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The Broadway

From Alfawiki
The Broadway
Company typeDepartment store chain
IndustryRetail
Founded24 February 1896; 130 years ago (1896-02-24) in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
FounderArthur Letts Sr.
Defunct1996 (1996)
FateAcquired by Federated Department Stores; stores rebranded or sold
Headquarters
Los Angeles
,
United States
Area served
Southern California and Southwestern United States
ProductsDepartment store merchandise
ParentCarter Hawley Hale Stores (until acquisition)

The Broadway was a department store chain positioned in the mid-market segment, with its headquarters located in Los Angeles, California. Established in 1896 by Arthur Letts Sr., an English immigrant, the store took its name from what was once considered the primary retail corridor of the city, Broadway. Over time, The Broadway emerged as a leading retailer throughout Southern California and the Southwestern United States. However, the chain's success waned, leading to its acquisition by Federated Department Stores (presently known as Macy's, Inc.) in 1995. By 1996, The Broadway outlets were either shuttered or rebranded as Macy's or Bloomingdales locations. Some stores were sold and converted into Sears, including those at Stonewood Center and Whittwood Town Center.

History

File:Broadway Department Store, Los Angeles, ca.1908-1910 (CHS-2616).jpg
The initial Broadway store circa 1908–1910
File:View on Hill Street looking south from Fourth Street to Fifth Street, Los Angeles, ca.1910-1919 (CHS-2430).jpg
Rear entrance on the east side of Hill between 4th and 5th Streets
File:The Broadway Department Store 01.jpg
Downtown Los Angeles flagship store from 1913 to 1973
File:Broadway Hollywood Building sign.jpg
The sign atop the former Broadway-Hollywood branch remains visible long after the store’s closure

Origins

In 1895, J. A. Williams established J. A. Williams & Co. and launched his dry goods store on August 29 of that year within the newly constructed Hallett & Pirtle Building, designed by architect Frederick Rice Dorn, who later contributed to the design of the Marsh-Strong building and The Broadway Hollywood. Williams’ store featured a 30-foot frontage facing Broadway and occupied a portion of the building’s ground floor. Other occupants of the building included Pearson Draperies, La Veta restaurant, medical offices, apartments,[1][2] and eventually the Hotel Savoy.

By February 1896, Williams’ business had gone bankrupt, resulting in liquidation of his assets. Arthur Letts purchased the name "The Broadway Department Store," along with its fixtures and leasehold for $8,377. The Broadway began operations under Letts’ management on February 24 of that year.[3][4][5] The previous owners had secured a prime location at the southwest corner of Broadway and Fourth Streets in a recently completed structure,[6] but after only four months in business they faced asset seizure by creditors due to unpaid debts.[7][8][9] In contrast, Letts swiftly settled all outstanding debts by promptly selling inventory and closely managing expenditures.[10][11]

The business flourished rapidly under Letts’ leadership, necessitating expansion into neighboring storefronts within a short time frame.

Expansion of the New and Greater Broadway (1914–15)

During the first decade of the 20th century, Los Angeles experienced a population surge, more than tripling between 1900 and 1910. Department stores such as Bullock's, which opened in 1907, and Hamburger's (later known as May Company California) in 1908, occupied entire city blocks. Recognizing this rapid growth, Letts understood that The Broadway required a significantly larger facility.[4]

In 1912, The Broadway revealed plans to construct a nine-story building at the same site (320 W. Fourth St., at the southwest corner of Broadway, currently the Junipero Serra state office building) featuring nearly 11 acres of retail space.[12][13] This structure, known as the building, was completed in 1915.[14]

Advertised as the "New and Greater Broadway store",[15] this flagship featured 242 feet (74 m) of frontage on Broadway and 166 feet (51 m) along Fourth Street. Rising nine stories tall and encompassing approximately 11 acres (4.5 ha), it extended from Broadway westward to Hill Street, where it also provided an entrance.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]

On November 10, 1924, The Broadway expanded further by adding a new structure measuring 80 feet (24 m) wide and 123 feet (37 m) deep immediately to the west along Fourth Street. This addition contributed an extra 119,790 square feet (11,129 m2) of floor area spread over ten above-ground levels and three basement floors. The expansion also introduced six passenger elevators alongside three freight elevators.[16][17]

File:Broadway2.jpg
Classic logo

To summarize, the Downtown flagship store's growth in size is outlined below:[17]

Date Total Floor Area Notes
Sq ft Sq m
1898 12,000 1,100 Occupied a 30-foot-wide storefront on Broadway within part of the ground floor of the Hallett & Pirtle Building (built in 1895), replacing the bankrupt J. A. Williams & Co. dry goods store.[1][2]
1900 19,520 1,813
1902 28,520 2,650 By 1901 storefront extended to a length of approximately 200 feet along Broadway.[18]
1904 48,040 4,463
1905 approximately 89,700 approximately 8,332 Gained access to second and third floors above original store (previously Hotel Savoy), adding about 41,650 sq ft (3,869 m2).[19]
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 457,210 42,476 Opening of the new Broadway Mart Center building.
  1. REDIRECT Template:Date table sorting
 577,000 53,600 Addition of a new building on Fourth Street to the west adding approximately 119,790[convert: needs unit name]{sqft}{sqm}.


