Sometimes you’ve got to go with the word “resplendent.” That’s the only adjective that works for the Americana at Brand.

The Americana is an environment of faux-gold sculpture, piped-in music, nostalgia architecture and a main street named not for some hero but for a deliverer of mass consumption, billionaire developer Rick Caruso. The mall has helped put Glendale back on the map, a return on investment after the city used eminent domain to obtain much of the land. The city ended up with 15.5 acres downtown — then handed them over for no charge to Caruso.

The council and mayor now are considering Caruso’s proposal to expand Americana at Brand with another 60,000 to 140,000 square feet of retail space, more landscaping and another plaza. But standing in Caruso’s way are two private properties that stick like a finger into the Americana’s large footprint.

&#8226 CLICK HERE to read the L.A. Weekly story.