Glendale Galleria

Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, President Bill Clinton and last week, Supermodel Cindy Crawford. They and many other celebrities time and again choose the Glendale Galleria for high-profile promotional appearances. The Los Angeles metropolitan area has plenty of shopping malls, but Glendale's 200-plus-store center — anchored by Macy's, Nordstrom, JCPenney and Target — keep drawing the star power. "We're one of the largest-volume stores in the western region, but we also are in a great location," said Dean Carey, general manager of JCPenney at the Galleria.

That empty feeling is growing in Glendale office buildings, as the vacancy rate in commercial office space rose in the last three months. Nearly 83,000 square feet of office space was vacated in Glendale in the second quarter of the year, according to Grubb & Ellis Research Services. That brings the city's vacancy rate to 21.8%, with nearly 1.4 million square feet of space empty in a city with 6.3 million square feet of premium and moderate office space. The rate was 17.2% a year ago and 20.5% at the end of the first quarter of 2010.

DineEquity shares fall on lower profits Glendale-based DineEquity Inc., parent company of Applebee's and Glendale-based IHOP restaurant chains, reported lower quarterly profits last week. Its shares fell as much as 13%, the company reported. The company has been struggling with declining sales, and it does not expect a significant improvement this year, the company said. DineEquity has been paying down debt and selling restaurants to franchisees as it tries to turn around its Applebee's business.

The owner of the Glendale Galleria plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy as two companies in October, officials announced Monday. General Growth Properties Inc., which filed for bankruptcy last year, also announced that it had received assurances for as much as $8.5 billion in new capital, which would pay its debts in full. Out of the two-firm split, one called the "New GGP," would continue to own and operate shopping malls. The other, Spinco, would oversee master-planned and mixed-use communities, as well as mall development projects.

The owner of the Glendale Galleria plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy as two companies in October, the company announced Monday. General Growth Properties Inc., which filed for bankruptcy last year, announced it has received assurances for as much as $8.5 billion in new capital and will split into two firms. One, called the “New GGP,” would remain focused on owning and operating shopping malls. The other, Spinco, would control master-planned and mixed-use communities, as well as mall development projects.

SOUTH GLENDALE — Two people suffered minor injuries Tuesday morning after they were struck by a motorist while using a crosswalk at San Fernando Road and Chevy Chase Drive, police said. The collision is the second involving pedestrians reported in four days. The crash occurred about 8:50 a.m., Officer Larry Ballesteros said. The Subaru bumped a man's hip, causing him to fall into a woman, whose head hit the ground, Ballesteros said. The driver of the Subaru told police he had been monitoring opposing traffic and did not see the pair when he turned into them.

GLENDALE — The number of thefts has jumped in the last week, which police on Tuesday attributed to the economic downturn. The latest crime trend showed thefts spiking to 52 in the last week, with some of the investigations having already resulted in arrests, Glendale Police Lt. Rodney Brooks said. Of the total thefts, 37 occurred in south and downtown Glendale, including at the Americana at Brand, Sears and Glendale Galleria, he added. The crimes were primarily shoplifting incidents.

A motorist struck a woman who was standing in a parking spot Saturday at the Glendale Galleria in an attempt to save it for her friend, police said. The woman was not seriously injured and refused medical treatment, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said. Still, she complained of pain to her knee, he added. The motorist apparently didn't see the woman when pulling into the parking spot, he said.

DOWNTOWN — Three construction workers suffered serious injuries Monday morning after the hydraulic lift they were on fell as they cleared debris from planter boxes outside the Glendale Galleria, officials said. The Metro Commercial Construction Inc. workers, whose names were not released, were taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, Glendale Fire Capt. Vincent Rifino said. Two of the men were in critical condition Monday after falling at least 20 feet, and the other was in serious condition, Rifino said.

GLENDALE — Kendra Owen was shopping at the Glendale Galleria on Wednesday when Alana Gregos, the assistant manager of the LUSH cosmetics store, briefed her on North America's dependence on fossil fuel. Gregos was one of the more than half-dozen LUSH employees who wore T-shirts, posters and black plastic oil barrels to raise awareness of the Canadian tar sands, an oil operation in Alberta that opponents say wastes energy and produces toxic runoff to neighboring indigenous people and wildlife.