Local News in Brief : L.A. Sues to Stop Mall Construction

The city of Los Angeles filed suit Thursday to stop construction of a regional shopping center on the western edge of neighboring Culver City.

The Superior Court suit alleges that Culver City and the developer, Prudential Insurance Co., failed to adequately study traffic, pollution and noise that the proposed Marina Place mall would thrust into adjacent Los Angeles communities. Prudential’s plans call for a 1-million-square-foot mall with more than 100 shops and six movie theaters on an 18-acre site on Washington Boulevard.

Councilwoman Ruth Galanter, who represents the Los Angeles areas nearest the proposed mall, had asked the city attorney’s office to file the suit.

Also Thursday, the Venice Town Council, one of Venice’s principal community organizations, filed a similar suit against Culver City and Prudential, alleging also that the mall will impede public access to the beach.

Culver City Mayor Paul Jacobs said that his city planned “reasonable” measures to ease traffic produced by the mall and that he is confident the legal challenges will fail.