Great Indoors

Months after purchasing the former Great Indoors site in Burbank, Walmart representatives say they plan to open a store there, calling the 120,000-square-foot building a prime location. Walmart had declined to confirm plans to move into the space until this week, after a feasibility study found a store in Burbank would be successful. Walmart spokesman Steven Restivo said he expects the company will use all of the 120,000-square-foot building, but added that “leasing opportunities within the store are to be determined.” Sometimes the mega-retailer leases space to other retailers, such as a small restaurant or nail salon, if it is putting a store in a large building, he said.

A court-ordered injunction issued Thursday against a planned Walmart in Burbank could sideline the project and force the city to prove the world's largest retailer won't cause significant harm to local roadways and businesses. Walmart had been planning to renovate the former Great Indoors site adjacent to the Empire Center in time to open in mid- to late 2013, but the Los Angeles County Superior Court injunction on Thursday effectively stops all work until the claims raised in a lawsuit filed by three Burbank residents earlier this year are settled.

Walmart has filed a motion seeking to lift an injunction that has prevented the retailer from constructing a store in Burbank prior to the outcome of a lawsuit brought by three residents. The motion was filed last week after a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge granted both sides more time to prepare for a trial in which the residents are attempting to block construction of a Walmart at the former Great Indoors site adjacent to the Empire Center. The residents claim city officials erred in issuing the building permits because they did not adequately address impacts to the surrounding streets.

Karen S. Kim The Great Indoors to host grand opening MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH -- The Great Indoors in the Burbank Empire Center is hosting a community celebration Thursday, complete with dignitaries, music and a public artwork display. Burbank Mayor David Laurell will attend the event, in which the Crescenta Valley High School Band will perform and the artwork by local graphic designer April Greiman will be unveiled. Greiman's piece, "Zoids," is a sidewalk design that serves as a welcome mat for the store.

Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, has set its sights on Burbank. Walmart Real Estate Business Trust last month acquired a 12-acre property that houses the Great Indoors store at the Empire Center, which is already home to a Target store and other “big box” retailers. Sears, which owns Great Indoors, plans to shutter the store in August, according to a company spokeswoman. The property is adjacent to the Empire Center, but is owned and managed separately. Steven Restivo, a Walmart spokesman, declined to say whether the company plans a supercenter, which typically operates 24 hours a day and employs roughly 350 people, or a smaller store.

Walmart officials on Tuesday said they will take their case for starting construction on a new store in Burbank to a state appellate court after a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge ruled he doesn't have jurisdiction to hear the appeal. Walmart has been fighting an injunction preventing work on a new store adjacent to the Empire Center in Burbank. The injunction also forced the city of Burbank to suspend its approval of building permits pending a trial. A Superior Court judge ruled on Thursday, though, that he did not have jurisdiction over the appeal to the injunction.

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Wednesday said he may not have jurisdiction over an appeal of an injunction that has blocked construction of a Walmart adjacent to the Empire Center in Burbank. “Once the notice of appeal has been filed, things like moving to modify or dissolve can no longer be heard [in this court]. Otherwise, that would interrupt the appeal,” Judge Robert O'Brien said in the downtown L.A. courtroom. An appeal is generally heard in a court of appeals.

The following incidents were taken from police reports: RANCHO DISTRICT 700 block of Main Street: A 39-year-old Glendale man was arrested Tuesday during a routine traffic stop on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. MEDIA DISTRICT NORTH San Fernando Boulevard and Ontario Street: A 44-year-old Burbank man was arrested Tuesday during a routine traffic stop on suspicion of possessing cocaine. 1302 Victory Place: A 19-year-old West Hills woman was arrested Tuesday outside The Great Indoors on suspicion of possessing heroin.

Instead of arguing what should not go into the Great Indoors space, maybe the discussion could be about what could go in instead. With such a tremendous space, something like a SkateLab would be a nice fit. We do not need more retail space. Burbank has a nice selection of department stores and mom-and-pop shops, why crowd in Walmart? The skaters of our community would enjoy a safe place to hang out and their parents would appreciate not having to drive to Simi Valley. This space already has a nice café area where the parents can relax while the kids have fun. Since it is a bit larger than the facility in Simi Valley, maybe a party area could also be incorporated into the space.