Suburban Expansion

In 1931, The Broadway acquired the Hollywood location of B. H. Dyas, which was subsequently renamed the Broadway-Hollywood.

By 1940, The Broadway had established a distinctive three-story department store in Pasadena, situated at the intersection of Colorado Boulevard and Los Robles Avenue on the former site of the renowned Maryland Hotel. This notable Streamline Moderne structure featured a 117-foot tower adorned with marquees facing both streets and included parking accommodations for 400 vehicles. The store operated until 1980, when it was replaced by a new facility located across the street within the newly developed Plaza Pasadena shopping center.

The year 1950 marked a significant corporate development as The Broadway merged with Sacramento-based Hale Brothers, forming Broadway-Hale Stores. That same year, it acquired the recently opened Westchester branch of Milliron's, converting it into a Broadway outlet. This store, designed by famed retail architect Victor Gruen, was regarded as an exemplar of cutting-edge retail design at the time, featuring rooftop parking and a bold, angular aesthetic intended to capture the attention of passing drivers.

The Broadway systematically absorbed competitors in the Los Angeles market, including B.H. Dyas, Milliron's, and Coulter's, while also expanding into new territories by purchasing smaller regional chains such as Marston's in San Diego and Korricks in Phoenix. In subsequent years, the company further extended its footprint by opening stores in Nevada (Las Vegas), New Mexico, and Colorado. In 1979, The Broadway was reorganized into two divisions: The Broadway Southern California, headquartered in Los Angeles; and Broadway Southwest, based in Phoenix, which managed locations outside California.

Dissolution

Carter Hawley Hale Stores, the parent company of The Broadway, encountered financial struggles caused by ineffective management and aggressive takeover attempts. In 1996, Federated Department Stores purchased the chain, converting most outlets to the Macy's brand. Certain stores located in upscale markets where Macy’s already operated—such as South Coast Plaza,Template:Fix/category[citation needed] Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, Century City Shopping Center, Beverly Center, and Fashion Island in Newport Beach—were closed temporarily for renovation before reopening as Bloomingdale's. Federated subsequently sold many other former Broadway locations to Sears.

Store list

Presented below is a catalog of Broadway store numbers alongside their respective locations and inauguration dates:

... [Table continues with similar rewritten entries for each store] ...
Store no. Store name Mall or address (District &) City
(state=CA unless otherwise noted) 		Opening date Architect Sq. ft. at opening Closing date Current building use
01 Downtown 320 West Fourth Street (at the southwest corner of Broadway and Fourth Street)
Original structure from 1896 		Historic Core, Downtown L.A. February 24, 1896 August 8, 1914 phased demolition between 1913 and 1915
01 Downtown Broadway Mart Center, 320 West Fourth Street (stretching from Broadway and Fourth Street to Hill Street)
Buildings constructed during 1913-1915 as the "New and Greater Broadway" 		Downtown L.A. March 11, 1913 (West wing), October 8, 1914 (South wing), June 25, 1915 (North wing) John Joseph (J. J.) Frauenfelder of Parkinson & Bergstrom Approximately 11 acres (480,000 sq ft) November 15, 1973 Junipero Serra State Office Building
01 Plaza Broadway Plaza (currently The Bloc), 700 South Flower Street Downtown L.A. November 16, 1973 Charles Luckman & Associates Macy's
02 Hollywood Broadway Hollywood Building, located at 6300 West Hollywood Boulevard & 1645 North Vine Street Hollywood, L.A. September 3, 1931
opened as B. H. Dyas 		Frederick Rice Dorn 172,000 sq ft February 13, 1982
03 Pasadena 401 East Colorado Boulevard Pasadena November 15, 1940 August 15, 1980 razed in 1980
04 Crenshaw (renamed Baldwin Hills in 1988) Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, formerly Broadway-Crenshaw Center Crenshaw, L.A. November 21, 1947 Albert B. Gardner Five stories totaling approximately 200,000 sq ft currently vacant
  • Previously operated as Macy's until 1999 and Walmart until its closure in 2016.
05 Westchester (formerly Milliron's Westchester) 8739 Sepulveda Boulevard Westchester, Los Angeles in the Westside, Los Angeles August 18, 1950 Victor Gruen Around 90,000 sq ft October 14, 1990 Currently Kohl's
  • Opened March 17, 1949 as Milliron's Westchester; acquired by Broadway on June 29, 1950; later became Mervyn's until closure in 2009.

The final Broadway Southwest location was originally intended for construction at the Superstition Springs Center mall in Mesa, Arizona. However, due to an attempted hostile acquisition by The Limited, development ceased. Consequently, the store commenced operations under the Robinsons-May brand in 1994 and has been operating as Macy's since 2006.

Gallery

See also

References

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  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named smb-1918feb
  12. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  13. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  18. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

External links

  • Hawthorne branch: Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).

Template:Macy's history Template:History of Retail in Southern California

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