BUSINESS
Glendale inched closer to transforming a struggling downtown corridor last week when officials approved initial design plans for a proposed five-story, mixed-use development.
The proposed Broadway Lofts would include 248 studio and loft apartment units and, tentatively, a Lucky Strike Lanes and Corner Bakery Cafe.
Development plans inspired hope for a revival of the retail area surrounding the nearby Exchange on Maryland and the Glendale Marketplace, business leaders and City Council members said, although some were concerned about the property’s density.
The plans for the 133,000-square-foot development could bring a change at what officials and business owners have referred to as a “dead corner” in downtown.
Goodwill is hoping to open its new location on Brand Boulevard by May, but the date remains unclear because of construction delays, company representatives said.
The nonprofit, which has donation centers on Glenoaks Boulevard and Colorado Avenue, plans to fill an 18,000-square-foot space at Brand Boulevard and California Avenue, which has been vacant for more than a year.
Some city officials have expressed opposition to the new Goodwill location because, they argue, it doesn’t fit in with the area.
But when it opens, the store will bring activity back to a corner that business leaders have been hoping to revive, said Elissa Glickman, secretary of the Downtown Glendale Merchants Assn.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Of the 329 Los Angeles County Superior Court employees who received first-round layoff notices Tuesday, 29 were sent to the districts that include Glendale and Burbank, officials reported.
April 1 will be the last day for the laid-off secretaries, supervisors, court reporters, clerks and child advocacy workers, officials said.
The employees who received layoff notices worked in the northeast and north central districts, which also include courts in Pasadena and Alhambra, presiding Judge Charles McCoy Jr. said at a news conference.
Another 62 county court employees will be transferred or demoted and see a pay cut, McCoy said.
The system has a $79.3-million deficit for the current fiscal year, McCoy said, and about 80% of the Los Angeles Superior Court budget is spent on salaries and benefits. A large portion of the cuts are senior employees, who worked up through the court system and have a great amount of experience, said John Clarke, the court executive officer.
