HAWTHORNE, Calif. – The city of Hawthorne announced they are suing Charles Co. over their failure to develop property they own that has been shuttered for decades.
From the city of Hawthorne:
For decades the Hawthorne Mall has become a shell of a gutted building, hosting illegal dumping, graffiti, homeless encampments, hazardous conditions and activities threatening the health, safety, and peace of the community.
For years, the City of Hawthorne has attempted to obtain the Mall’s owner’s cooperation to remedy the property, only to be met with broken promises of development and an ongoing large-scale illegal parking rental business in the Mall’s parking lots since 2018.
With on-going neighborhood complaints and blatant violations of law the owner allows on the Hawthorne Mall, the City was forced to file a nuisance abatement action against the owner in an effort to get relief for the community.
Related: Brother of Developer Facing Federal Bribery Charges Tries Again in South LA
The residents were happy to hear the news.
“It’s about time,” said Martha Valenzuela.
Related: Buyer revealed: Gabay brothers pick up Pasadena office portfolio for $80M
“This is a good start and let’s hope we can get this piece of land used for something better,” said Rakesh Patel.
The roughly 1-million-square-foot mall, filed plans with the city in late 2016 to begin work on a $500 million overhaul, starting with a new $25 million office building. Plans were for a movie theater, gym, bowling alley, and many shops, offices and homes. Those plans never materialized.
For more than a decade, Arman Gabay, a Charles Co. managing partner, has repeatedly brought plans forward to the city for development projects that never materialized. He has blamed city leaders in the past for blocking high numbers of proposed apartments at the site.
Arman Gabay was arrested in 2018 on federal bribery charges.
Click the link to learn more about the City’s lawsuit – https://bit.ly/3dDbcPu
