Westfield Topanga Opens New Open-Air Shopping Center

WOODLAND HILLS (CBSLA.com) — Shoppers were excited to take in the new Village at Westfield Topanga, the new open-air extension of the Westfield Topanga Canyon mall in Woodland Hills.

"It's very interesting – it's nicely set up, there's a lot of comfortable places to sit," one shopper reclining in a chair in the shade said.

The Village features amenities beyond those typically found at malls, such as book drops, where shoppers can take a book for a reading break, and bowls for canine visitors.

"We really wanted it to be a place where the community could come and really socialize, so everything was with that in mind – so the koi ponds, and the fountains and the Bocce ball courts," Westfield spokesman Larry Green said.

Anchored by large tenants like Costco and REI, the Village is also home to smaller boutiques, bringing the number of stores shared with Westfield Topanga to 300.

But the Village's grand opening is not without controversy. Recently, the owner of The Rack at the nearby Westfield Promenade sued the company, claiming the Promenade has been allowed to fall apart. The Rack, a sports bar and restaurant, is one of the few remaining businesses as the mall.

"This is probably the only mall in Westfield's properties where a McDonald's has shut or closed," The Rack owner Yossi Kviatskovsky said.

However, Westfield says they have plans to further develop the Promenade.

"We've worked very closely with the community for over 10 years to pass what's called the Warner Center 2035 Plan, and that really envisions something great happening at the Promenade, and we're in process with that," Green said.