The Broadway

The Broadway (1896–1996) was a mid-level department store chain headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1896 by English born Arthur Letts, Sr.,[1] who later went on to develop Holmby Hills, the Broadway became one of the dominant retailers in Southern California and the Southwest.

The Broadway
Department store
IndustryRetail
FateConverted to Macy's
FoundedFebruary 24, 1896 (1896-02-24)
FounderArthur Letts, Sr.
Defunct1996 (1996)
HeadquartersLos Angeles, California
ProductsClothing, footwear, bedding, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and housewares.

History
Original Broadway store as seen around 1908-1910
The 1913–1973 Downtown Los Angeles flagship store
Sign atop the former Broadway-Hollywood branch, still present today long after the store's closure

Origins

Letts started the Broadway Department Store on February 24, 1896, by purchasing the name, assets, fixtures, and the building lease from the bankrupt firm of J.A. Williams and Co. for a sum of $8377.[1][2][3] The previous owners had a good location in a recently constructed building at the southwest corner of Broadway and Fourth Streets,[4] but had all of its assets seized by their creditors for failure to pay its bills after just four short months of operations.[5][6][7] In contrast, Letts was able to pay off all of his creditors in a short period of time after acquiring the assets for the failed store by the quick sale of the same assets and by watching his expenses.[8][9]

In a short period of time, the business was doing so well, that it had to expand into adjacent store fronts.

The "New and Greater Broadway" (1914-5)

Between 1900 and 1910, the population of Los Angeles more than tripled. Bullock's, in 1907, and Hamburger's (later May Co.), in 1908, had both opened stores occupying entire city blocks. It was clear to Letts that The Broadway needed a new, much bigger building.[2]

In 1912 The Broadway announced plans new nine-story building with nearly 11 acres of floor space to be built in several phases at the same location (320 W. Fourth St., southwest corner of Broadway, now the Junipero Serra state office building). The store would have 11 passenger and 4 freight elevators; three entrances on Broadway, one on Fourth St. and one on Hill St. The architect was John Joseph (J. J.) Frauenfelder of Parkinson & Bergstrom.[10][11] with construction starting in 1913 while the current store remained in business.[9]

The first phase was to acquire space in the first three floors Clark Hotel Building along Hill St.; the hotel backed up to the Broadway's existing store. This 71,000-square-foot (6,600 m2) Hill Street "division" (wing), as it was then called, opened as a new part of the store.The departments from the southern half of the existing store along Broadway were transferred to the Hill St. space on November 3, 1913.[12][13]

Then, the southern building of the existing store complex along Broadway was demolished and the southern half of the new Broadway store was built in its place. This section (96,600 square feet (8,970 m2)) opened on August 10, 1914. Departments from the northern half of the store facing Broadway and Fourth streets were transferred into the new space.[14][15]

Finally, the northern half of the store along Broadway was removed and the northern half of the new Broadway store was built. This section opened on June 25, 1915,[16][17] though the formal inauguration was during Fashion Week on September 16, 1915.[18]

The new "New and Greater Broadway store", as it was advertised,[19] had 242 feet of storefront along Broadway and 166 feet along Fourth Street. It was 9 stories high and covered 11 acres (4.5 ha), stretching from Broadway all the way west to Hill Street, where there was also an entrance.

On November 10, 1924, The Broadway added another building, 80 foot (24 m) wide and 123 foot (37 m) deep, immediately west of the main building along Fourth Street, thus adding 119,790-square-foot (11,129 m2) of floor space over ten above-ground and three below-ground floors. It added six passenger and three freight elevators.[20][21]

In summary, the Downtown flagship store evolved in size as follows:[21]

  • 1898, 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2)
  • 1900, 19,520 square feet (1,813 m2)
  • 1902, 28,520 square feet (2,650 m2)
  • 1904, 48,040 square feet (4,463 m2)
  • 1913, 142,000 square feet (13,200 m2)
  • 1923, 457,210 square feet (42,476 m2)
  • 1924, 577,000 square feet (53,600 m2) (added 119,790-square-foot (11,129 m2) Fourth Street building)

