The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California • 135

ZatfSngdetfSimttf But West Side Condominium Market Strong Selective project, with certain projects going much higher for special reasons. Looking at condominiums only, 79 active projects experienced a combined sales rate of 164 per week or an average of 2.1 units per week each. "This experience was recorded during a period when sales in most subdivisions across the nation were at their lowest, due not only to the tra-ditional Christmas season Verdes Peninsula. All but five of the projects were condominiums and it included 18 under construction. A total of 1,246 new housing units were sold in that area during the quarter and the total inventory of units available for sale in that period, including completed but unsold units and new units under construction, stood at 2,974.

Average weekly sales rates in various sectors of the total area ranged from 0.9 units per project up to 4.6 units per dominiums fa. the Beverly Hills-West L03 Angeles area," he continued. "But it should be remembered that this area shows a tremendous pentup demand for condominiums and contains the greatest number of potential condominium purchasers of any market in Southern California. "Despite the great pentup demand, however, the market at this time is still somewhat bearish psychologically and can affford to be choosy because of the large volume of new projects coming on the market, so it is responding only to the housing that is really meeting its needs. "Projects so designed have been selling extremely well-ranging from the performance of The Highlands, which sold 22 units in its first week of sales to the Sunset Americana project, which was selling an average of five units a week." This area shows a continuing demand for quality condominiums BY TERENCE M.

GREEN Timi Staff Writer The condominium market in the West Los Angeles-Beverly Hills area during the fourth quarter of 1973 was strong but selective, with some projects doing exceedingly well and others very poorly, according to the latest report by Aist Research Publications of Encino. Its just-published "Survey of Subdivisions" covered 102 projects in an area spanning West Los Angeles from the Pacific Palisades to the'Palos' 3STH STORE IN CHAIN slowdown but also to the un square feet of floor space will opon pjTn leal I HOMES-INDUSTRY PART SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1974. La Linda Villas Project Offers 3 Floor Plans BY JACK MOTLEY Timet Stall Wrilir La Linda Villas, offering three floor plans in a 62-unit' condominium project at "5300 W. 1st St. in Santa Anaj will formally open for sales today, although 12 of the homes have already been sold during a pre-opening program.

The development is by Mail-on Builders Inc. and the financing plan on the units, which range in price from to $32,400, calls for Mailon to pay the closing costs in the package, which relieves the buyer of a large initial cash outlay. Long term financing is being provided by the Santa Ana office of United California Mortgage. Terms include a 5 down payment plan with basic interest plus 14 for Mortgage Guarantee Insurance Corp. insurance.

Private Patio The single-story homes will offer a choice of two or three bedrooms, one or two baths and garages. Each unit is designed with a private, enclosed patio with gas barbecue. Garage doors have automatic door openers. The dwellings, are going up in clusters and the developer said that landscaped greenbelt areas will separate the clusters. "Features of the homes," Mailon Builders said, "include of those which have now become standard in most new homes, such as carpeting, draperies, forced air heating, Please Turn to Page 23, Col.

1 state Broadwoy store containing 160,000 roadway to Open $40 Million Puente Hills Mall Facility Will Be First of Center's Four Major Anchor Stores BY DICKTURPIN, Times Real Estate Editor certainties generated by the energy crisis," said Herbert L. Aist, publisher. "But despite these factors, housing sales in the Los An-geles-Palos Verdes area performed relatively well. We can expect them to pick up still further as economic conditions stabilize, and the improved sales performance of many projects as of mid-January indicates this. "There has recently been great concern regarding the potential overbuilding of con- Monday at Puente Hills Mall.

The Hahn organization, one of the nation's largest building firms, is the center's general contractor and will manage the complex for the joint venture Estimated annual payroll fof the complex is $15 million and market area studies project sales of more than $75 million for the first full year of operation, the developers said. Gruen Associates designed the X-shaped center with one of the four major stores located Please Turn to Page 27, CoL 1 Lush landscaping created by Dudley Trudgett of Los Angeles includes large existing trees, specimen shrubs and colorful flowers. Arbors, fountains and ponds in interior courtyards add to the peaceful, country-like setting. Each of the condominium floor plans features separate dining areas, private balconies and shag carpeting in a choice of colors. Bedrooms have double mirror doors on wardrobes and walk-in closets.

The General-Electric buf- Please Turn to Page 20, CoL 1 I I and land. Robinson's, Sears and Penney stores will open in that order. When fully operational, permanent jobs will be created at the mall with seasonal increases running to more than 2,500. Its developers are Ernest W. Hahn Hawthorne-based contractors and commercial developers, and Western Harness Racing owners of the site.

Highlands Homes Feature Panoramic Views of Valley Aist pointed out that "projects which do not cater to consumers' specific preferences have, on the other hand, not been selling well. "Arid in between the good' performers and the poor ones there are still tremendous voids where builders are not perceiving or satisfying existing demand, while overbuilding limited markets," he concluded. Going through the survey's results sector by sector, Aist said the focus- of new housing activity was in the sector encompassing Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles, Culver City. Pacific Palisades and Santa Monica. The survey covered 72 projects in this sector, all but two of them condominium complexes, including 14 condominium projects which were under construction and did not begin sales during the quarter.

