Today in the IE

Years and years after the mule cars in Ontario, there are other things going on in the Inland Empire.

Louis Brewster reported that my auto club, rather than working on things that benefit me directly, is spending some of my dues (at least $50 million) to rename the California Speedway. Get ready for the Auto Club Speedway of Southern California.

And there's more news from Montclair. When I moved to California in 1983, Montclair Plaza was a single story mall with three department stores. A few years later, it became a two-story mall with five department stores. Now, in the name of progress, it will become a four department store mall.

Montclair Plaza's general manager provided more details on Thursday of the mall's ongoing expansion, including the planned demolition of the former Macy's building, the remodeling of the food court and possible plans for the surrounding property....

Much of the wall paneling at the south end has been removed to reveal the skeletal steel frame of the second floor added in the 1980s during the 40-year-old mall's first major renovation. The current work is expected to be completed by the holiday season.

And, of course, people dream about attracting higher-end businesses to the area.

The mall is undergoing renovations that will bring a different, more upscale atmosphere to its interior spaces, with wood-like flooring, "dramatic" lighting, red and blue tiling, new columns, glass railings, and soft furniture, among other new features, said General Manager Larry Martin....

Officials hope the remodeling, the destruction of the Macy's building and plans for more higher-end shops will attract more shoppers.

Personally, I don't expect the Rodeo Drive shops to relocate to Montclair en masse. But maybe the mall will get a Rubio's out of the deal.

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