Comments on: “broadway is going to be all you dreamed it could be” – villaraigosa

By: rachel

rachel — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 07:20:09 +0000

brady - how long have many of the Broadway businesses been having tough times? i keep reading that Broadway demands one of the highest rents around. what would be the reason behind the bad sales there?

By: Brady Westwater

Brady Westwater — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:34:20 +0000

Most of the stores are not owned by Latinos, other than the restaurants and the wedding stores. And both of those categories are pretty safe since they have strong ethnic support. As an example, the bakery that had to leave the Jewelry Trade Building moved around the corner onto Broadway and is thriving and El Huarache Veloz which was burned out at 4th and Broadway is now doing fine next to the Rite-Aid.

But most other stores are NOT owned by Latinos and are selling Chinese imports you can buy anywhere to a Latino market, so they will likley need to change with the changing market and they are already having a hard time with their old business plan. As for Fallas Paredes, they own the building - so I think they are pretty safe there. And the new Asian Gift Store just went out of business. Partly due to poor business - until the going out of business sale - and partly because the owner was killed in a car crash in Hong Kong right when it opened.

By: Stephen Friday

Stephen Friday — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:24:09 +0000

The changes on Broadway will bring a combination of new, more upscale retailers and sprucing up existing tenants - it will be up to the building owners to decide. For example, the Metropolitan Lofts will be retaining Fallas Paredes after its conversion, as will the Arcade Building retain existing retailers.

Developers of the Judson and Chapman, has obviously decided to go more upscale, whereas Broadway Exchange Building owners are undecided at this point. Broadway will become a patchwork as it evolves - it won’t be all Hispanic or otherwise. Other lower-profile changes are happening as well, such as a new Asian gift store in this space:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fridayinla/2079303545/in/set-72157603349423762

By: Affrojuice

Affrojuice — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:11:28 +0000

from hearing city leaders talk, like Jan Perry, she does not want these stores relocated. They are just going to add new stores around the existing ones, believe me there are enough empty store fronts to make enough room for everybody.

By: george

george — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:51:16 +0000

after reading all of these comments, no one has yet to mention about the current retail stores on broadway between 3rd and 9th.

will these predominantly hispnic-owned mom and pop stores get kicked out because of gentrification? seriously, what will happen to these businesses and where will they relocate?

By: Alan Fishel

Alan Fishel — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 21:10:45 +0000

This is something that Los Angeles needs to bring back a soul to the center city. With the many new developments like Bunker Hill, South Park, Staples Center the new Union Station developments etc all add to Los Angeles becoming a �real� city again, but a city with out a center or a soul.

This project is very much needed and will be very successful if done right. The missing link is parking and getting people easily to Broadway or from the new north and south developments. The �Trolley/Streetcar� or Red Car is the link to make it all work. The line needs to serve South Park, LA Live, the Convention and Staples Center on the south with a possible extension to USC, the Coliseum and Expedition Park Complex on the south and Union Station and or the Music Center, Disney Hall and the new Grand Ave developments on the north. This way the existing parking along the way can be used with out having to take additional real estate for parking. This will give easy access to Broadway from the many events at venues along the line. Your car is parked once for a venue, then the �Red Car� can take you to or from the event with a stop off along Broadway for dinner shopping or whatever. What a Win-Win-Win for Downtown, Broadway and the people of Los Angeles.

By: Roger Christensen

Roger Christensen — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 19:06:10 +0000

The more Main and Spring morph into residential corridors the better the commercial prospects for Broadway. If only Center Theater Group, which recently developed a venue in Culver City, would add a site at one of the Broadway spaces. And please….bring on the trolley!

By: Stephen Friday

Stephen Friday — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:03:46 +0000

There you go. The ownership records are much less telling.

By: Brady Westwater

Brady Westwater — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:54:13 +0000

The Roxie is also owned by the Hellens who own the Cameo and the Arcade Theaters plus three other buildings on that block including the Broadway-Spring Arcade Building and the Jewelry Trades Building - plus the parking lots on the west side of Spring Street and the Chester Williams Buildings.

By: Stephen Friday

Stephen Friday — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:12:11 +0000

Scott, if looks as if the the long-time theaters owners of each will handle the restorations. According to the LA Tax Assessor, the Cameo and Arcade theaters are owned by the same group, and the Roxie by another - both of which have owned these properties over a decade.

We don’t have any other details.