[image via flickr user cjanebuy]
The fight between Rick Caruso's Americana at Brand and the adjacent Glendale Galleria continues to simmer, with lawsuits, threats and fights over children tenants making the battle look like a bitter divorce. The Glendale News Press reports that an LA County judge ordered Caruso Affiliated to return a confidential list of clients Caruso had somehow obtained back to the Galleria owners.
Lawyers for General Growth filed an injunction against Caruso's possession of the list on Dec. 1 as a way to "prevent Caruso Affiliated from utilizing the confidential information to garner potential clients," the company said in a statement. Likewise, Caruso Affiliated's 2004 lawsuit contends General Growth officials engaged in interference and unfair business practices by strong-arming their tenants away from potential deals at Americana through forced partnerships and intimidation.
Caruso alleged that Galleria owners threatened Cheesecake Factory officials with dissolved deals at other General Growth malls if they signed an Americana lease.
Caruso said he is happy to return the list, as he has his own tenants and doesn't need the Galleria's hodgepodge of standard mallesque outlets. We're hoping cooler heads prevail, and these two start thinking about the pain they're causing the innocent LEGO Store.
· Mall developer fight continues [Glendale News Press]