Palisades Village: A Boon to Homes in Pacific Palisades

A whole new community life is on the drawing board. Residents of homes in Pacific Palisades previewed a community planned by Caruso Affiliates to revive and infuse the commercial area at Swarthmore Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. In times past the old town center served its purpose but grew dull and lifeless.

Enter an exciting plan for Palisades Village. Founder and chief executive of Caruso Affiliates, Rick Caruso, came up with a plan to boost walkable family life in the neighborhood. A walkable “Main Street,” neighborhood green, and iconic theater, shops and cafés, and the complete updating of the area was met with great exhilaration by the people of Pacific Palisades. A Los Angeles Times report by Martha Groves on December 7, 2014 captured the community’s anticipation of the proposed Palisades Village redevelopment.

Groves spoke with a resident who explained, “Most people are just ecstatic. The scale of the plan, the aesthetics … Every single part of it – honestly, he was stopped-on.” One Pacific Palisades architect put in an additional plea for an “award-winning identity and sense of place.” If permitting goes quickly, the project is expected to be open by the end of 2017.

How the Project Got Started

Developer Rick Caruso interviewed the community before unveiling his plan for a gathering place suitable for residents and guests of homes in Pacific Palisades. The children asked for an ice cream parlor. Many wanted the historic Bay Theater back. They asked for shops and conveniences that are important to the close-knit citizenry. And they don’t want to have to go to neighboring towns.

Rick Caruso purchased a 2.77-acre swath of Palisades Village property as well as the mobile gas station site. His makeover will demolish existing buildings from the middle of the 1900s and replace them with a collection of storefronts.

The façade will feature charming architecture such as Cape Cod and Georgian along with some contemporary shops. Think the Hamptons. Some of the flat roofs and angled elements will be left and others replaced.

The plan for Palisades Village will be beneficial in several practical ways. The number of square feet dedicated to shops, restaurants, services, and resources will double to 100,000. It will be very accessible. Parking will be diagonal in addition to a new 384-space underground parking structure. Both the former drycleaner and the gas station sites will be cleaned up from hazardous materials. A storm drain will be relocated.