BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE (DEL AMO)
West Carson Street and Hawthorne Boulevard
Torrance, California

The Los Angeles-based Bullock's Realty Company developed a 57-acre site directly north of DEL AMO CENTER as an open-air shopping venue. This was the third BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE in Southern California. In order of their completion, these were BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE (Santa Ana) [1958], BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE (Sherman Oaks) [1962], BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE (Del Amo) [1966] and BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE (La Habra) [1968].

Fifteen BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE (Del Amo) stores were in operation at the mall's official grand opening, which was held on October 31, 1966. Tenants included Desmond's, Ranchito Grill, Music Man Del Amo, Gentry Limited and the 5-level (250,000 square foot) Bullock's Del Amo. The sixteenth -and final- store, a 1-level (25,000 square foot) I. Magnin, held its grand opening on March 6, 1967.

An expansion of BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE (Del Amo) was announced in May 1968. At the time, the mall was owned by the Bullock's Realty Company and  the Carson-Madrona Company, which was a joint venture of Los Angeles' Great Lakes Properties and Gilford Glazer Associates, of Beverly Hills. 

In February 1970, the Bullock's Realty Company morphed into a new division known as Transwest Management. In March, Transwest sold their interest in BULLOCK'S FASHION SQUARE (Del Amo) to the Carson-Madrona Company. A ground breaking was held in March 1970.

As part of the mall expansion, the existing structure was enclosed, with an 800,000 square foot East Wing added. Its 2-level (160,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward was dedicated on April 28, 1971, with a 2-level (150,000 square foot), New York City-based Ohrbach's welcoming first patrons on August 9 of the same year.

The malls were collectively renamed DEL AMO FASHION SQUARE. Tenants in the newly-built section included Karmelkorn, Chess King, Foxmoor Casuals, an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 and United Artists Del Amo 4 multiplex. This venue showed first features on August 18, 1971.

 

Montgomery Ward anchored the east end of a greatly enlarged FASHION SQUARE mall. The store, the first operational tenant in the expanded -and enclosed- section, opened in April 1971.
Photo from J. Paul Getty Trust / Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles / Julius Shulman

Ohrbach's, also a part of the new section, opened in August 1971. DEL AMO FASHION SQUARE now encompassed approximately 1,100,000 leasable square feet and housed 160 stores and services.
Photo from Los Angeles Public Library / Ralph Morris