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Frank Lowy's shopping center company, Westfield America, is trying to end its association with the World Trade Centre site in New York. Westfield America, a real estate trust, has a lease over the retail space, all of which was destroyed on September 11, 2001. It is entitled to have those shops rebuilt but a property industry source says it is unhappy with the plans for the site, which include the creation of the world's tallest tower to replace the twin towers. Westfield paid $US127 million ($222 million) for a 99-year lease on the retail area beneath the towers in May 2001. It is now a party to a $US3 billion insurance claim and so far has received $US17.3 million. Westfield does not believe the lead architect, Daniel Libeskind, took the needs of retailers and shoppers into account when he planned the so-called Freedom Tower, to replace the World Trade Centre towers. As the second anniversary of the attack looms, the debate over what should be built at Ground Zero has intensified.
with the 95th CST being involved (makes sense as that is their AOR).
San Francisco area (key elements of real-world emergencies and major critical incidents at various scenario sites in Alameda,Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties
Westfield Southcenter, formerly known as Southcenter Mall, is a shopping mall located in Tukwila, Washington, USA. It is currently anchored by JC Penney, Macy's, Nordstrom, and Sears and owned by the Westfield Group. A Rainforest Cafe is also at the mall. It is the largest shopping center in Washington and the Pacific Northwest.
November 2008 shooting On November 22, 2008, one person was killed and one person was injured during an apparent gang-related shooting inside the mall's first floor.[9] The shooting occurred after two groups of people got into a fist fight. In the hours after the shooting, the mall was locked down while police searched for the suspect, but the 21-year-old suspect, Barry L. Saunders Jr. was not found. On November 26, Saunders was arrested in Portland, Oregon.[10] Saunders initially claimed that he was acting in self-defense, attempting to help his brother during the fight.[11] On December 14, 2010, the Seattle Times reported that he pled guilty to charges of second-degree murder and second-degree assault.[12] He was sentenced on February 4, 2011 to 17 years in prison.
Annapolis Mall, officially known as Westfield Annapolis, is a shopping mall owned by the Westfield Group that is located near the junction of U.S. Route 50 and Interstate 97 in Annapolis, Maryland. Its major stores include Forever 21 (formerly Garfinckel's, then Borders Books and Music), Macy's (formerly Hecht's), Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, Sears (formerly Montgomery Ward), JCPenney, and Bow Tie Cinema (formerly Crown Theatres).
en.wikipedia.org...
2006 shooting On Saturday, November 18, 2006, an off duty United States Secret Service agent was at the mall when he witnessed a fight in progress in the food court. During the attempt to break up the fight, one of the combatants pulled a gun and fired at the agent, wounding him. The agent returned fire, hitting the shooter twice. A third person was wounded in the altercation.[6][7] A Midshipman from the U.S. Naval Academy ran toward the sound of gunshots and provided first aid for the Secret Service agent. That Midshipman later received the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.[8] The mall was closed shortly after the incident, with all patrons asked to leave over the public address system.
An off-duty U.S. Secret Service agent was shot after he intervened in a fight in a crowded shopping mall food court Saturday evening, and he returned fire with his service weapon, wounding the shooter, police said.
www.nbcnews.com...
Katy Dickey, a spokeswoman for the Westfield Group — a large shopping chain with centers in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., the U.S. and Brazil, but are not owners of Westgate — told NBC News that "safety of our shoppers is paramount and always a priority." She declined to disclose specific information about "security deployments, levels or methods."
www.katu.com...
VANCOUVER, Wash. – One man believes he's within his rights to openly carry a gun in a mall, but almost two months after the Clackamas Town Center Shooting, that belief triggers an immediate gut reaction for many. But how do Derek Mendiola's rights stand up against a store's right to kick him out? Mendiola says his weapon does draw glances in public, but he says he means no harm and meant no harm at the Sears in Vancouver Westfield Shopping Center on Wednesday when he stopped in to look at some tools. He went in wearing his 9 mm Taurus pistol on his shoulder. He says he was surprised how an employee took issue with his gun and started verbally attacking him for having it. "For somebody to harass me for just following my rights is a pretty big deal. It's just like telling me, I can't breathe air, I can’t live," he said. He claims he would have been perfectly happy to leave if he'd simply been asked politely to do so. He said he wears it outside his clothing because "if you have it tucked in, it's considered concealed and then if you don't have a concealed permit that is illegal."
OAKLAND (CBS SF) — Oakland Mayor Mean Quan said Friday that a disaster preparedness conference and training exercise that drew protests Friday evening will not take place in Oakland next year. The Urban Shield Conference, an event that brings together local, state and federal agencies as well as private equipment vendors and companies, drew several hundred protesters concerned with increasing police militarization to downtown Oakland Friday evening.