Paul Clinton
BURBANK VILLAGE -- No news is bad news when it comes to the
construction-related traffic and parking snarls that could be coming to
the Village.
To provide shoppers and moviegoers with periodic reports about the AMC
Theatre's 16-screen megaplex and other projects, city officials have
decided to publish a newsletter.
The city's Community Development Department will mail the the first
issue of the publication, dubbed the Downtown Burbank Chronicle, to
residents and business owners later this month.
"We think it's a good information item," Community Development
Director Bob Tague said. "This has been on the drawing board for a long
time."
The newsletter will include information about detours, road closures
and parking availability, as well as a map indicating the locations of
all the public lots in the Village. The area is bounded by Magnolia
Boulevard on the west, Glenoaks Boulevard on the north, Angeleno Avenue
on the east and First Street on the south.
One of the biggest changes when demolition of the existing AMC begins
later this month will be the permanent closure of Palm Avenue. The
street, which splits the project down the middle, will be turned into a
walkway.
The $62-million AMC project, known as Burbank Entertainment Village,
also will include restaurants, a bookstore and a health club. AMC will
build a 16-screen theater where the former Elks Lodge stands and demolish
its current AMC 14 to make way for two parking structures.
The new theater is scheduled to open in the spring of 2002.
During the initial run of the Chronicle, the city will circulate
45,000 copies. The inaugural issue of the four-page newsletter will cost
$16,000, officials said.
Gordon Biersch general manager Greg Fain supported the idea, saying it
was long overdue.
"I think it helps -- anything to give people a better idea about
what's going on down here," Fain said.
