Outlaws Bar & Grille, a long-time Culver Boulevard restaurant, closed earlier this month
By Gary Walker
Outlaws Bar & Grille, a fixture in Playa del Rey since 1984, closed for business earlier this month — a signal, according to some residents, of further changes to come in the neighborhood.
The 230 Culver Blvd. restaurant’s landlord, Legado Co., is planning to convert a triangular shaped parcel at 138 Culver Blvd. — known locally as Jake’s Lot — into a mixed-use development that would include 72 apartments and 16,000 square feet of retail space. A Christmas tree lot now occupies the parcel slated to become Legado del Mar.
The Outlaws property may also figure into Legado’s development plans. The company’s website lists that parcel as Legado del Rey, a development with specifics “to be determined.” Earlier this year, Legado had projected it to be a mixed-use project with 63 apartments and 11,000 square feet of retail.
In July, Legado Co. Vice President Heather Lee said her company has no immediate plans for the Outlaws and 700 square feet of nearby beachfront property.
“I have not seen any plans for any other parcel [other than Jake’s Lot],” Lee said in July.
Benjamin Resnick, an attorney representing Legado, said the company had until recently been allowing Outlaws to make lower lease payments to help the business through troubled times.
“For two years, Outlaws has been operating with a reduced rate on their lease,” Resnick said. “The subsidized lease rate expired recently.”
Outlaws’ owners did not return calls.
As Playa del Rey’s principal thoroughfare, Culver Boulevard represents the face of the community that many residents fear isn’t changing for the better.
Robert Krauch, a local historian and 50-year Playa del Rey resident, says the closing of Outlaws is the latest sign development will change the complexion of the neighborhood.
Seeing Outlaws closed will “further aggravate people down here,” said Krauch. “By closing Outlaws, [Legado] is making themselves into the villain.”
“These people do not care about our community,” Michael Gemme, who lives near the project site on Montreal Street, told the planning and land use committee of the Neighborhood Council of Westchester – Playa in July.
How the boulevard will look after development was discussed over several community meetings last year. Members of a 10-person community design overlay committee created a set of guidelines that they hope would be included in the planning documents when Legado begins constructing its projects.
Lee’s statement that the Outlaws property was not an actively planned development site had surprised Cheryl Burnett, a member of the neighborhood council and the committee.
“It was especially shocking given that we have heard specific plans for their two other projects for five years now,” Burnett added.
Reznik said market factors would determine if his client would choose to develop the Outlaws and beachfront properties and that his client has no pending applications for the two sites.
The planning and land use committee voted for approval of the Legado del Mar development at 138 Culver Blvd. project on Tuesday. The project now moves to a vote of the neighborhood council before heading to the city Planning Dept. next year.
The committee had tabled a vote in July due in part to dissatisfaction with a traffic study.
Reznick noted that Outlaws was not the only business that was having a difficult time making ends meet. “Several local restaurants are struggling,” he said.
Supporters of the Legado project, including the LAX Coastal Chamber of Commerce, believe that the new restaurants and businesses could inject life into the community’s downtown area.
David Gordon, who owns of Gordon’s Market on Culver Boulevard, across from Outlaws, said at a community design overlay meeting that Playa del Rey would remain a ghost town without development.
But Krauch thinks the projects will create what many opponents dread in an area starved for parking.
“This is really going to make the area more congested,” he said.
Gary(at)argonautnews.com.
And the Tower 42 restaurant lasted how long? Hardly a year. Downtown Playa needs to replace it’s aging/dated architecture. It’s currently a non-destination for locals and tourists.
Maybe you would like MDR better.
Yes and we like it that way. Go elsewhere if you want that.