Suburban expansion

In 1931, The Broadway bought the B. H. Dyas Hollywood store which became the Broadway-Hollywood.[22]

In 1940, The Broadway built a landmark three-story store in Pasadena, at the corner of Colorado and Paso Robles on the site of the old famous Maryland Hotel. The striking Streamline Moderne building had a 117-foot tower with a marquee facing both streets, and parking for 400 cars.[23] It would be abandoned in 1980 for a newly built store across the street in the new Plaza Pasadena mall.

In 1950, the company merged with Sacramento-based Hale Brothers to form Broadway-Hale Stores. In the same year it purchased the Milliron's Westchester store and converted it to a Broadway. The store was a considered a landmark in ultra-modern retail architecture at the time.[24][25]

The Broadway bought out competitors in Los Angeles (B.H. Dyas, Milliron's, and Coulter's), San Diego (Marston's), and Phoenix (Korrick's). In later years the Broadway opened stores in Nevada (Las Vegas), New Mexico, and Colorado. In 1979, it was split into two divisions: The Broadway Southern California, based in Los Angeles; and Broadway Southwest, headquartered in Phoenix (for the non-California stores).

Dissolution

The Broadway's parent Carter Hawley Hale Stores ran into financial difficulties which resulted from poor management decisions and hostile takeover attempts. In 1996 the chain was acquired by Federated Department Stores and the majority of locations were converted to the Macy's nameplate. Several stores in affluent areas where Macy's already had locations, South Coast Plaza, Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, Century City Shopping Center, Beverly Center, and Fashion Island Newport Beach,[26] were closed, refurbished and reopened as Bloomingdale's. Federated sold many of the remaining stores to Sears.

Store List

This is a list of the Broadway store numbers with their locations and opening dates:[27][28][29]

