. Valet services are offered throughout both the Westfield Topanga and Village properties along with car detailing services.

List of anchor stores

References

References

1. "Westfield Topanga". Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield.
2. Khouri, Andrew. (2014-05-29). "Upscale open-air mall planned at Warner Center". Los Angeles Times.
3. "Topanga Plaza". Mall Hall of Fame.
4. (November 28, 2010). "Rain Fountain at Topanga Plaza".
5. Wanamaker, Marc. (2011). "San Fernando Valley". Arcadia Publishing.
6. "Westfield Topanga Finishes $330 Million Renovation With Fashion Retail".
7. (February 16, 2005). "Westfield Topanga mall to get face-lift, new Target store". The Acorn.
8. (August 30, 2008). "Neiman Marcus to open new store in San Fernando Valley".
9. Wilcox, Greg. (January 28, 2015). "Sears closing Westfield Topanga branch in May". [[Los Angeles Daily News]].
10. Wilcox, Gregory J. (September 18, 2015). "Village at Westfield Topanga opens; 80,000 visitors expected this weekend". [[Los Angeles Daily News]].
11. Banks, Sandy. (September 19, 2015). "A pall on malls but a shopping village has cachet". [[Los Angeles Times]].
12. (2023-01-04). "Rams owner Stan Kroenke escalates property buying spree in Woodland Hills". Los Angeles Times.
13. Elliott, Farley. (2018-08-09). "The first-ever Islands Restaurant to close in West LA after 36 years".
14. Sharp, Steven. (2023-05-15). "Westfield Topanga Mall's big food hall is open for business".
15. Urbanski, Al. (January 8, 2020). "Westfield Topanga to turn old Sears into an entertainment district".
16. (January 21, 2022). "Westfield Expansion to Open Summer 2022". Valley News Group.
17. (May 31, 2022). "AMC Theatres® Unveils Its Most Popular Moviegoing Amenities With the Opening of AMC Dine-in Topanga 12, in Canoga Park, CA, Opening Thursday, June 2". Yahoo Finance.
18. Chapman, Wilson. (May 31, 2022). "AMC Theatres Opens New Dine-In Multiplex in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley".
19. (August 2, 2023). "Hermès opens new boutique at Westfield Topanga".
20. "Road Trip to Pawnee: Parks and Recreation Filming Locations".