Council to Review Approval of New Theater at Del Amo

A plan to build a 2,900-seat, nine-screen movie theater complex at Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance has been approved by the city Planning Commission, but the decision has been appealed to the City Council.

The Torrance Co., owners of Del Amo Fashion Center, submitted plans earlier this month to build a 50,000-square-foot Mann movie theater complex in a vacant 85,000-square-foot building that formerly housed a drugstore.

The nine theaters, ranging in size from 192 seats to 480 seats, would be entered from a central lobby.

The plans were approved at a June 21 Planning Commission meeting by a vote of 5 to 1. Two days later, Councilman Tim Mock appealed the decision, saying he would like the city to further examine whether the theaters will increase crime and parking problems at the mall.

Del Amo Fashion Center already has a six-screen United Artists theater at the north end of the mall. Less than two miles north of the mall on Hawthorne Boulevard is a five-screen Mann theater at Old Towne Mall. Farther north along Hawthorne is a six-screen General Cinema theater near the Galleria at South Bay in Redondo Beach.

Mock said one theater complex may be enough for the mall. “What we are talking about is the mall turning into theater row,” he said. “I think this is something the council should decide.”

He said he would also like to examine whether another theater complex in the mall might attract loitering youngsters, crime and gangs.

“What type of element do you bring in when you have too many theaters,” he asked. “Is this a new direction the mall is going?”

Torrance Co. officials could not be reached for comment.

City officials said the council will most likely decide on the plan Aug. 15.

Increase in Revenue

Planning Commissioner Frank Rizzardi said he believes that the Torrance Co. may want to build the complex to help boost mall revenue, which has leveled off since the 1985 renovation of the nearby Galleria at South Bay.

Planning Commission Chairman Jack Messerlian said Torrance Co. officials told him that they have no plans to close the United Artists theater.

Rizzardi said he voted against the complex because he is concerned that it will cause parking congestion on adjacent lots.

“I just don’t like to see gridlock over there,” he said in an interview.

According to a Planning Department report, Del Amo Fashion Center was granted a parking variance in 1979 that calculates the required parking at a ratio of one space for each 222 square feet of floor area. The United Artists theater operates under that variance.

Based on such a ratio, the new complex needs 225 parking spaces. However, a code requirement specifically for theaters calculates parking at a ratio of one parking space for every three seats. This would require the theaters to have 966 parking spaces.

Place Under 1979 Variance

By approving the theater project, the commission chose to place the proposed complex under the 1979 variance, and Rizzardi said that may not provide enough parking.

Messerlian said he also has concerns about parking but voted for the proposal because he thought parking problems would be minimal and because the project is compatible with adjacent businesses.

“I voted for it reluctantly,” he said.

Principal Planner Jeff Gibson said he believes that parking overflow from the proposed theaters could be contained on nearby mall lots.

Messerlian said he is not too concerned about the new theater complex attracting loitering youngsters.

“Any time you have any use, movie theater or otherwise, where people congregate . . . there is going to be loitering and so forth,” he said. “It’s the nature of the beast.”