Plaza Pacoima Brings Jobs and Sustainability in Big Boxes

Posted by Seth Parker in Featured Articles, Green/LEED, Public/Private Partnership, Retail Redevelopment on June 22nd, 2010 | one response

PACOIMA, CA – Plaza Pacoima

Industrial Past

This recently unveiled shopping center is a redevelopment of the former Price Pfister plumbing fixtures manufacturing facility and is a prime example of urban renewal. In the 1950s Pacoima was a bedroom community for manufacturing centers in Los Angeles, Burbank and Glendale, but its economy floundered when industries shut down. The 94,000-square-foot Price Pfister plant, described by city officials as the largest foundry west of the Mississippi, was used to make sand castings for faucets. In 1997, the the company moved its foundry operation to Mexico although they continued manufacturing and maintained an office there until 2001. Unfortunately, after 30 years of operation, the property’s soil had been contaminated from decades of producing chrome and brass plumbing fixtures.

Cleaning and Greening

Plaza Pacoima was designed in a contemporary architectural style by Perkowitz+Ruth Architects. The 343,000-square-foot center is located on a 28-acre site at Paxton Avenue and Sutter Avenue. The $78 million project, anchored by Lowe’s, Costco and Best Buy, also includes 4,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and office space.

“The development’s sustainable features start with the site being a former brownfield that was targeted for pollutant clean up by the CRA/LA,” said Rick Martin, LEED AP BD+C, sustainability manager for P+R Architects. “The new development created 438 construction jobs and 354 permanent living-wage jobs in compliance with the CRA/LA’s first source and local hire programs. Other green elements at Plaza Pacoima are: high performance store-front dual pane glazing, improved wall and ceiling insulation, local materials and using products with recycled content, shaded routes and water efficient landscaping.”

Plaza Pacoima is seeking LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council. “Plaza Pacoima’s green features are apparent in the buildings and parking lot as soon as you enter the site” said Martin.“Slotted curbs were used in the parking lot, landscape ‘flow thru’ planters were designed to allow water to drain into the parking lot planters. The water will then be slowed and filtered through filtering medium consisting of organic soil and stone aggregate prior to entering into the storm drain system.”

As one of the approved architects for Best Buy, P+R Architects was also responsible for the construction documentation of the new Best Buy at Plaza Pacoima. The design for Best Buy at Plaza Pacoima goes above the baseline for LEED Gold certification that it has applied for, according to Sean Unsell, program manager and associate with P+R Architects. “Best Buy is committed to green development. For example, the Plaza Pacoima Best Buy store increases energy efficiency through the use of extensive skylights that provide natural light during the daylight hours,” Unsell said.

Redeveloping for Retail

The original Price Pfister plant was roughly 24 acres, and Primestor was able to assemble an additional 4 acres along San Fernando Road. The $3.4-million acquisition increased the total project area to about 28 acres and, perhaps more importantly, it greatly increased the visibility of the shopping center development and its value as a retail project.

“It gives this project room to breathe,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Alex Padilla whose district includes the redevelopment area. “It certainly opens up visibility to San Fernando Road and the on and off ramps from the 118 (Freeway).”

Primestor developed this site as part of a public/private partnership that included an Owner Participation Agreement with the Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles. As part of the agreement, they had a Community Benefits Agreement with a coalition of 24 Pacoima Community groups. Primestor also donated $300,000 to the Pacoima Cultural Facility Arts Trust Fund in addition to providing over 790 jobs from this retail redevelopment project.

“The great day is finally here, and we couldn’t be more excited to serve the people of Pacoima,” Sneider said two weeks ago at the grand opening. “More than five years in the making, Plaza Pacoima, takes the formerly vacant land from a brownfield site to a vibrant shopping center that brings jobs in a tough economy. This is exactly the kind of development Primestor is proud to specialize in. We also are honored to celebrate this achievement with the City and the Community, who all made this development a reality.”

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Primestor Development (www.primestor.com) specializes in bringing the quality retail and shopping center tenants usually found in suburbs to dense and urban minority neighborhoods in and around California, Nevada and Chicago.

CRA/LA (www.crala.org) is a public agency regulated by the State of California and operating within the City of Los Angeles. It attracts private investment into economically depressed communities to eliminate blight, revitalize older neighborhoods, build housing for all income levels and create and retain employment opportunities.

Perkowitz+Ruth Architects (www.prarchitects.com) is dedicated to providing national and international clients with high-quality design and construction administration services. Headquartered in Long Beach, CA and employing 200 professionals, the firm features offices located in Long Beach, CA; Washington, DC; Portland, OR; and Northwest Arkansas. The firm specializes in neighborhood centers, single-tenant retailers, mixed-use environments, multifamily housing, entertainment and hospitality destinations, urban design and planning; civic projects, repositioning efforts and sustainable design. With more than 20 years of experience, the firm is committed to responding to the needs of the client and desires of the community. Through an integrated design approach, Perkowitz+Ruth Architects produces top-quality projects that encourage sustainability and operational efficiency.