---
[ NEIGHBORHOOD ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics)
# City Of Hawthorne Announces Lawsuit Against Owner Of Defunct Mall
December 13 2021
Written by 2urbangirls.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
SOUTH OF THE 10 - From the city of Hawthorne: *For decades the Hawthorne Mall has become a shell of a gutted building, hosting illegal dumping, graffiti, homeless encampments, hazardous conditions and activities threatening the health, safety, and peace of the community.*
*For years, the City of Hawthorne has attempted to obtain the Mall’s owner’s cooperation to remedy the property, only to be met with broken promises of development and an ongoing large-scale illegal parking rental business in the Mall’s parking lots since 2018.*
*With on-going neighborhood complaints and blatant violations of law the owner allows on the Hawthorne Mall, the City was forced to file a nuisance abatement action against the owner in an effort to get relief for the community.*
The residents were happy to hear the news.
“It’s about time,” said Martha Valenzuela.
“This is a good start and let’s hope we can get this piece of land used for something better,” said Rakesh Patel.
The roughly 1-million-square-foot mall, filed plans with the city in late 2016 to begin work on a $500 million overhaul, starting with a new $25 million office building. Plans were for a movie theater, gym, bowling alley, and many shops, offices and homes. Those plans never materialized.
For more than a decade, Arman Gabay, a Charles Co. managing partner, has repeatedly brought plans forward to the city for development projects that never materialized. He has [blamed city leaders in the past for blocking high numbers of proposed apartments](https://www.dailybreeze.com/2008/06/22/mall-makeover-mired-in-debate/) at the site.
Arman Gabay was [arrested](https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/real-estate-developer-arrested-federal-bribery-case) in 2018 on federal bribery charges.
Click the link to learn more about the City’s lawsuit – [https://bit.ly/3dDbcPu](https://bit.ly/3dDbcPu?fbclid=IwAR0zF1C6j62XvjCxtxvBiWwZm0E2PWg35gowLjg4cov4KbhbetGHlp5LWIQ)
*(2UrbanGirls has been cited in CityWatchLA, Compton Herald, Daily Breeze, Daily News, Inglewood Today, Intersections South LA, KCRW, KPCC, Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, LA Watts Times, Mercury News, Orange County Register and The Atlantic.)*
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/115 "Brian Goldsmith Vertical R. Col")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/114 "McKinney Campaign")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Phone
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/113 "Rhonda Haymon campaign")
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/component/banners/click/110 "Something You Should Know")
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)
### [Prosecutor, Democrat, City Attorney? McKinney Makes His Case to Los Angeles Voters](https://mail.citywatchla.com/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)
ELECTION 2026 - The race for LA City Attorney has been laced with political accusations and allegations that when close…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33595-the-firms-that-never-lose-inside-la-countys-4-billion-settlement-machine)
### [The Firms That Never Lose: Inside LA County's $4 Billion Settlement Machine](https://mail.citywatchla.com/voices/33595-the-firms-that-never-lose-inside-la-countys-4-billion-settlement-machine)
THE NAVARRO REPORT - Los Angeles County has paid, or promised to pay, nearly $5 billion to resolve childhood sexual abu…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/election-2024/33608-karen-bass-is-collapsing-but-does-los-angeles-know-what-its-getting-with-nithya-raman)
### [Karen Bass Is Collapsing But Does Los Angeles Know What It’s Getting With Nithya Raman?](https://mail.citywatchla.com/election-2024/33608-karen-bass-is-collapsing-but-does-los-angeles-know-what-its-getting-with-nithya-raman)
THE BOTTOM LINE - Bass is hemorrhaging voter confidence. But rejecting the incumbent and embracing Raman’s political ag…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)
### [The Fools’ Blame Game](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)
THE VIEW FROM HERE - Angelenos do not use elections to plot a wiser course of conduct for Los Angeles, but rather they…
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)
### [California Film Tax Credits Aren’t Enough. The Guilds Need to Change Too.](https://mail.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)
LONNIE’S VIEW - California used to be the center of the movie and television universe. If you wanted to make movies, yo…
---
## [ NEIGHBORHOOD ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33612-what-if-the-other-driver-has-little-or-no-insurance)### [What If the Other Driver Has Little or No Insurance?](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33612-what-if-the-other-driver-has-little-or-no-insurance)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33607-venice-braces-for-a-global-spotlight-park-discusses-fifa-el-nino-and-the-2028-olympics)### [Venice Braces for a Global Spotlight: Park Discusses FIFA, El Niño and the 2028 Olympics!](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33607-venice-braces-for-a-global-spotlight-park-discusses-fifa-el-nino-and-the-2028-olympics)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33553-moving-in-winter-how-to-plan-around-cold-ice-and-short-days)### [Moving in Winter: How to Plan Around Cold, Ice, and Short Days](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33553-moving-in-winter-how-to-plan-around-cold-ice-and-short-days)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33516-if-your-family-were-being-stalked-who-would-protect-you)### [If Your Family Were Being Stalked, Who Would Protect You?](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33516-if-your-family-were-being-stalked-who-would-protect-you)
[  ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33523-progressive-vs-pragmatist-erickson-goldsmith-draw-battle-lines-in-lively-senate-contest)### [ “Progressive vs. Pragmatist? Erickson & Goldsmith Draw Battle Lines in lively Senate Contest”](https://mail.citywatchla.com/neighborhood-politics/33523-progressive-vs-pragmatist-erickson-goldsmith-draw-battle-lines-in-lively-senate-contest)