Westfield Topanga, the indoor mall in Canoga Park, has removed masking and social distance requirements for shoppers coming to its expanded retail and restaurant offerings as the state’s business restrictions were largely lifted on June 15.
“(Stores and restaurants) get to operate like they did pre-COVID and that’s really the biggest change for us,” Molly Unger, vice president of shopping center management and general manager at owner Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said in an interview.Individual stores within the Westfield Topanga mall can dictate rules for masks and social distancing within the confines of their businesses, so shoppers should come prepared with a mask, but these restrictions have been lifted for the general mall property. Sanitation stations will remain in place, and some staff will remain masked but, largely, the mall will return to pre-pandemic operations.Since the pandemic, despite an increase in closures brought about by slow retail sales, new businesses have signed leases to set up storefronts, according to Unger. Women’s fashion store Aritzia, One Medical family practice and Madison Reed Color Bar just opened, as well as new stores from Versace, Golden Goose and Scotch & Soda over the course of the last several months.“This year, we lost more (businesses) than you would expect in our normal year. But, on the resurgence of this, we’re seeing an incredible sense of energy from new leases,” Unger said.
In particular, as consumers return to in-person shopping, there is a hunger for luxury retailers, she said. “As we sit here, Ferragamo is expanding, Levi’s is expanding. Versace opened during the shutdown, Golden Goose opened during the shutdown. There’s energy for it.”As the mall prepares for an influx of foot traffic with the lifting of business restrictions, new events are being rolled out for the summer months. A new “Summer of Love” art installation by Valley-raised mural artist Ruben Rojas, including three mural walls across Westfield Topanga and the adjacent Village as well as an 8-foot sculpture, has debuted for Pride month and the final weekend in June will include a summer celebration including outdoor games, live music and a 67-foot Ferris wheel.“The mall is all about being social,” Unger said. The pent-up demand for social gatherings has been evident as more guests return to the mall, she said. “People are meeting those friends here that they haven’t seen in a year.”The 2.1 million square foot mall remains in the process of expanding, with construction occurring in some wings of the building. A new Hermès boutique, set to open in 2023, will anchor the developing 180,000-square-foot retail district, featuring a new chef-driven food hall, lounges, cocktail bars, entertainment, recreational activities and landscaped indoor and outdoor public spaces.
Masks Off as Westfield Topanga Mall Reopens
