What was once a bustling West Los Angeles shopping destination, famously featured in the film "Clueless," has become a source of economic hardship for nearby businesses due to its prolonged vacancy. The former Westside Pavilion, which has sat largely empty since 2019, has created a significant void for local commerce along Pico Boulevard, according to community leaders.
"The West Side Pavilion was like an anchor store for the small businesses here on Pico," said Lisa Morocco, business chair of the Westside Neighborhood Council. "When you lose that, there’s a big vacuum. It’s been a long and protracted process."
Terri Tippit, chair of the Westside Neighborhood Council and a long-time resident, echoed these concerns, stating, "We’re saying please, please, please because our businesses are dying. We need to have a vibrant business district in order for the residential district to survive too."
The decline of the Westside Pavilion, which also appeared in Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" music video, began in the 2000s, mirroring a national trend for many shopping malls. A redevelopment plan by Google to transform the site into a tech office complex called One Westside stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Google came in and promised us the world," Tippit said. "They spent a couple of years [on construction] and then the pandemic came and they decided no one’s coming back to work."
Even the Westside Tavern and Landmark Theater, which were intended to remain open, eventually closed, largely attributed to the economic impact of the pandemic.
In 2024, UCLA purchased the property to establish the UCLA Research Park. While the university's involvement is seen as a positive long-term prospect, the interim period has been challenging for adjacent businesses. Several establishments along Pico Boulevard, including a former Islands restaurant, have closed since the mall's vacancy.
Morocco expressed the anxieties of local business owners: "If I owned a business here, I would be upset, I would be angry, I would be anxious. Because we have been telling them, 'Oh, just wait until Google gets in. It’s going to be great. Oh, it’s going to be UCLA. Just wait another year and another two.'"
According to UCLA, initial occupancy for the research park is anticipated by 2028, with full occupancy projected by 2035. Morocco acknowledged that the university's progress is subject to city permitting processes.
"It’s not UCLA’s fault that they’re not here yet," Morocco added. "It’s just that they have to go through the process and the permitting of the city, and the city moves in strange and mysterious ways."
The 700,000-square-foot UCLA Research Park is intended to house academic, public, and industry researchers and innovators. Morocco believes the eventual presence of the research park will be beneficial.
"I think honestly, when we look back in five years, we’re going to be super proud that we’re home to the Research Park," she said. "They’re solving big scientific questions here."
Tippit recalled the mall's opening in 1985 as an open-air shopping center by Westfield Group. Subsequent ownership changes, including by Macerich, led to defaults and paved the way for Google's abandoned redevelopment plan.
"Businesses are desperate," Morocco said. "Come on, UCLA, put on some speed. But we also understand that you have to go through the certain processes. So I guess the short answer is we want them to be here."
Tippit expressed confidence that UCLA will ultimately enhance the community, suggesting that the challenges faced by businesses around the former pavilion may be symptomatic of broader urban development issues. "I think the experience that we’re having here is probably something that’s happening all over the city," she stated. "And we are lucky, actually, that we get someone like UCLA to come in and lift the tide."
In the interim, Morocco urged community support for local businesses: "The Shop Local concept isn’t just a cute idea, it’s a lifeline now. Go out to a meal. Buy something. Walk the street, even just have some activity."