The official ribbon-cutting of the Robertson Blvd. Outzone Pilot Program took place tonight with the owner of The Abbey, David Cooley, cutting the ribbon alongside all 5 City Council Members.
Lisa Vanderpump also spoke in favor of the Outzone program and indicated that Pump, Tom-Tom, and Sur would soon be open and operational.
Councilmember John D’Amico, who spearheaded the ‘Out on Robertson’ pilot program raised his hands high in the air to say “West Hollywood is open for business”.
All the councilmembers took turns at the podium celebrating the program despite complaints from many neighbors who do not see the value in the closure.
During the planning process members of the WHWRA, West Hollywood West Residents Association as well as neighbors in the Norma Triangle complained that there was no public process.
At one of the meetings, Jake Stevens, director at Faring Capital, stood up to say, ‘The businesses don’t want it!”
Despite the offer of free space on Robertson, zero West Hollywood businesses participated. The Abbey added approximately 28 tables of 4 seats each and was the only business occupying the boulevard since the program began three weeks ago.
One member of Project Angel Food told me they set up the booth to ‘support the city’ last weekend and would return on Sunday. Project Angel Food is the recipient of many grants from the City of West Hollywood throughout the years.
A small crowd gathered of about 100 people including the City Council, city staff and a number of residents who wanted to watch the celebration.
The City of West Hollywood put out a list of participants for the weekend that included two non-profits. Those are Black Women Lead, an L.A.-based organization committed to “amplifying the leadership and voices of black women and underrepresented communities.” Project Angel Food will be out there on Sunday.
Parking enforcement indicated two cars were towed today, a far fewer than the previous two weekends. The party (and road closure) kicked off at 6 p.m. Saturday night, rocking on through Sunday and ending at 2 a.m. Monday morning. WeHo residents who aren’t down to party are advised to avoid Robertson Blvd. between Melrose and Santa Monica. The pilot program is expected to last until mid-July.
[…] 90-day pilot program, which brought restaurant and retail operations out onto city streets when COVID restrictions were […]
I used to go to Anwalt’s on the weekend. I go somewhere else now…….and I’m sure they are suffering so a bunch of silly people can get drunk in the street.
Ribbon-cutting for Abbey Road, aka Robertson Blvd. AKA Abbey extension.
It’s the tiniest strip in almost all of WeHo benefiting ONE business. Wow. I find it’s promotion of Out on Robertson funny when there’s, like, only one place to go there. BTW, seems a little late to the party when you look at what other places like Culver City have done closing lanes and streets for their restaurants and businesses. WeHo only now figured out how to shut down a street? And the section with ONE business? What about ALL the OTHER struggling businesses on SM Blvd and other streets in WeHo? Guess they didn’t donate to the council campaign… Read more »
Yep you’re absolutely right. Other cities close down the streets where the restaurants and shops are actually located. With our city they close down the one street that hardly has anything except the Abbey. Smart right?! Not.
How selfish to inconvenience an entire city for greed.
Many of us residents who actually walk around the city are thrilled that the street has been opened to pedestrians. I hope it’s the beginning of even more areas, maybe even some parts of Santa Monica Blvd, getting the same treatment.
Try sidewalks. You can actually walk all around city on the vast network of sidewalks. I do it all the time, it’s really cool.
thanks for saying that. there’s a small minority of silly people here…….that just drink themselves to death.
You should try visiting cities where pedestrians aren’t literally marginalized to sidewalks and have spacious urban plazas to walk around. It’s even cooler. 🙂
Give us an urban plaza and I would gladly use that instead of the sidewalks. What the city has done is closed off a street that has nothing but the Abbey. Hardly a win for pedestrians in search of an urban plaza.
Lol
Open to pedestrians to do what? That’s the point there is nothing to do on this close street except go to the Abbey. What a total waste of city resources to close the entire street to favor one business and one business only.
The council should invite restaurants and bars east of Robertson to set up pop-ups in the OutZone on Robertson at No Charge: Conservatory, Hamburger Mary’s, Marco’s, etc.
this selective use of Robertson Blvd. is beyond fair and equal.
(24) 4-top tables for the Abbey , plus the take over of the entire service alley previously is absurd.
would not be surprised at all if they gave cooley the city manager gig. officially this time.
LOL, so true.
Me either. Lol
Why arent the other businesses on the street open? Is Anawalt open or do I need to go to Home Depot.
Because the couple of other businesses on the street are not interested in participating. Anawalt is open, although it doesn’t look like it. Only way to enter is through Melrose. No entrance via southbound Robertson because it’s fully CLOSED! for 32 hours every weekend.
It sure looked like a ribbon cutting for an Abbey Expansion and nothing else. The fact is no other businesses want or need to participate. City staff had since February to solicit interest and nothing materialized.
There is no public benefit or any other justification for this road to be close for 32 hours every weekend…..ZERO, NADA.