Fisherman’s Village fate clouded with doubt

MARINA DEL REY— As an eerie Friday afternoon marine layer hovers over the New England-esque shopping district known as Fisherman’s Village, Plinio “PJ” Garcia’s outlook of the village rolls heavy with concern and hesitant hope. “If you’re a tourist, everyone thinks Fisherman’s Village is what American fisherman are all about,” he explained. “If I were European I would look at this place and say ‘How do we make this nicer?’ Not how do we redevelop it.” On Saturdays and Sundays, jazz, salsa and rock bands draw crowds to the site, hundreds of people line the walkways and, according to Garcia, 50 to 60 tourists between flights arrive on buses which stop frequently in front of the village’s parking lot. But the weekdays are hit or miss as tourists bypass the waterfront shopping center for more revitalized destinations. A look back     Marina del Rey, the unincorporated seaside village, which was formally dedicated in 1965, is home to more than 6,000 boats. The same year it opened, Fisherman’s Village became a bustling spot for tourists, boaters and patrons seeking a place to shop and a bite to eat. Through the years, the village has endured the typical wear-and-tear and transient tenants. While owned by the county, the...