Dear Carol Jacobs,
I wanted to send a note to you because I'm weary of the conflict
and strife surrounding the Town Center.
In the interest of full disclosure, let me tell you that I am a
big supporter of the Americana at Brand, and a big fan of Rick
Caruso's excellent work and overall integrity. I have testified
before the City Council repeatedly in support of the Americana, and
will do my darndest as a Glendale resident and homeowner to see that
this project gets going.
I thought, however, it might help ease the conflict at hand if I
shared with you some of the local perceptions and a few suggestions
from a "citizen's-eye view."
First of all, some perceptions about General Growth and the
Galleria:
* General Growth is a latecomer. There has been a tendency of
General Growth to waver, depending on the need, between "we've been
here for 30 years" to "don't blame us, we just got here." General
Growth needs to choose which one, or a useful combination, and stick
to it.
* General Growth is faceless. Rick Caruso puts himself before the
public. General Growth is a shadowy conglomerate from Chicago.
General Growth should have hired a reputable and friendly
representative here, and let them be its face.
* General Growth is uncooperative. General Growth is perceived as
a yowling baby who is never happy, even when it gets what it asks.
Concession after concession has been made to the demands of General
Growth, but there is never any public appearance of gratitude, calm,
mutual respect or progress to a shared goal.
* General Growth is hostile. Related to the above, General Growth
representatives and responses lack the calm, reasoned and measured
public statements of Caruso, the city and the Americana supporters.
Everything coming from General Growth is angry. The people General
Growth has representing "concerned citizens" at council meetings
shout, accuse, present paranoid conspiracy theories, offer goofy data
as factual -- and seem, honestly, a bit nuts.
* General Growth is obstructionist. Every action seems to be met
by General Growth with a roadblock. Can't get Alternative IV
approved? Let's throw up an obscure charter requirement for council
unanimity. That doesn't work? Let's exalt a poorly maintained and
unsafe fire station as the pinnacle of historic importance, even
though it has sat decaying and vacant for more than a decade. That
doesn't seem to fly? How about circumventing the representative
government system here, and footing the bill for a referendum?
