Planning Commission Approves Broadway Plaza Renovation

The plans to renovate a portion of Broadway Plaza are headed for their final stop at the Walnut Creek City Council.

The Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal on Thursday night.

The City Council will take up the plans at its Dec. 10 meeting.

Macerich, the owners of the shopping center, want to tear down the strip of stores between Nordstrom and Macy's.

The plans call for the demolition of 200,000 square feet of retail space.

About 40 stores would be torn down, including Banana Republic, See's Candies, Yogurt Park and Hallmark. Store owners have been given until Jan. 31 to close up shop.

Some of the stores are relocating elsewhere in Walnut Creek. Others will wait for the two-year project to be completed and then re-open. Others are simply closing for good.

After the demolition, Macerich plans to build as much as 500,000 square feet of new facilities.

Garrett Newland, vice president of development for Macerich, said larger stores will be built and there will be more retail on the eastern part of the strip, where the parking lot is now located.

The refurbished parking lot will have three levels near Nordstrom and four levels near Macy's. One of the levels will be underground.

Newland said most of the buildings in this part of Broadway Plaza were built in the 1950s and 1960s and this portion of the center needs an upgrade.