(photo courtesy of Palisades Village/Caruso)

A year and a half since the Palisades fire devastated the Pacific Palisades, a familiar piece of the community has returned. Palisades Village reopened in August following an extensive $100 million restoration, bringing shops, restaurants and community gathering spaces back to a neighborhood still navigating the long process of rebuilding.

For owner Rick Caruso, the reopening represents one piece of the recovery puzzle.

“The opening of Palisades Village is one megastep in the recovery of the Pacific Palisades, but many more to go,” he said at the reopening in August. “Today, we plant a flag. Let’s bring this community back quickly, better and more meaningful than ever before.”

The January 2025 Palisades fire displaced thousands of residents, destroyed homes and businesses and transformed large portions of the community. More than a year and a half later, rebuilding is underway across the Palisades, though many residents continue to face questions about how they will return, or if they will return at all.

Caruso sees the return of Palisades Village as a “catalyst” for those uncertain about rebuilding.

“I’m praying … that there’s going to be some sort of contagious enthusiasm for saying, ‘You know what, I may have been on the fence about rebuilding. It’s a pain in the butt to rebuild. I’ve got a lot of challenges to rebuild, but I’m going to go do it now because I feel like I’ve got a place to come. I feel like I want to be with my community again,’” Caruso said.

Caruso chief financial and revenue officer Jackie Levy pointed to other signs of progress throughout the area.

“Palisades is a rapidly returning community,” Levy said. “Palisades High, Paul Revere Middle School, Marquez Elementary and Calvary Schools have all returned to campus, over 1,000 new homes are already in construction with thousands of permits underway. It was important to us to restore the community’s center.”

Originally opened in 2018, Palisades Village was designed as a walkable town square combining retail, restaurants, entertainment and gathering spaces, similar to Caruso’s other Los Angeles-area properties, The Grove and The Americana at Brand. In the years before the fire, the Village became a regular destination for residents – a place for morning coffee, dinner, shopping, community events or simply enjoying the coastal breeze.

Restoring that sense of normalcy is now part of its purpose. But for many residents hoping to return to the Palisades, significant obstacles remain.

Asked what challenges he hears about most frequently from those attempting to rebuild, Caruso pointed to insurance.

“Insurance is at the top of the list,” he said. “So many people are hampered by their ability to get the right insurance, and I really call upon the governor, the state of California. They’ve got to go start paying out under the FAIR Plan, and let’s get people back in their homes and not arguing about a couple dollars here and there.”

Restoring businesses, restaurants and other amenities is another part of bringing the community back, he added. Caruso said he hopes the Village’s return encourages other commercial property owners to move forward.

“I’m encouraging my fellow commercial owners to lean in and open up,” he said. “They should lead the way, not follow the way. We have more than enough customers here.”

Palisades Village reopened 99% leased, with the majority of its previous tenants returning and approximately one-third of its businesses new to the property.

Returning businesses include elysewalker, Erewhon, Zimmermann, Veronica Beard and Blue Ribbon Sushi. New additions include Spacca Tutto, an Italian steakhouse from chef Nancy Silverton, as well as LESET, Violet Grey and Xirena.

Levy said the tenant mix was intentionally designed to retain the Village’s familiar character while introducing businesses not already replicated across Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Malibu and Santa Monica.

“Every decision was intentional,” he said. “We thoughtfully curated a mix of globally recognized brands, Los Angeles-based restaurants and retailers, and beloved local favorites that reflect the character of Pacific Palisades and the broader Westside community.”

Among the most notable additions is Spacca Tutto, Silverton’s first restaurant on the Westside. Levy said her decision to open in the Palisades is a vote of confidence in the community’s recovery.

“When someone like Nancy commits to this community, it’s a statement of belief in the Palisades’ future,” he said.

Bringing the Village itself back required an extensive restoration. Caruso said building interiors were gutted down to the wood, underlying materials were treated and tested by environmental engineers and the spaces were rebuilt. The property was also cleaned and repainted, and new landscaping was installed.

“We were very careful about it because we want everybody to come back and feel very safe and secure,” Caruso said.

The recovery is also personal for Caruso. He said his family lost three homes in the fire.

“Everybody went through their own sense of mourning, and at the same time, we had to be strong and say we’ve got to stand up and go lead this recovery as best we can,” he said.

Eager crowds filled Palisades Village on its opening weekend. (photo courtesy of Palisades Village/Caruso)

The Village is also resuming community programming that was a regular part of the property before the fire. The Pacific Palisades Farmers Market returned alongside weekly Kids Club activities, Mahjong and Rummikub socials, Cars & Coffee gatherings, live weekend entertainment and a monthly Giving Tuesday initiative benefiting local charities.

Recovery efforts are also continuing outside the Village. Caruso said work on a park through Steadfast LA, the nonprofit he founded after the fire, is expected to begin soon. The organization is also working to reduce homebuilding costs and support residents attempting to rebuild.

“There’s a dozen things we’re working on,” he said.

For Levy, success will ultimately look less like a grand reopening and more like a return to everyday life.

“Success is a Saturday morning in the Village that feels like it did before the fire – families at brunch, back-to-school shopping, kids on the green and a destination where personal milestones are celebrated,” Levy said. “A year from now, we want the Village to once again be the living room of the Palisades, with our tenants thriving.”

Caruso used the same metaphor when asked what role he hopes the Village will play as the community rebuilds.

“I hope it’s actually their living room,” he said. “As long as they feel at home here, then we’re doing our job.”

Palisades Village is located at 15225 Palisades Village Lane. For information, visit palisadesvillageca.com.