BROADWAY-CRENSHAW CENTER
Crenshaw and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevards
Los Angeles, California

Now considered the oldest regional shopping center in operation in the United States, BROADWAY-CRENSHAW CENTER opened in November, 1947. It straddled the Baldwin Hills and Crenshaw Manor districts of Los Angeles, on a 54 acre tract, 5 miles southwest of the center city.

The complex was originally anchored by two arch retail rivals; a 3-level (213,100 square foot), Los Angeles-based The Broadway and 4-level (263,600 square foot), Los-Angles-based May Company (a California subsidiary of St. Louis-based May Department Stores). These sat across from one another on Santa Barbara Avenue, known today as Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

In its early years, BROADWAY-CRENSHAW CENTER encompassed 550,000 square feet of retail space and included a Woolworth 5 and 10 and Vons supermarket.

In the 21st century, the shopping center's original orientation may seem strange. Storefronts were built against the sidewalks along Crenshaw Boulevard and Santa Barbara Avenue, with 13 acres of parking situated in the rear. The "parking lot in front" plan had not yet become the American shopping center design standard.

This open-air, strip center underwent a major -120 million dollar- renovation in the late 1980s. Portions were torn down and a 2-level, fully-enclosed mall structure was added to the rear of the Broadway store.

This extended over Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, to join with the May Company building on the other side of the street. Two multi-level parking garages were built, along with a 2-level (141,900 square foot) Sears.

With completion of the project in 1988, the center (which now had 850,000 leasable square feet) was renamed BALDWIN HILLS-CRENSHAW PLAZA.

In 1995, BHCP opened the nation's first Magic Johnson Theater; a 15-screen multiplex. The old Broadway department store was rebranded a Macy's in 1996. This location closed in 1999. Later, in January 2003, Walmart opened its first 3-level store in the old Broadway building.

The latest change at the mall occurred in late 2006, when the May Company store -by then under the Robinsons-May nameplate- became the second Macy's to operate in the center.

The present-day BHCP has an Albertson's supermarket and over ninety additional stores. It is owned by Chicago-based Capri Capital Investors, who acquired the complex in February 2006. Operation of BALDWIN HILLS-CRENSHAW PLAZA is handled by the Los Angeles-based Festival Companies.

Sources:

"Evolution of the Shopping Center" / Steven E. Schoenherr / history.sandiego.edu
"1959 Los Angeles Street Map" / www.californiahighways.org / Dan Faigin, webmaster
Hager Pacific press release / March 31, 2003
Hager Pacific press release / February 1, 2006
http://www.crenshawplaza.com/
http://www.festivalcos.com/
http://www.laist.com/