Sunday, April 11, 1999
"CULVER CITY RESIDENTS ANGERED OVER PROPOSED MULTIPLEX THEATER"
"Citizens decry size of project and increased traffic it will bring; officials want to negotiate with developer."
Westside Weekly
CULVER CITY --
ore than 160 people crowded into City Hall Monday night to
protest a proposed AMC movie multiplex after a city study
showed the development could add 10,000 cars a day to the
downtown area.
"We understand the downtown needs revitalization," said homeowner Hilary Groner of the group Citizens for a Livable Culver City. "But the developer refuses to scale down the project. They will ruin the small-town USA feel of Culver City."
Like an innocent young woman warily eyeing a rich-yet-brusque suitor, the council -- doubles as the city's redevelopment agency -- voted unanimously to extend for 60 days its exclusive negoiaing contract with developer Oliver McMillan.
The council also asked the company to allow the city to listen to proposals from other developers. This is the seventh such extension the city has approved, but the first time it has requested to see other developers.
The San Diego-based developers hope to break ground by year's end on a $30 million entertainment complex on the eastern end of the city's Disneyland-clean downtown that has undergone more than $50 million in renovations this decade.
The development would contain a 20 screen movie multiplex with 3,340 seats, 30,000 squarefeet of retail space with at least four restaurants, and between 30,000 square feet and 50,000 square feet of office space. The complex would be built across from the Culver Hotel on unused land bounded by Washington, Culver, and Ince Boulevards, which was once occupied by a farmers' market and a Buick dealership.
Many business owners in downtown support the mutiplex proposal.
"I've heard the ifs, ands, ors, and buts and I think we need to extend the agreement and let those people build," said Alan Cherko, who -- along with other members of the Downtown Business Association -- -- believes the entertainment complex is the retail anchor the area needs to come alive.
Others were upset about the city's exclusive negotiating contract with the movie multiplex developer, which forbids the city from hearing other project proposals.
"If you can't come to an agreement with a developer after 2 1/2 years, that's a charade," said resident Dr. Jim Boulgarides, as cheers and applause filled the council chambers. "Other more reasonable projects would have come forward by now."
Mark Winogrond, director of community development for the city, said officials needed time to complete the environmental impact report and to settle the contentious dialogue between city officials and the many citizens who oppose the movie multiplex idea.
"An exclusive negotiating agreement allows us to avoid a game of 'liar's poker' with different developers." said Winogrond. "The developers will promise exactly what you want them to promise ... without going to the espense of guaranteing tenants."
Many of those attending cast doubt on whether the project, when built, would be successful.
"Can't you just picture a marquee with the names of movies filling 20 screens and six or seven fast-food restaurants?," said Mary Duvall. "We're not building something that will be torn down in five or 10 years: this cookie-cutter style building could be here for 50 years."
Resident Lillian Fisher said she sometimes sees movies at Mann's Theater on Washington Boulevard and that the theaters there are never more than one-third full. Others were upset about increased air pollution from more vehicles.
The developers, however, aren't worried about attracting business.
"We're going to build a state-of-the-art theater complex with digital sound and stadium seating," said Paul Buss, a spokesman for Oliver-McMillan. "People will come."
The City Council will discuss the issue again at an April 19 meeting.
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