Store no. Store name Mall or address (District &) City
(state=CA unless stated)		 Opening date Sq. ft. at opening Closing date Current building use Notes
01 Downtown SW corner of Broadway and Fourth streets Downtown L.A. 02/24/1896 8/8/1914[15] demolished
01 Downtown 320 W. Fourth St., SW corner of Broadway and Fourth street, through to Hill St. Downtown L.A. 11/3/1913 (W.), 8/10/1914 (S.), 6/25/1915 (N.) 11/15/1973 Junipero Serra State Office Bldg.
01 Plaza Broadway Plaza (now The Bloc), 700 S. Flower St. Downtown L.A. 11/16/1973 Macy's
02 Hollywood[30] Broadway Hollywood Building, 6300 W. Hollywood Blvd. & 1645 N. Vine St. Hollywood, L.A. 3/9/1931
as B. H. Dyas		 172,000[30] 2/13/1982
03 Pasadena[23] Colorado at Los Robles Pasadena 11/15/1940[23] 08/15/1980 demolished 1980
04 Crenshaw (renamed Baldwin Hills in 1988) orig. Crenshaw Center, later Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza Baldwin Hills/ Crenshaw, L.A. 11/21/1947[31] 200,000 (5 stories)[31]
05 Westchester[25] 8739 Sepulveda Blvd. Westchester, L.A. 8/18/1950 90,000[32] 10/14/1990 Kohl's Victor Gruen, architect
opened March 17, 1949[24] as Milliron's Westchester, purchased by Broadway June 29, 1950[25]
06 Valley (renamed Panorama City)[33][34] Panorama City Shopping Center, now Panorama Mall Panorama City, S.F.V., L.A. 10/10/1955[33] 226,000[34] Walmart Broadway store and mall designed by Welton Becket and Associates, architects
07 Anaheim[35][36][37] Anaheim Plaza Anaheim 10/14/1955[37] 208,000[38] 01/31/1993 demolished, now site of power center Broadway store and mall designed by Welton Becket and Associates, architects
08 Long Beach[39] Los Altos Market Place Los Altos, Long Beach 11/14/1955
as Walker's[40]		 100,000[40] originally a Walker's, became Broadway in 1957[39]
Charles Luckman & Assoc., architects
09 Del Amo Broadway/Del Amo Shopping Center Torrance 2/16/1959
10 Wilshire 5600 Wilshire Boulevard Miracle Mile, L.A. 3/8/1960 closed 1980 demolished originally a Coulter's
11 Whittier[41] Whittwood Center Whittier 2/13/1961[41]
61 Downtown Phoenix 1 N. 1st St.[42] Phoenix, Arizona acquired 1962 1996 (a)
architect Henry C. Trost, Trost & Trost[42][43]
62 Chris-Town Chris-Town Mall, now Christown Spectrum Mall Phoenix, Arizona 8/21/1961 08/31/1992
36 Grossmont[44] Grossmont Center La Mesa, San Diego Co. 11/6/1961
as Marston's		 156,000[44] originally Marston's, rebranded Broadway in 1969
12 West Covina[45] West Covina Fashion Center, became part of what is now Plaza West Covina West Covina 8/6/1962[45]
37 Chula Vista Chula Vista Center Chula Vista 11/12/1962 Macy's originally Marston's, rebranded Broadway in 1969
13 Ventura Buenaventura Plaza, now Pacific View Mall Ventura 9/30/1963
14 Topanga Plaza Topanga Plaza Canoga Park, S.F.V., L.A. 8/24/1964
15 Century City Century City Shopping Center Century City, Westside, L.A. 10/12/1964
16 Downey Stonewood Center Downey 10/18/1965 143,400[46] 1996 Sears
17 Huntington Beach[47] Huntington Center, now Bella Terra, I-405 at Edinger Huntington Beach 11/15/1965[48] 150,000[47] demolished
18 San Bernardino[49] Inland Center San Bernardino 8/29/1966[49] 158,000[49] Charles Luckman and Associates, architects[50]
19 Boulevard Mall The Boulevard Mall Paradise, Las Vegas Valley, NV 10/17/1966
