Apple again rumored to turn LA landmark into retail store

Posted:
in General Discussion edited May 2016
A report on Wednesday claims Apple looking to build a new Apple Store at the Tower Theater site in Los Angeles, a designated historic-cultural monument in the city's famed Broadway Theater District.




Citing a source familiar with the matter, the Los Angeles Business Journal reports Apple is currently negotiating a retail lease for the nearly 90-year-old property located at 800 S. Broadway. Rumors of Apple's interest in the Broadway Theater District have persisted for months, though the company has not formally disclosed intent to move in.

Built in 1927, the Tower Theater with its Renaissance Revival facade and Paris Opera House-inspired interior would make for a posh Apple Store. It is not clear how much space Apple is looking to lease, but the publication estimates the main theater to span roughly 7,500 square feet, while another 7,500 square feet covers the basement.

The structure also contains commercial space for smaller vendors, though previous reports suggest Apple is looking to field a larger flagship outlet in the area. In 2014, unconfirmed reports said Apple was looking to transform Broadway Trade Center, a former department store just across the street from Tower Theater, into a multi-use "campus" with both office and retail space.

If and when Apple opens up shop in L.A.'s storied theater district, the arrival could spark renewed interest in an area that has slowly deteriorated over the years. The main drag, S. Broadway, was once bristling with shops run by major retailers, but many storefronts now lay vacant. Previously, potential commercial owners ran into complications regarding modifications to landmarks designated by the city's Cultural Heritage Commission, a division of L.A.'s planning department. Tower Theater is protected under city ordinance, while the surrounding Broadway corridor is a National Register Historic District.

In 2008, however, Los Angeles City Councilmember Jos? Huizar launched the "Bringing Back Broadway" campaign to strike a balance between historical preservation and local revitalization. The project helped create and institute city Historic Commercial Reuse Guidelines in 2013, a set of rules designed to foster commercial development while safely reactivating historic buildings.

Apple has a penchant for opening retail outlets at notable historic sites. For example, the company took over the MacArthur Chambers building in Brisbane, Australia in 2011, a 1930s era structure used by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur in World War II.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    dick applebaumdick applebaum Posts: 12,527member

    Mmm ...

    In the late 1950's I worked for a toy distributor at their headquarters near 8th and Main -- less than a block away from the Tower Theater.   It was a pretty seedy area back then.

    It'd be great if that area got revitalized ...  Everything old is new again!

    FMYSTBAOTHTOIIGTHTFAFOF ...  Now there's an acronym!


  • Reply 2 of 7
    foggyhillfoggyhill Posts: 4,767member

    Kind of weird that they're talking about this area falling appart like its something recent, it's been that way at least since the 1980s (and probably before).
    It was even like that when Blade Runner filmed in the Bradbury Building.
    If anything, its much better now than 20-30 years ago.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    It is still a little sketchy around there, but seeing what the Ace Hotel down the street has done with the United Artists theater, I'd say that the "Bringing Back Broadway" campaign may finally be getting some traction. If I had a few megabucks to invest in real estate, I'd definitely be looking at areas like this and Little Tokyo in DTLA.
  • Reply 4 of 7

    Mmm ...

    In the late 1950's I worked for a toy distributor at their headquarters near 8th and Main -- less than a block away from the Tower Theater.   It was a pretty seedy area back then.

    It'd be great if that area got revitalized ...  Everything old is new again!

    FMYSTBAOTHTOIIGTHTFAFOF ...  Now there's an acronym!


    OK, I give up...what is that acronym supposed to mean? I think I need a GTA (Guide To Acronyms).  :p
  • Reply 5 of 7
    dick applebaumdick applebaum Posts: 12,527member

    Mmm ...

    In the late 1950's I worked for a toy distributor at their headquarters near 8th and Main -- less than a block away from the Tower Theater.   It was a pretty seedy area back then.

    It'd be great if that area got revitalized ...  Everything old is new again!

    FMYSTBAOTHTOIIGTHTFAFOF ...  Now there's an acronym!


    OK, I give up...what is that acronym supposed to mean? I think I need a GTA (Guide To Acronyms).  p
    Its how you navigate the main streets in downtown LA:

    From Main you Spring to Broadway;

    And over the Hill to Olive;

    Isn’t it Grand to Hope

    to find a Flower on Figueroa!


    LA has a railroad called Angel's Flight that goes exactly 1 block ...  Look it up on Apple Maps.

    edited May 2016 pte appleroundaboutnow
  • Reply 6 of 7
    This store would close it's doors within a year with the theft and robbery. Imagine walking out of the store with a white plastic apple bag filled with macbook and other apple gear and immediately be targeted by the nasty crap on those streets. No thanks. Build a store in South Park in the soon to be built Fig Center across from the staples center.
  • Reply 7 of 7

    Mmm ...

    In the late 1950's I worked for a toy distributor at their headquarters near 8th and Main -- less than a block away from the Tower Theater.   It was a pretty seedy area back then.

    It'd be great if that area got revitalized ...  Everything old is new again!

    FMYSTBAOTHTOIIGTHTFAFOF ...  Now there's an acronym!


    OK, I give up...what is that acronym supposed to mean? I think I need a GTA (Guide To Acronyms).  p
    Its how you navigate the main streets in downtown LA:

    From Main you Spring to Broadway;

    And over the Hill to Olive;

    Isn’t it Grand to Hope

    to find a Flower on Figueroa!


    LA has a railroad called Angel's Flight that goes exactly 1 block ...  Look it up on Apple Maps.

    I've lived in L.A. most of my life, and I've never heard that little ditty...

    And yep, I'm familiar with Angel's Flight. I have ridden it a couple of times. It's not actually in the original location, and is apparently closed (again) this time "pending resolution of a regulatory issue." 

    https://angelsflight.org/
Sign In or Register to comment.