Valley Music Theatre Formerly Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall in Woodland Hills Postcards

This location was also discussed in the Back To The Future series post.

You can view more Woodland Hills Postcards here.

You can view more SFV Postcards here. 

My Father Passed Away on May 19, 2013

My father passed away on May 19, 2013 at the age of 68 in Valley Presbyterian Hospital in Van Nuys. His passing was not a surprise as he was battling advanced skin cancer in his face. But his passing is a big loss in my life that I need to realize and adjust to. 

My father was a humble and simple man that cherished all the little things in life. His main priority other than his kids and responsibilities were to enjoy life to the fullest. He was not selfish and would open his home to others and provide gifts to those he admired and cared for. He was a hard working man that never complained or cheated. 

His cancer first appeared in 2006 and progressively got worse until he literally could not fight anymore in his final months of 2013. For close to 7 years, my father didnt let cancer get in the way of his enjoyment of life except for his final year. If he were around today, I think he would echo this quote from Jim Valvano, a former basketball coach, who was suffering from Bone Cancer at the time that would best describe his situation:

Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul. And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless you all.

You might be wondering what does this have to do with the SFV. The answer is really nothing. My father was an average dude who happened to call the SFV home buying a 50's era Cinderella home in Canoga Park (shown below) in the late 80's. He wasnt a historian buff and didnt really care for the culture and nostalgia of the SFV like I do.

I once tried to talk about SFV history with him and mentioned something that he might find of interest. I showed a picture of the former Busch Gardens at the Van Nuys Budweiser Brewery which he worked directly across from, thinking this might spark some curiosity into the prior past of that area. He simply acknowledged and thought it was cool but the conversation ended there which may have been somewhat related to his declining health. However, that shouldnt be interpreted as a sign of disrespect or ignorance because he was born in another part of the world and the SFV really wasnt his true home although he actually called it home. His personality was not of the type that really cared for history and looking into the past.

On the other hand, I am the complete opposite of my father and I love to learn about history especially when talking about the SFV. The main reason why I started this blog was to remember my past growing up here which I felt was slowly disappearing. Additionally, my childhood was compromised when my mother passed away from breast cancer when I was 12 in the early 90's so remembering that period which coincided with living in the SFV became important for me and hence the start of this blog.

For example, I am remember driving by the old Valley Music Theatre with my mom which now evokes a special feeling in my heart when I pass by that former location that I cant describe. It brings me pain now to see it demolished (especially since it was a great piece of architecture) and under construction for a new apartment complex. This site has been well documented in a Back To The Future series post as a way for me to remember its glorious past and my childhood memories. I never got a chance to see the inside because I wasnt a Jehovah's Witness but the pictures definitely help.

Another strong memory was when my mother would take my brother and I to the Canoga Park National Little League fields in Encino (dont ask my why it was called Canoga Park) for little league games which I remember her cheering me on from the stands. This location was also nearby the historic Encino Velodrome which I also blogged about.

And from there, I would continue to blog about the topics I loved and brought memories like Filming Locations remembering some of the classic 80's and 90's movies like E.T. and Back To The Future filmed on location in the SFV and which would be a part of my childhood. But I didnt stop there and also blogged about other areas of the SFV which I have no memories from but are an integral part of SFV history like the Tower of Wooden Pallets or The Charles Weeks Colony in Winnetka in addition to Real Estate and Celeb R.E.

Which now brings me back to my father and the new memories I developed after my mother's death. I was searching through my father's documents where he kept a box full of expired credit cards, IDs, and health cards. One of those cards happened to be a Malibu Grand Prix license from Northridge (shown below) which was in pristine condition suggesting it was barely used. I vaguely remember that day on April 6, 1994 when he acquired the license but I believe we were just visiting a couple of quick laps because that day happened to be on a Wednesday making any birthday parties unlikely. He obviously joined in on the fun by getting his own license. This card is one of the few memories I have that combines the history of the SFV and my father. After finding this piece of plastic, I was filled with tears of joy and appreciation to know that my father was always there for me and wanted the best for my brother and I.

I love you dad and you will be missed but not forgotten!

