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Hawthorne planning director flags contractor surge, mall demolition delays and Rose Crans resilience hub plans
Summary
Planning Director Greg Mlan told the council that business-license data over six quarters shows a notable rise in contractor licensing and a relative paucity of retail openings; he also outlined ongoing work on the mall site, a Rose Crans community-resilience hub and an infrastructure finance district study for Hawthorne Boulevard.
Greg Mlan, Hawthorne's planning director, gave the council a six-quarter economic-development briefing on local business openings, closures and longer-term projects.
Mlan said the city's business-license data shows a steady pattern of year-end closures — "business licenses all expire on December 31st of every year," he explained — and that while retail openings are low, contractor and hospitality activity has shown the most growth. "I think the relative height of each of the bars is much more important than the actual numbers," he told the council, urging a focus on trends rather than single data points.
On specific sites, Mlan said demolition permits for the mall have been applied for but not pulled, and that he expects the developer to begin work soon. He reported the former Hometown Buffet property was acquired by an Islamic center, which plans accessory classroom uses in the basement rather than an assembly use in the boulevard zone. Mlan also described inquiries about the old FAA office building and interest in separating parking from the building for redevelopment, and said Walgreens at 14250 Prairie remains in limbo with no signed lease yet.
For long-term work, Mlan outlined a partnership with Cosmont to study Hawthorne Boulevard for redevelopment options and a proposal to explore an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District. He detailed plans for the Rose Crans property, which staff have identified for grant applications to create a community resilience hub and a cooling center, and said an RFQ will be issued to select development partners. Mlan closed by noting the city is piloting meter and permit parking changes and will return with quarterly economic updates starting in October.
What happens next: Council members asked follow-up questions on tenant outreach for retail sites, Cosmont's timeline and cooling-center partners. Mlan said staff will return with updates on tenant negotiations, RFQ terms and grant applications for the Rose Crans site.
