Cerritos : Mall Builder Gets Extension

A Canoga Park-based shopping mall builder has been given the go-ahead by the Cerritos City Council to continue trying to package a mixture of stores for a proposed $95-million regional mall on the Towne Center site near Bloomfield Avenue and 183rd Street.

General Growth of California has spent 18 months trying to line up at least two major stores for the mall but has had little success, prompting some council members to consider switching developers. But the council met recently with General Growth in a closed-door session and agreed to give the mall builder more time to deliver a specific proposal. No deadline was set.

The decision to stick with General Growth is one of several extensions the council has given the company since it received the exclusive right to negotiate a mall deal. Experts say General Growth’s mission is difficult because Southern California is saturated with shopping malls. Also, a rash of mergers and store closings among some chains has caused some department store operators to shy away from new mall projects, experts say.