Americana

Glendale officials on Tuesday approved plans for the so-called “missing piece” at the Americana at Brand - a 122,000-square-foot Nordstrom along Colorado Street. Earlier this year, billionaire developer Rick Caruso announced plans to move Nordstrom from its site at the Glendale Galleria II - a major coup that would strip his main competition of yet another huge anchor tenant. Caruso has so far declined to discuss potential replacements for the current Nordstrom building, which he owns.

Taylor Swift's list of "green room" demands for her appearance Tuesday at Sephora read a little, well, granola -- literally. According to an itinerary for her appearance at the Americana at Brand, Sephora had to provide "chewy granola bars -- assorted flavors," low-fat Fig Newtons, large plastic cups and "clean ice," one case of room-temperature Smart water, a grande skinny caramel latte from Starbucks with one Sweet 'N Low, fresh fruit and...

Taylor Swift fans could get a chance to meet and get their picture taken with the country music star Tuesday at the Americana at Brand -- for $106.50. Swift will be at Sephora at the Americana promoting her new fragrance, Wonderstruck, at 5:30 p.m., but only those who buy the limited edition package of her perfume will get to meet her, according to an announcement from the mall. Fans will be able to buy the Wonderstruck pack for $106.50 starting at 10 a.m., after which they'll receive a wristband guaranteeing the meet-and-greet.

Scenes of jubilation and excitement like that at the Americana at Brand played out at Apple stores across the nation today as fans waited in lines for hours to buy the latest iteration of the iPhone. Hundreds of people waited in line at the Americana this morning to be among the first owners of the new iPhone 4S. Even Steve Wozniak, who co-founded Apple with the late Steve Jobs, waited in line waiting for hours to buy the latest iPhone at an Apple Store in Los Gatos. Millions of the iPhone 4s were expected to fly off shelves today after Apple announced earlier this month that pre-orders had topped 1 million within 24 hours.

As people shuffled past the Apple store at the Americana at Brand Thursday, some stopped to snap photos, others to inspect - not the latest iPhone, but a makeshift memorial in honor of the company's late co-founder, Steve Jobs. As Apple customers reflected on Jobs' contributions, and how the Mac brand would be without him, it was clear his reach extended past generations and personal backgrounds. The memorial, which included flowers, a candle, photos and cards, featured a written message next to a drawing of a crying apple, a nod to Apple's ubiquitous logo.

With the Americana at Brand continuing to nip at its heels, the Glendale Galleria today announced a new leadership team for the mega-mall. Larry Martin - who managed the Montclair Plaza for six years - will take over as general manager, the company announced, and Deborah Hearn, a commercial-retail property manager from Seattle, will come onboard as his chief deputy. Chris Bilotto, who was named as the senior general manager at the Galleria in September last year, exited in March and is now a manager for Reit Management & Research.

The Americana at Brand generated about $1.16 million in sales tax revenue in 2010, 19% below expectations, but the mega-retail development has far exceeded property value projections, city officials reported Tuesday. The Americana's assessed value in fiscal year 2011-12 was $479.9 million, more than double what had been projected, according to staff report presented to the Redevelopment Agency. The higher-than-expected valuation generated about $3.67 million in tax revenue for the agency.

I was on my way to Home Depot last Saturday when I happened to find myself on the corner of California and Central avenues. It's not normally the route I take, but I'm the kind of person who often deviates from my usual path - a habitual pattern of always seeking a more efficient solution and not wanting to be predictable in case my siblings decide to pool their money together and hire a hit man. But that's another story. At this particular intersection, I noticed two of the corners were dirt lots surrounded by the obligatory chain-link fence.

Just as the sun started to make its presence felt Saturday, tan and black umbrellas popped open at the front of a long line of people. The line snaked east to Brand Boulevard from the Americana at Brand fountain. A DJ was bobbing to the tunes he was spinning atop an orange trolley as the crowd chatted, took photos and waited patiently. The roughly 400 people who were in line, some since 4 a.m., were awaiting the 10 a.m. opening of the Apple Store at the Americana.

Apple is scheduled to debut its new store at the Americana at Brand on Saturday, the latest in what will be series of major changes to the outdoor mall. Billionaire developer Rick Caruso, who own the Americana, has also announced plans to bring Nordstrom into a new section of the mall that will take over the recently acquired Golden Key Hotel on Colorado Street. In an email to customers today, Apple announced that the store would open its doors at 10 a.m., with the first 1,000 customers getting a free commemorative T-shirt.