20 Bakersfield Valley Plaza Mall Bakersfield 2/27/1967 Macy's
21 Fashion Island Fashion Island Newport Beach 9/11/1967
22 Montclair[51] Montclair Plaza Montclair 8/5/1968[51] 142,000[52] Demolished 2018[51] Charles Luckman and Associates, architects
63 Biltmore Fashion Park Biltmore Fashion Park Phoenix, AZ 10/28/1968
38 Fashion Valley Fashion Valley Mission Valley, San Diego 9/8/1969
64 Scottsdale[53] Los Arcos Mall Scottsdale, AZ 10/18/1969 156,000[53] demolished
23 Riverside[54] Tyler Mall Riverside 10/12/1970[54] 156,000[54] Charles Luckman and Associates, architects
24 Orange[55] Mall of Orange, now The Village at Orange Orange 8/16/1971[55] 167,500[55] Walmart
25 Cerritos[56] Los Cerritos Center Cerritos 9/13/1971[56] 178,000[56] Macy's
26 Northridge Northridge Fashion Center Northridge, S.F.V., L.A. 10/18/1971 subdivided
27 Carson Carson Mall, renamed SouthBay Pavilion Carson 9/10/1973 9/1991 IKEA
65 Metrocenter Metrocenter N.W. Phoenix, AZ 10/22/1973
28 Puente Hills[57] Puente Hills Mall City of Industry 2/18/1974[57] 160,000[57]
29 Murray, Utah Fashion Place Murray, UT 8/5/1974 Dillard's rebranded as Weinstock's 1/30/78
66 Park Mall Park Mall Tucson, AZ 8/26/1974
30 Santa Anita Santa Anita Fashion Park Arcadia 11/11/1974[58]
31 Laguna Hills[59] Laguna Hills Mall Laguna Hills 8/4/1975[60]
32 Fox Hills[61] Fox Hills Mall Culver City 10/6/1975[61] 192,470[61]
67 Albuquerque[62] Coronado Center Albuquerque, NM 2/12/1976 159,378[62] Gordman's & Dick's Sporting Goods
33 Glendale Glendale Galleria Glendale 8/8/1976
34 Hawthorne[63] Hawthorne Plaza Hawthorne 2/12/1977 abandoned
39 UTC[64] University Towne Centre La Jolla, San Diego 10/15/1977[64] 155,000[64]
35 Sherman Oaks[65] Sherman Oaks Fashion Square Sherman Oaks, S.F.V., L.A. 11/5/1977[65] 183,000[65] Bloomingdale's
40 Thousand Oaks The Oaks Thousand Oaks 2/18/1978
42 Meadows Mall Meadows Mall Las Vegas, NV 7/31/1978
41 Brea Brea Mall Brea 10/21/1978
68 Fiesta Mall Fiesta Mall Mesa, Arizona 10/3/1979
43 Carlsbad Plaza Camino Real, now The Shoppes at Carlsbad Carlsbad 10/20/1979 Macy's
29 Pasadena[66] Plaza Pasadena, now Paseo Colorado Pasadena 8/16/1980[66] 153,000[66] was Macy's till 2013 number recycled from Utah location
44 Santa Monica Place Santa Monica Place Santa Monica 10/16/1980
45 Beverly Center Beverly Center Beverly Grove, w.L.A. 3/25/1982 Bloomingdale's
47 Horton Plaza Horton Plaza Downtown San Diego 10/4/1985
48 North County Fair North County Fair Escondido 2/13/1986
46 South Coast Plaza South Coast Plaza (Crystal Court) Costa Mesa 10/31/1986
50 Santa Barbara Santa Barbara 8/17/1990
69 Tucson Mall Tucson Mall Tucson, Arizona 7/16/1982 opened specifically as Broadway Southwest location
70 Lakewood, CO Villa Italia Mall, now Belmar Lakewood, CO 11/5/1985 1987
71 Englewood, CO Cinderella City Englewood, CO 11/5/1985 1987
72 Westminster, CO Westminster Mall Westminster, CO 10/30/1986 02/28/1996
73 Paradise Valley, AZ Paradise Valley Mall Paradise Valley, AZ 2/17/1991
  • The first location, opened in 1896, 4th and Broadway
  • The Broadway Wilshire on Miracle Mile in 1973. The branch was originally a Coulter's department store.
  • A former Broadway brach at Hawthorne Plaza
  • Broadway advertisement in December 1909

