Target Opens In One Month, Alcohol Sales TBD

The sign is up, but the doors are still closed for one more month. Westwood Village's CityTarget is scheduled to open July 29.

The . Taking the place of the former Home Depot Expo at 10861 Weyburn, the 98,000 square-foot store will be in the same shopping center as  and the space formerly occupied by . The entrance is on Weyburn at Glendon.

An anchor business filling a large vacancy in Westwood Village was welcome news for the and .

“I think most of us are anxious for them to open up as soon as possible,” said Constance Boukidis, co-chair of the Westwood Neighborhood Council’s land use and planning committee, .

However, both organizations were very concerned about alcohol sales at the store, citing the availability of alcohol at stores adjacent to CityTarget and limited space in the store for other products.

The issue of alcohol sales is still up in the air — Target's alcohol license application was denied by a zoning administrator, but Target has filed an appeal. The West Los Angeles Planning Commission is scheduled to hear the appeal July 18, said Christopher Koontz, planning deputy for Councilmember Paul Koretz's office.

Both councils did not support the Los Angeles Planning Commission granting a permit for alcohol sales for off-site consumption.

“We desperately need children’s toys, clothing, men’s clothes, women’s clothes, health, beauty,” said Carol Spencer, a Westwood resident and secretary of the Westwood Community Council, . “We don’t necessarily need liquor.”

An attorney for Target told the Westwood Neighborhood Council that alcohol sales amount to less than one percent of the chain's total sales.

“Why is Westwood so restrictive on its commercial entities?” . “If [the alcohol] doesn’t sell, they’ll put in something else.”

A Target representative said no decisions have been made about alcohol sales in the store.

"We're still in the process of finalizing all the merchandise," said Mya Walters, Target senior communications manager.

In recent months, the Target bullseye has become a regular feature in Westwood Village. Target employees participated in the , a day of service spent polishing up Westwood Village and the North Village. Target employees also set up a free lemonade stand at the Westwood Village Farmers Market.

A smaller version of the big box retailer, the CityTarget in Westwood will be the first to open in Los Angeles. Another CityTarget is scheduled to open in Downtown Los Angeles in October.

"Target is thrilled to bring our newest store format, CityTarget, to this thriving Los Angeles neighborhood," said John Griffith, Target's executive vice president of Property Development, when the new location was announced. “We look forward to providing our guests on the Westside with high quality merchandise at a great value and the exceptional one-stop shopping experience they have come to expect from Target.”

Will Target change how you shop in Westwood Village? Do you have a strong opinion about alcohol sales at the store? Tell us in the comments below.