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No one else here seems to want it. There are a few that want it but they seem to be people that own property on culver or their friends. It will make their property more valuable if they can build more rentable space. Building taller by over 20+ feet greater than any other buildings on the street. Outlaws, The Dunes, the Shack block, Gordon’s & Matillas. Jakes lot is just the start. It’s not what I want to see. I like the small town feel that’s why I moved here. I don’t want town to feel like a canyon. There’s 100′s of millions of dollars at stake so they will probably get what they want. I’ve been to a few town council meetings and you can’t help but feel that some money has been spread around. It’s a shame that they’re going to completely change the feel of our town. Make parking even worse. Replace ocean views with 55+ foot buildings and tying up traffic. I’m a local resident and I’d like to see something built there. Not 55+ feet something in the low 30′s like everything else. The only reason this is happening is because Edward Czuker of B.H. has decided to use all his power and money to turn our town into his personnel cash register. Personally I’ll never do business with anyone that rents there and try to talk every one out of renting an apartment there. I’m not the only one that’s saying that. Once a gene we see how money corrupts and ruins things. It’s sad it was a nice small town.
Such a sad state of affairs. The PDR community is such a unique, charming , friendly place. My father, Joe McFadden, lived here for 40 years. Since his passing in 08, I have inherited his home. We love the quiet small town atmosphere. If we want hustle and bustle, we drive to it only to return to peace.
It will ruin the local flavor here. It’s scary crossing the street now on the Manhattan Beach freeway, imaging adding way too many trucks and cars to this mess.
Though we have lived here only ten months we are afraid that we will loose the good neighbor feelings here when the inevitable rich attack PDR. I guess we are lucky for now.
I’m sorry to hear that Outlaws has closed. We had gone there for yrs multiple times per week until the resturant was sold. We went a few times thinking the new owners needed time to acclimate but this wasn’t the case. The quality of the food noticibly and consistently declined greatly. After being loyal customers for years, we stopped going there. In my opinion, this is why they closed down. They offered a poor product and lost customers.
I’m all for development and making the area a destination hot spot and realize we need a larger community to keep local businesses thriving. I’d love a downtown with shopping, a good coffee shop, a couple more fun bars, and some more tummy restaurants. I’m against the proposed plans. This kind of thing would never pass in Manhattan Beach. And, it wasn’t long ago that they were in a very similar position.
I love what MIKA Design is doing with the Strand Offices. Legado is just trying to cram in all these apartments, when it’s apparent, there’s not enough room for what they’re trying to accomplish.
And, let’s get it out there the Legado building looks cheap and I don’t want to live in a city full of apartments. Bring in some architecture and beauty and assimilate to the beach city lifestyle. Develop Playa Del Rey? Yes! But, do it responsibly. And, if this is going to be our downtown for the next 50 years, give locals (the ones in for the long haul) something we can be proud of.
Areas like Playa Del Rey are becoming more and more scarce as developers come in and take over what’s left of the Los Angeles coastline. It’s a valuable commodity. It’s going to happen, but the community has a choice on how it happens. For instance, I don’t think the 11ft height increase exception should have been allowed. Take back your low income housing in exchange for the reduction in parking. And, I would like to see concessions paid annually and be used to keep up the immediate area or keep up what’s left of surrounding preserves. Legado is going to make a killing, $100k concession for their proposal doesn’t begin to cover the consequences of over development.
You’re right !
agreed! i hope somebody is listening to us locals!
There already is a great coffee shop, and at least 3 good bars, Adriana.
Having lived in PDR in the early 90s, and having such happy memories, frequenting Outlaws after work. It saddens me to read how much will be lost to a village like community. Now living back in London I will always have a soft spot for a place I once called home.
Gentrification at its finest. Manhattan was first, now Hermosa is slowly going down the tubes. Redondo is somewhere in between. Pretty unfortunate that PDR is being targeted next. I’m sure the Harbor Room, Prince of Whales, and the shack will be on the chopping block eventually. It wouldn’t be so bad if these Rich, entitled, transplant assholes wanted to preserve the history, but that isn’t the case. They want to move in, tear everything down so they can fill their already bulging pockets.
James, Adriana, et al…it appears that some development is inevitable in PDR. You don’t want Manhattan Beach or Hermosa-type development. What do you want? You either need to work with developers, make compromises and have them make compromises or they will ultimately win. What is your list of must-haves?
We want them to leave it alone and go elsewhere with their greed. PdR doesn’t need them.
You are right on the money! Isn’t Legado trying to build a huge development in the Hollywood Riviera that residents are against? Sounds like their M.O.