Empty Westside Pavilion leaves nearby Pico businesses struggling to survive

The Westside Pavilion, a former open-air mall opened in 1985 and later highlighted in films like "Clueless," has remained empty since 2019, leaving a cascade of closures among businesses along Pico Boulevard. Local council chairs Lisa Morocco and Terri Tippit describe the mall as an anchor that once sustained the neighborhood’s commercial life, now replaced by a prolonged vacancy. Initial redevelopment plans called for a Google-led tech campus named One Westside, but construction stalled and the pandemic led the company to abandon the project.

In 2024, UCLA purchased the site to build a research park, yet construction continues without a firm opening date, with tentative occupancy projected for 2028 and full completion by 2035. Community leaders blame permitting delays and city processes for the slow progress, while urging residents to support local shops in the meantime. They remain hopeful that the eventual research park will eventually revitalize the area, but stress that immediate economic relief is needed.