California Apparel News

Beverly Center, one of Los Angeles’ prominent retail centers, is scheduled to undergo a $500 million renovation.

The chiefs of Taubman Centers Inc., the owner of Beverly Center, announced the multi-million dollar renovation March 7 at a gala party at the mall, which first opened in 1982. Robert Taubman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Beverly Center, announced that Massimiliano Fuksas, a European starchitect would direct the revamp. It is scheduled to wrap up by Holiday 2018.

One of the big initiatives for the new Beverly Center will be to bring more high-end restaurants and projects from star chefs into the mall. Taubman also announced that Michael Mina, a James Beard Award-winning chef, would develop a multi-concept gourmet food hall for Beverly Center, which is scheduled to be called The Street. Specific chef-driven and fast-casual restaurants will be announced in upcoming months, according to a Taubman statement.

“You read headlines saying that shopping centers are dead,” Taubman told a crowd which included , Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti. “That simply isn’t the case. We’re staying committed and reinvesting in bricks-and-mortar. Bricks-and-mortar has never been so important.”

For architectural changes, expect more natural light at the eight-level mall. It was announced that Fuksas would develop a “continuous ribbon” of skylights to open the compound to more natural light. Also promised, a new exterior, street-level restaurants, which will develop a more pedestrian-friendly area, and a “smart” parking system. It will develop the mall’s garage into a more efficient operation, a Taubman statement forecast.

The renovation was overdue, said Michael Dovan, co-owner of Traffic, one of Beverly Center’s pioneering high-end fashion boutiques. He didn’t forecast that retail traffic will dip during renovation. His store, which had been doing business since the 1980s, has long operated as a destination.

“Everything has to be rebuilt, “ he said. “If you are not ahead of the game in the fashion business, you lose. This renovation will help keep us ahead of the game.”