Retail giant Target may be the anchor for a new shopping center development planned for Westlake Village. Dan Selleck, president and owner of Selleck Development Group, said his company is currently conducting an environmental study of the proposed 21.5-acre retail project, called the Shoppes at Westlake. The center, located along Russell Ranch Road, would be visible along the U.S. 101 freeway south of Lindero Canyon Road. The 240,000-square-foot project, which calls for a mix of retail, restaurant and office uses, is in its preliminary development phase, Selleck said. He said he is “optimistic” plans for the 137,000-square-foot Target store will be finalized in the next month. The Minneapolis-based retailer, known for partnering with high-end designers to attract budget-conscious fashionistas, likely would be a magnet for attracting additional high-profile stores. “It’s really critical to announce an anchor tenant,” Selleck said. “I have no doubt that other vendors will fall into place.” Companies such as Forever 21, Sprouts Farmers Market and Buffalo Wild Wings also have surfaced as potential tenants in the shopping center, said Michael Tingus, president of Lee & Associates-LA North/Ventura, Inc. The Calabasas-based commercial real estate brokerage firm currently represents Selleck Development Group. Officials from Target declined to comment on the proposed project. The retailer has more than a dozen stores in the greater San Fernando Valley region, according to its website. There is a great deal of anticipation surrounding the new shopping center, as it is the last undeveloped lot in the area, said Westlake Village Councilwoman Philippa Klessig. The property was previously owned by Phoenix-based developer Opus West Corp. and was slated for an office development, but the project fell through when the economy took a nosedive, she said. Selleck Development Group bought the property for about $15 million in June 2010, following a foreclosure by Bank of America. Some residents have raised concerns about the additional traffic that will accompany the opening of a Target store, Klessig said. But overall the community response has been more positive than negative, she said. When contemplating retailers for the large commercial space, Selleck said Target was a prime choice because of the products they offer, as well as their contribution to the community. Target gives 5 percent of its income — which today equals about $3 million per week — to support the communities it serves, according to the company’s website. “Target is by far the best retailer,” for the site, Selleck said. “They offer quality products at tremendous values.” Selleck said his plans are to make the property a community gathering place. “We want it to be a place with nice amenities, where you can go and hang out and mothers can bring their kids,” Selleck said. Klessig said she hopes the center draws new retailers — not those that can be found at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks. “Ideally, I’d like to see a combination of chain stores and mom and pop stores,” she said. Once negotiations with Target are finalized, plans for the store will be brought to city council early next year, Tingus said. Based on that timeline, construction could start as early as June 2012, he said. The Target construction project would create about 400 local jobs, including contractors, construction workers, landscapers and electricians hired to get the store built and operational, Tingus said. The goal is to have the store open for business by the fall of 2013, he said.
Target May Anchor Westlake Center