See also
  • Hawthorne branch: Gnerre, Sam (October 2010). "South Bay History: Hawthorne Plaza". South Bay Daily Breeze. Retrieved May 25, 2020.

References
  1. Groves, Martha (February 12, 1991). "The Broadway: Bright History, Uncertain Future". Los Angeles Times.
  2. Richardson, Eric (November 16, 2011). "38 Years Ago: Broadway Department Store Moved Off Namesake Street". Blogdowntown. KPCC.
  3. "City News In Brief". Los Angeles Herald. 45 (134). February 22, 1896. p. 7 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection. The stock of the Broadway store has been sold by the board of trade to Arthur Letts for the sum of $8377.
  4. "Hallett And Pirtle Block". Los Angeles Herald. 44 (115). August 4, 1895. p. 6 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection. The Superb New Broadway Structure at The Corner of Fourth Office and Mercantile Apartments of Modern Proportions The Upper Story to Be Utilized as a First Class Lodging Hotel With a Roof Garden
  5. "Grand Opening Today; Finest Store of the Kind on the Pacific Coast Designed Like "The Fair"; Eighteen Departments Will Be Maintained". Los Angeles Herald. 44 (140). August 29, 1895. p. 5 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection. The new institution will be styled J.A. Williams & Co., the members of the firm being Mr. J. A. Williams, and Mr. B.F. Overman. The place of business will be styled the Broadway Department Store, and it will occupy apartments in the Hallett & Pirtle building, at the corner of Fourth and Broadway.
  6. "A Los Angeles Failure". San Francisco Call. 79 (55). January 24, 1896. p. 3 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection. Broadway Department Store Attached by Several Creditors Yesterday.
  7. "For Sale: Stock and Fixtures of Broadway Department Store". Los Angeles Herald. 45 (125). February 13, 1896. p. 4 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection. The Creditors' Committee in the matter of J.A. Williams & Co. will receive sealed bids for the stock, fixtures and fittings of the Broadway Department Store, Pirtle Building, southwest corner Broadway and Fourth Street.
  8. "Broadway Department Store". Los Angeles Herald. 45 (135). February 23, 1896 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection. The entire stock of J.A. Williams & Co. will be placed on sale Monday, February 24th, and must be Closed Out in Thirty Days...Broadway Department Store; Arthur Letts, Assignee; Corner Fourth and Broadway.
  9. Findlay, Paul (February 1918). "How They Did It". System: The Magazine of Business. 33 (2). pp. 200–202.
  10. "Plans Out for Mammoth Store". Los Angeles Times. December 29, 1912.
  11. "Junipero Serra State Office Building", Los Angeles Conservancy
  12. "Flits without Hour's Loss: Big Department Store Moves between Days". Los Angeles Times. November 2, 1913.
  13. "Advertisement for The Broadway". Los Angeles Times. November 3, 1913.
  14. Gray, Olive (August 11, 1914). "Broadway's First Unit Attracts Thousands". Los Angeles Times.
  15. "Small Army Moves Store Contents: Broadway Department to Open in its New Quarters Tomorrow". Los Angeles Times. August 9, 1914.
  16. "Greater Broadway Department Store to Throw Open Doors Monday: Structure is Model of Safety and Possesses Conveniences of Special Merit". Los Angeles Times. June 16, 1915.
  17. "Store Doubled in Few Hours: Expansion of The Broadway Seems Feat of Magic". Los Angeles Times. June 17, 1915.
  18. "New Store to Greet Guests: Indoor Inspection Plans for the "Broadway"". Los Angeles Times. September 15, 1915.
  19. "The Up-Building of the New and Greater Broadway (advertisement)". Los Angeles Times. February 3, 1913.
  20. "Latest Features in Dept. Store Construction Here: Congestion in Main Building to be Relieved by Additions". Los Angeles Times. November 8, 1924.
  21. "Framework is now finished: Construction Started Late Last Fall: Additional Will Be Completed During July: Department Store Growth Is Consistent". Los Angeles Times. March 23, 1924. p. 91. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  22. "Broadway buys B.H. Dyas Store", Los Angeles Times, March 3, 1931, p. 1
  23. "Store to Open in Pasadena". Los Angeles Times. November 14, 1940. p. 34. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  24. "Milliron's New Store Will Open Tomorrow". Los Angeles Times. March 16, 1949.
  25. "Broadway Store Buy's Milliron's in Westchester". Los Angeles Times. June 30, 1950.
  26. Callender, Ealena (February 16, 1996). "Going Upscale : Beverly Center Broadway Will Become Bloomingdale's". Los Angeles Times.
