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EXCLUSIVE: Caruso Unveils Swarthmore Plans More than 400 people packed Mercer Hall at Palisades Charter High School Thursday night to hear Rick Caruso speak abo...ut his plans for Swarthmore. The buildings will be torn down because of remediation of soil on the west side of the street and the need to move the Swarthmore storm drain. Caruso explained the buildings are not deemed historical and that many of them are in need of serious repair. Caruso estimates that it will take six months for cleanup and an additional six weeks to relocate the storm drain. We will work closely with the state and use a gold standard to clean up the environment, Caruso said. An underground parking lot, a twostory structure with 384 stalls, will be built below the current parking lot (between Swarthmore and Monument). A village green will be put on top of the parking lot with space for kids to play, as well as having restaurants and patios open onto the green. Swathmore will be turned into a one way street with angle parking, which means opening up 52 street-parking spaces as opposed to 24. Former Mort’s Deli owner Bobbie Farberow said We tried to get Swarthmore a one-way street, but didn’t achieve it. Good luck. A movie theatre will be built where Mort’s Deli and the Oak Room currently stands. We listened to what you wanted, Caruso said, and we figured out how to bring back the Bay Theatre. The movie theater will be the original size of the old theater, 10,000 sq.-ft., but divided into five smaller theaters. Once Caruso closes escrow on the Mobil gas station, he plans to put a two-story building on that site, with six apartments on the second floor. We want to bring life to that corner, Caruso said. When the rendering of the proposed building was displayed, someone in the audience said That looks so much nicer. The empty store fronts, nearest the corner of Swarthmore and Monument, will become a two-story building. The top floor would be used for a community room. Fifty-four-year resident Harry Sondheim asked, Will there be an elevator and a senior citizen center? Yes, was the answer to both questions. Another person asked about the [1140] tiles that currently line Swarthmore sidewalks, installed as part of a donation process to help pay for beautification of that street. Caruso said they would be unable to save them because they crack when they are lifted up. We took photos of everyone’s tile and maybe we can put a brick or something around the green, Caruso said. Resident Reid Saxon said, We do have tiles on Swarthmore and we’d love to see them preserved. There was no mention about the specific names of retail stores or restaurants, or the number of those establishments that would be brought to the 2.77-acre site. Caruso promised to work with current tenants in an effort to keep them in the Village (most of the leases are up in 2016). He promised during the construction period he would cut rents in half and when he was working on the street, he would not charge rent. He also promised a specialty grocery store in the former Officer Supplier Space, which now houses Carly K. The audience was torn between a Whole Foods and a Trader Joe’s, but one Ralphs employee in the audience felt that town already had enough grocery stores. If the community is behind this project, we will get it through the city faster, Caruso said, noting that the projected finish would be the fall of 2017. Caruso also noted that they hoped to have more liquor licenses for restaurants. Currently, the only one available is at the Oak Room and when Caruso Affiliated tried to revive it, a resident challenged the application, because he/she didn’t want liquor served after 10 p.m. That’s just when you need a drink, Caruso quipped. I’ll need the community’s help with that. Resident Craig Lewis summed up the evening. Brilliant presentation, he said. The apartments may not be as helpful as a boutique hotel, which could accommodate out-of-town guests. - SUE PASCOE (The green area in the art rendering will be above a two-level underground parking structure, which is located below the current parking lot between Swarthmore and Monument Street. Image Courtesy of Caruso Affiliated)

Red Warning In Effect For Wildfires: Southern California cities are cautioned to be on guard for the spread of wildfires.

Two minor softball sized- rock slides at the last tunnel on Kanan Dume Road between Pacific Coast Highway have covered all lanes in both directions. Drive cautiously!