May Company Building (Broadway, Los Angeles) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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May Company Building
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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_on_the_corner_of_Eighth_Street_and_Broadway,_Los_Angeles,_ca.1912_(CHS-5541).jpg)
Exterior view of The Hamburger's Store building (later became the May Company) on the corner of Eighth Street and Broadway, Los Angeles, ca.1912
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 Location in Downtown Los Angeles
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| Location | 801 S. Broadway Los Angeles |
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| Area | 1,100,000 square feet (100,000 m2) |
| Built | 1906 |
| Architect | Alfred F. Rosenheim |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Part of | Broadway Theater and Commercial District (ID79000484) |
The May Company Building is a famous old building in Downtown Los Angeles. It's also known as the Hamburgers/May Company Department Store. Today, it's called the California Broadway Trade Center.
This building used to be the main store for the May Company California department store chain. It is part of the Broadway Theater and Commercial District. This district is a special area listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
A Look Back: Building History
The May Company Building has a long and interesting past. It was originally built in 1906.
From Hamburger's to May Company
At the start of the 1900s, a store called A. Hamburger & Sons was very popular. It had grown so much that its old location on Spring Street was too small. That store had 520 employees and five floors!
In 1925, the Hamburger family sold their big store to the May family from St. Louis. This was a huge deal, costing $8.5 million. After this, the building became known as the May Company Building.
Changes Over the Years
The department store closed its doors in 1986. The May Company moved to a new location called the Seventh Marketplace. After that, the building on Broadway was used differently. The ground floors became retail stores, and the upper floors were used as a factory for making clothes.
The Building Today: New Plans
The May Company Building is still an important part of Los Angeles. It has been undergoing big changes in recent years.
Future Development Plans
In 2014, a company called Waterbridge Capital decided to buy the building. They planned to turn it into a modern "creative campus." This would be a place with offices, a hotel, shops, and even apartments. The goal was to create one of the largest technology centers in the United States.
Renovation Challenges
The renovation work started, but it faced some challenges. In early 2020, construction projects in California had to stop. This happened because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The building's owners then looked for new ways to get money to finish the project. By late 2020, they began looking for new buyers for the unfinished building.
