READERS RESPOND

AT ISSUE: City officials want to move Burlington Coat Factory and

Wards from the Huntington Center to an unknown area of the city.

I feel that I must express my feeling on the decision regarding our

Huntington Center (“Council OKs glitzy Huntington Center plan,” Oct. 5).

To invest our community’s tax dollars in an unproven and, in my

opinion, reasonably risky development plan is not in the best interest of

the voters and taxpayers. I am sure that our whole community would like

to see Huntington Center redeveloped into a shopping complex that not

only would be a good tax producer, but also an area that all of

Huntington Beach could be proud of.

It would seem logical, since the City Council seems determined to

invest our tax dollars in this project, to protect our investment and

build on a proven financially stable base. This financial stability is

obviously what is left in the Huntington Center -- stores like Burlington

Coat Factory that still attract customers to a mall that has been on the

decline for years. With large, stable and long-term companies such as

Burlington Coat Factory involved in this project and willing to invest

their own money to redevelop their buildings, we, the voting taxpayers,

will gain in the following manner: The tax base will grow from an already

existing base rather than zero; using the strength of what is already in

place, we will continue to have a tax base during redevelopment; and

attract old and many new people to our new complex.

JEAN BOYD

Huntington Beach

I have seen Huntington Center go downhill for some time. Wards and

Burlington Coat Factory have an interesting twist on revitalization of a

rundown mall.

How come they did not go to the city and say they want to revitalize

the mall because they need more customers? I feel they had ample time to

create or proactively improve the mall.

It is very obvious that their stores do not draw customers.

Huntington Beach needs to revitalize this area to improve the value of

the commercial real estate. I am looking forward to spending more money

on local restaurants and stores I like to shop at within Huntington

Beach. Unfortunately, I have to shop outside of the city to get choices

of restaurants and shops.

I think Wards and Burlington Coat Factory were looking for an easy way

to grab on to the coattails from the new developer and not have to invest

in improving the mall.

In my opinion, the mall cannot be demolished fast enough to allow the

rebuilding to go forward. Keep the city strong, not weak.

JEFF HOFMANN

Huntington Beach