Westfield Begins Preparation for The Village at Topanga

In case you missed it back on January 22, the Daily News reported that 'Preliminary Work Begins on The Village at Westfield Topanga in Canoga Park' which surprised the heck out of me that I had to visit this location in person late at night. I was rather shocked considering that the Woodland Hills homeowners filed a lawsuit back on April 16, 2012 which in turn caused the Woodland Hills/Tarzana Chamber of Commerce to kick that group out since the Chamber is huge proponent of this project; really, you dont say! 

The good news is that this 'preliminary' work is only to remove trees and no other projects are scheduled at this time. At any rate, big corporations always win (courtesy of fancy dinners with the city council) and I expect this project to proceed as planned. I mean how can anyone say no to this project that is going to bring so much tax revenue and jobs but yet we cant get historical status for Henry's Taco stand in Studio City on top of other historical sites that closed in 2012. 

So what concerns me is the fact that there are two items of significance on this site that I believe will be demolished. The first is a cool little creek at the corner of Victory and Owensmouth that you dont normally see in this concrete jungle and I dont think many people walking by even notice.

The second item is a Millard Sheets inspired mural by Marlo Bartels and Astrid Preston designed in 1989 for the Home Savings Bank. There are other examples of these murals throughout the Valley and SoCal as well as the rest of the nation. These are unique pieces of art that you dont see anymore with the 'big box' and strip mall designs. I hope this mural is saved because its a piece of Valley history depicting Woodland Hills back in the late 80's. 

My other concerns are the massive apartment development in this tiny area of the West Valley. In addition to the The Village, there will be 2000 new apartment units added which I talked about previously taking place nearby the Orange line, at the former Valley Music Theatre (click here for updated pic), and former Catalina Yachts manufacturing site which are all shown in the map below. 

View Woodland Hills Development in a larger map

Good luck to the significant jump in traffic, the decay of small business, and a glut of available housing!

Below are more pics of the site. I am trying to remember what used to be here which I believe was the Topanga Theatre, Yankee Doodles, Coco's, and Black Angus. I know there were others but I cant remember. Anybody want to chime in?

Image courtesy Google Earth showing  October 2007

Another Freaking Apartment Project in Woodland Hills

Image courtesy CitySearch

Image courtesy Catalina Yachts

Image courtesy Google Maps

Image courtesy Google Maps

Fresh from the folks at The Daily News is word of another apartment development project in Woodland Hills at the former Catalina Yachts manufacturing site. (As a kid growing up, I always wondered why there was a boat manufacturer in Woodland Hills of all places naively thinking that it should be next to the ocean).

Catalina Yachts moved to Florida about two years ago (including well paying jobs) but the company still maintains a sales office on the property. 

This new development will bring 600 units in addition to the other apartment development activity currently taking place for those who havent noticed equating to a total of almost close to 2000 units. I discussed the other activity taking place back on April 24, 2012 with a list shown below and this is only for Woodland Hills which doesnt cover the other apartment development activity taking place throughout the SFV. 

1. The Village at Westfield Topanga which will add a Costco, 50 shops, office tower, hotel, and more shops. But there is a pending lawsuit so this could get delayed significantly or even cancelled.
2. The Panavision site being converted to a 707 unit apartment complex at 6219 De Soto Ave.
3. A 300 unit apartment complex near Canoga and Vanowen  at 6701 Eton Ave.
4. The Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne site may also be developed into 4,000 multifamily units which is currently for sale. 
5. The former Catalina Yachts manufacturing site at 21200 Victory Blvd will be converted into 600 units. 

View Woodland Hills Development in a larger map

Is anybody concerned with the impact to traffic, noise, pollution, overcrowding, parking, and rental demand  notwithstanding the loss of jobs as a result of Catalina moving? Heck, lets just bulldoze the Topanga Mall and build more apartments too. The only positive thing about this location is the Orange Line and Warner Center being nearby to aid with this upcoming traffic glut.

Below are more pics of the former Catalina Yachts site. Say goodbye to the three towers reaching for the sky (5th pic down):

Former Valley Music Theatre Site Turned Residential Project Update

What a sad site to behold.....

Which used to be this.......

The former Valley Music Theatre will be transformed into a 340 unit apartment complex called the Infinity. which I discussed in a post that also includes the latest Woodland Hills construction projects going on. You can read more about the history of this site in a Back to the Future post (BTTF).

Dont also forget about the proposed Village at Westfield Topanga. 

I am sure there will not be any traffic concerns or impact to local businesses.