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2000 International Design and Development Awards
The Commons at Calabasas
Calabasas, California
Owner: Caruso Affiliated Holdings
Management Company: Caruso Property Management
Architect: F+A Architects
Designer: David W. Williams
General Contractor: Peck Jones Construction
The major problem…
…was overcoming the unsuccessful eight-year attempt by a previous
developer to complete a mixed-use project with retail, office, residential
and hotel uses on the vacant grassland. Community opposition and
frayed emotions had taken their toll-indeed, Calabasas, located
in the San Fernando Valley 25 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles,
was incorporated as a city in 1991, in part to forestall the project.
Enter Caruso Affiliated Holdings, which parlayed the success of
its award-winning Promenade at Westlake and a patient hand in dealing
with the community to get the project up and running quickly. Entitlements
were quickly granted, land sale closed on March 2, 1998, and The
Commons opened for business November 12 of the same year. Total
construction time: 24 weeks.
The Commons at Calabasas…
…is an Italian-style retail/entertainment center of some 200,000
square feet in multiple buildings, part of a 60-acre MXD that will
ultimately include low-rise office buildings and an extended-stay
hotel. To make it work, the developer formed a highly specialized
team, everyone from a governmental liaison to take it through the
approval process, to Hollywood set designer Richard Sawyer to authenticate
its design. Work wasn't done by "laborers," but by craftsmen-plasterers,
painters, stone artisans, bronze artists.
The result…
…is a unique property with such amenities as a ledgestone bridge
incorporating the main center identification signage, meandering
walks bordered by lush landscaping, wrought iron light poles imported
from Italy, and 19th century limestone sculptures representing the
four seasons. Integrated stone and other materials provide a polished,
authentic Italian ambience. The cinema (Edwards Theatres) is modeled
after a Florence opera house. A 65-foot redwood imported from Northern
California provides a "living" Christmas tree. Its tenant mix is
both utilitarian (Ralphs Grocery, Rite Aid Pharmacy and Barnes &
Noble Booksellers), and fun (Starbucks, Imaginarium and Johnny Rockets).
Indeed, eight years of opposition have given way to The Commons at Calabasas, a major focal point for the region and community. From its attractive architecture, to its pedestrian-friendly layout and its high-quality finishes, The Commons has replaced a vacant grassland and source of acrimony with a thriving town center and source of community pride.