  27. Directory of Major Malls, Listing the Most Important Existing and Planned Shopping Centers, Developers, Retailers, Markets in the United States and Canada, MJJTM Publications Corp., 1981
  28. "The Broadway", Rapid Transit Press
  29. "The Broadway", The Department Store Museum"
  30. "Dyas purchased". Los Angeles Times. March 25, 1938. p. 40. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  31. "Broadway's New Crenshaw Store to Open Today". Los Angeles Times. November 21, 1947.
  32. Appendix LAX Master Plan EIS/EIR I. Section 106 Report January 2001 Prepared for: Los Angeles World Airports, U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (PDF). PCR Services Corporation. p. 43. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
  33. "New Broadway Panorama City Store Opens". Los Angeles Times.
  34. "'Copter Takes Group To Broadway-Valley". Valley Times. October 10, 1955.
  35. "Broadway to Close Store in Anaheim Plaza Mall", Kevin Johnson, Los Angeles Times, June 20, 1992
  36. Jennifer Lowe, "Orange County`s 1st Mall Faces An Overhaul", Chicago Tribune, August 16, 1992
  37. "Anaheim Fetes New Broadway Store Opening". Los Angeles Times. October 15, 1955.
  38. "Broadway to Open Anaheim Store Today". Los Angeles. October 14, 1955.
  39. "Walker's Store in Change of Management 4". Los Angeles Times. April 13, 1957. p. 12 – via newspapers.com.
  40. "Public Hails Walker's New Store". October 16, 1955. pp. 148–150 – via newspapers.com.
  41. "Broadway Store Opens in Whittwood Center". February 14, 1961. p. 10. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  42. "The Department" official site
  43. "Korricks Department Store", Henry Trost Historical
  44. "Department Store Opens in Center". Los Angeles Times. November 12, 1961. p. 150. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  45. "2,000 Attend West Covina Store Opening". Pomona Progress Bulletin. August 7, 1962.
  46. http://www.thedowneypatriot.com/articles/looking-back-on-stonewood-center
  47. "Huntington Center to Have Air-Conditioned, Heated Mall". Long Beach Independent Press-Telegram. August 15, 1965. p. 113. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  48. "Grand Opening Slated for Huntington Center". Long Beach Independent. November 17, 1966. p. 82. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  49. "Sears Opens New Store Wednesday". San Bernardino County Sun. September 22, 1966. p. 25. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  50. "Broadway opens Monday at new Inland Center". Redlands Daily Facts. August 24, 1966. p. 4.
  51. Allen, David (April 12, 2018). "Shoppers' memories of The Broadway prove indestructible (unlike the store)". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  52. "$40 Million Montclair Plaza Under Construction". Los Angeles Times. February 25, 1968. p. 101. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  53. "Music fashion and refreshment await guests at the opening of the latest Broadway department store in Los Arcos…". Arizona Republic. October 12, 1969. p. 187. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  54. "New Broadway Riverside is Store Within Store". Los Angeles Times. October 11, 1970. p. 25 (E-21). Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  55. "$30 Million Shopping Center Set in Orange". Los Angeles Times. February 22, 1970. Retrieved 21 June 2019.
  56. "Store opens". Sacramento Bee. September 13, 1971. p. 20. Retrieved May 26, 2020.
  57. "Broadway to Open $40-million Puente Hills Mall". Los Ángeles Times. February 17, 1974.
  58. "Advertisement for The Broadway". Los Angeles Times. November 10, 1974.
  59. "10th Buffum's to be introduced". Los Angeles Times. September 2, 1973.
  60. "Advertisement for Opening Day Sale starting august 4, 1975". Los Angeles Times. August 3, 1975.
  61. "Fox Hills Mall Stats, Fox Hills Mall advertising supplement". Los Angeles Times. October 5, 1975.
  62. "The Broadway: a chain on the move". Albuquerque Journal. February 15, 1976. pp. 46, 66. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  63. Gnerre, Sam (October 2010). "South Bay History: Hawthorne Plaza". South Bay Daily Breeze. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  64. "Broadway's 44th store to open in La Jolla center", The Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep 1977,Page 129
  65. "Newest Broadway Store Opens in Sherman Oaks". Valley News. November 10, 1977. p. 35. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  66. "New Broadway in Pasadena Rising". Los Angeles Times. April 20, 1980. p. 157. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.