Over the weekend, the Los Angeles Times covered USC's big $900 million Elkus Manfredi-designed make-over, which'll bring in new residential housing, retail, and more to the campus, a proposal experts say can "make a difference in the competition for students and faculty, many of whom look for good cinemas and bike stores, as well as classrooms and labs," according to the paper. Meanwhile, some of the smaller retailers in the current University Mall are worried they'll be squeezed out by the school's new look, which indeed look a little Grove-like (it's the same architect who designed both projects). "Merchants complain that USC has done little lately to promote or maintain it and they worry they could be priced out by higher rents at the new center.
Rosy Mughadam, who owns two hair salons in the complex, said she fears that USC "won't want little businesses like us, they will only want franchises." But school officials say they want the smaller businesses to stay.
· USC plans $900-million shopping and residential upgrade [LAT]
· Reading, Writing and More Red Brick: USC's Big Master Plan [Curbed LA]
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