It was supposed to be a summer 2020 celebration — the simultaneous ribbon-cutting of the mixed-use residential and retail complex Newhall Crossings and a brand new, seven-screen Laemmle Theatres arthouse cinema was going to usher in a new commercial enterprise in the heart of Newhall that has been under construction since 2018.
A third element — an adjacent parking structure — had become the first component to reach the finish line, opening back in 2019.Then came the pandemic, upending public celebrations.Now, Newhall Crossings finds its structure, which houses 47 apartment residences and about 20,000 square feet of retail space, completely built but only partially open. The adjacent Laemmle Theatre, while also completed, is going through the same extended closures as many other movie theaters during the coronavirus crisis. While this Laemmle location has received its temporary certificate of occupancy, the movie house is waiting for the health order to be lifted so that it may open.Jason Tolleson of Serrano Development, the Glendale-based entity behind Newhall Crossings, told the Business Journal that while it has been disappointing not to be able to launch Newhall Crossings and the adjacent theater simultaneously this summer as originally planned, the apartment side of the project has been robust.“We were pleasantly surprised,” Tolleson said, regarding the apartment leases, which began hitting their stride in September.“The residential units are 100 percent leased and occupied,” Tolleson said.According to data provided by Serrano Development, about 70 percent of the commercial area at Newhall Crossings has been leased with three retail suites still currently available.“Each tenant has its individual situation,” Tolleson explained regarding timing on the retail tenants’ respective openings. His firm has been trying to handle each tenant separately, coaxing them to complete their buildouts by year’s end if possible.“It has been a trying year, but we are trying to be accommodating,” he said.Grit & Gratitude Pilates became the first to complete its space. However, falling into the non-essential category of yoga studios and gyms, it hasn’t been able to open, he said, because of the state’s lockdown orders.Tolleson added that his other commercial tenants, which include Rustic Burger House, Pops Artisanal Creamery, XRO Fresh Churro Bar, Glasshouse LA and Loaf Japanese Bakery & Café, are all still under construction with their interior in-fills.Meanwhile, Maginn’s Irish Pub has submitted its construction drawings to the Building & Safety Department for plan check this month and Victory Public House is working on its construction documents.Tolleson anticipates that all of the retail components should be online in the spring.In the meantime, some cinema may come to Newhall Crossings after all: Serrano is looking into hosting an outdoor movie screening in the Newhall Crossings courtyard, with an implementation of social distancing measures, of course.
Not Much Vacancy at Newhall Crossings
