Google takes over famed 'Westside Pavilion' with major renovation

WEST LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - The nearly vacant Westside Pavilion will get a new lease on life with a new lease! The aging mall will now be taken over by tech giant Google and will undergo a major renovation.

If you've been shopping at the famed Westside Pavillion lately, congratulations, you're one of a handful of loyal customers.

The mall, dating back to 1985, is about to be history, even as the last few stores struggle to say open.

News broke today that Google is going to sign a long-term lease and bring an unspecified number of employees as part of a major remodel and rebirth of the property, transformed to office space and renamed 'One Westside.'

Neighbors I spoke with, along with the councilman from the area Paul Koretz, and LA Mayor Eric Garcetti, think Google will bring a lot of value to the area, clean, high tech jobs, within walking distance of a Metro stop on the Expo Line, and of course it eliminates this giant near empty ''white elephant'' in such a prime westside location.

Of course there will be some who will oppose it but there have been no real concrete plans to revitalize the area until now.

The developers called it a great opportunity to 'reposition a marquee asset to capture the the strong demand for creative office space on the Westside.'