Total inventory in the 58 active projects was 2,038 units, 745 completed but unsold, and 1,293 under construction. The 58 active projects recorded 556 units sold, an average weekly sales rate of Please Turn to Page 12, Col. 3 Event Will Honor Five Engineers From Li. Area Five Los Angeles area engineers" will be honored Friday at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in a banquet which will be the highlight of this year's National Engineers Week. They are Robert V.

Phillips, general manager and chief engineer of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power; Ernest C. Hillman president, Biddison Loevenguth, consulting structural engineers; Alfred L. Himelhoch, deputy district director of systems operations, California Department of Transportation. Also, Roberta J. Nichols, technical staff, Aerospace and William T.

Wheeler, president, Wheeler Gray, consulting civil and structural engineers. George Washington Award Phillips, who has been named Engineer of the Year, will receive the George Washington Award. He has been with the DWP since 1939 and has been credited with the preservation of the eastern High Sierra watershed which is now a sanctuary for wildlife. He also directed an analysis of energy that resulted in a report of the city's energy sources and demands. He lives in Arcadia.

Hillman has devoted much of his career to the structural design of more than 1,500 educational buildings. After the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, he assisted in inspection of damage to schools in the Los Angeles District. He Please Turn to Page 28, CoL 1 Oakbrook Highlands opens the first 42 of an eventual 173 homes today in Thousand Oaks, overlooking the Conejo Valley. The entire 40.8-acre project has been planned to take as full advantage as possible of the views of the valley from the elevation on which the homes are built, according to Jon Hedberg, executive vice One of Southern California's largest commercial enterprises opens the first of its four major anchor stores at 9 a.m. Monday to launch a series of retail openings.

Puente Hills Mall, described by its builders as the San Gabriel Valley's retailing "supercenter," makes its debut on a 94-acre site on the south side of the Pomona Freeway, at Azusa in the City of Industry. The lead-off- store is a are irrigated and maintained for the property owner." A homeowners association has been organized to take care of the development's common areas. Four model homes, furnished and decorated by Laura Merlo Associates of Newport Beach, are open daily from 10 a.m. to dusk at 1690 Woodside Drive, under the direction of Kurth Associates, exclusive sales agent. All garages are equipped with Stanley automatic door openers with two transmitter units, solid state components, automatic reverse action, a-built-in 2-minute light delay and control from either the house or car.

"Since the new models of cars will require that seat and shoulder belts be secured before the car can be started," Hedberg pointed out, "this means that owners can put their cars away without having to stop, unbuckle, get out and open the door, get back into the car, buckle up again and finally drive in.M Also offered are options which Hedberg said are not normally included in the sales price. For instance, custom-built swimming pools California Pools Inc. can be financed through the mortgage, Please Turn fo Page 13, CoL 1 Broadway, a three-level, structure. Opening at the same time will be a two-level, enclosed and air-conditioned mall, eventually connecting the anchor stores and the 163 fashion, accessory and specialty shops. The mall, when completed next spring, will contain nearly 1.4 million square feet of business space, representing an investment of about $40 million in construction, fixtures OPENING TODAY Artist's 4 BEVERLY Sixty condominium homes at four Beverly Hills locations will be introduced today by Lincoln Property with two furnished models on display at a single location, 9181 Beverly Blvd.

Valued at more than $4.3 million, the developments feature one bedroom, one bedroom plus den, two bedrooms and two bedrooms plus den. Prices start at $49,500. The condominiums are located at 9181 Beverly Blvd. and at 403, 406 and 429 N. Oakhurst Drive.

All lots include landscaped rear slopes that are irrigated and maintained for the property owner conception of new Beverly Hills condominium development. HILLS PROJECTS BOW president of Hollyfed the developer, a subsidiary of First Federal Savings and 'Loan Assn. of Hollywood. "We are calling them 'panoramic view' lots, because almost all the families who purchase a home will have a view of the valley below," he said. The houses will be both one-story and two-story styles, with three and four bedrooms, priced from $36,200 to $50,500 on conventional financing.

Each of the four floor plans is offered in three different elevations. The houses were designed by Richard Bild of Encino. Landscaping of the entire project was directed by Nurseries of Woodland Hills. "There are many especially attractive and different features included in the price of the homes," Hedberg said. "For instance, all lots include landscaped rear slopes that BY LOU DESSER TimM Staff Writtr There are 15 homes' at each location.

Two of the condominium projects have been designated, adults only; the remaining two combine family and adult living. First move-ins are promised within 30 to 45 days. Redwood siding creates a warm and natural feeling to the contemporary design of the three-story buildings. Architects were Ehud Feld-man AIA and Associates of Los Angeles..