La Mirada Mall

La Mirada Mall was a former regional shopping center located at the southeast corner of La Mirada Boulevard, formerly known as Luitwieler Avenue, and Rosecrans Avenue in La Mirada, California. The site occupied approximately 72 acres in southeast Los Angeles County, an area commonly associated with the Gateway Cities. Although the property began with a freestanding Ohrbach's department store in 1962, it later developed into an enclosed mall serving suburban consumers in a competitive retail corridor. Ohrbach's opened at the site on November 3, 1962. The 100,000-square-foot store was the retailer's third Los Angeles-area location and its first in a suburb, establishing the property as a significant suburban shopping destination. During the early 1970s, Canadian developer Mark Tanz invested approximately $7 million in the property, converting an informal and expanding collection of stores into a more conventional enclosed shopping mall. The redevelopment also incorporated a renovated outdoor plaza with fountains and trees. The enclosed complex was nearly twice the size of the earlier open-air arrangement. Over its operating life, La Mirada Mall hosted a changing mix of department stores, discount retailers, supermarkets, specialty shops, and entertainment venues. Reported tenants included J.J. Newberry, Woolco, Ohrbach's, Barker Bros., Lucky Stores, Market Basket, Robert's Department Store, and a La Mirada Theatre operated by Pacific Theaters. The presence of both general merchandise and grocery anchors reflected the mall's role as a broad-serving local and regional center rather than a narrowly specialized retail destination. By the early 1980s, the mall faced difficulty distinguishing itself from roughly a dozen other shopping centers in the Gateway Cities area. In response, it repositioned itself as a discount mall. The revised concept emphasized lower rents and stores selling discounted name-brand merchandise. This strategy did not prevent the departure of important tenants: Ohrbach's and Woolco both left the property. Toys "R" Us subsequently opened in the former Woolco space in 1983, adding a major specialty retailer to the complex. The mall's long-term viability continued to weaken, and by early 1988 a decision had been made to demolish the existing center and reduce the scale of development. Demolition began around 1990. The Toys "R" Us building at 15300 La Mirada Boulevard was demolished in 1991 and later replaced by a housing development. The retailer eventually returned to the broader site by occupying the former Robert's Department Store space, which was later used by UFC Gym. The remaining northern outbuildings were renovated rather than entirely removed. These structures became the principal strip-center component of the redeveloped property, with uses including an Albertsons supermarket, CVS Pharmacy, AMC Theatres, and the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. As a result, the former mall no longer exists as an enclosed regional shopping center. Its site continues to support retail, entertainment, and community-oriented commercial functions under the La Mirada Theater Center identity and associated developments.

La Mirada Mall developed from a suburban retail project at the intersection of La Mirada Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue in La Mirada, California. The first major occupant was Ohrbach's, which opened a 100,000-square-foot freestanding department store on November 3, 1962. It was Ohrbach's third location in the Los Angeles area and its first in a suburb, reflecting the postwar movement of department-store retail toward expanding residential communities. The property grew during the following decade. In the early 1970s, Canadian developer Mark Tanz invested approximately $7 million to reorganize the existing collection of stores into an enclosed shopping mall. The project also renovated an outdoor plaza containing fountains and landscaping. Through this transformation, the property expanded to approximately 72 acres and became a more conventional regional shopping center. The enclosed mall was nearly twice the size of the earlier open-air arrangement. The tenant roster changed repeatedly. Department and general-merchandise occupants included Ohrbach's, Woolco, Barker Bros., Robert's Department Store, and J.J. Newberry. Grocery-related tenants included Lucky Stores and Market Basket. The property also offered entertainment through a La Mirada Theatre associated with Pacific Theaters. These occupants gave the center a broad suburban retail and leisure role, but the mall operated in a market with many competing shopping centers. By the early 1980s, La Mirada Mall had not developed a sufficiently distinctive identity compared with other malls in the Gateway Cities. Management responded by presenting the center as a discount mall. The repositioning relied on lower rents and retailers offering discounted name-brand merchandise. The strategy coincided with the departures of Ohrbach's and Woolco, two important former occupants. In 1983, Toys "R" Us took over the space vacated by Woolco, temporarily providing a substantial specialty-retail anchor. The center nevertheless entered a period of decline. By early 1988, plans had been made to demolish the existing mall and shrink the development. Demolition began around 1990, and the Toys "R" Us building at 15300 La Mirada Boulevard was removed in 1991. That parcel was later used for housing. Toys "R" Us subsequently returned to another part of the property, occupying the former Robert's Department Store building, which was later used by UFC Gym. Not all of the original development was removed. The northern outbuildings were renovated and became the principal strip-center portion of the successor property. The redeveloped site included an Albertsons supermarket, CVS Pharmacy, AMC Theatres, and the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts. Consequently, La Mirada Mall is best understood as a defunct enclosed shopping center whose physical site continued in a different retail and entertainment format, rather than as an operating mall under its original identity.

• 1991

  Southern Toys "R" Us building is demolished

  [1]La Mirada Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Toys "R" Us building at the southern end of the site was removed; the parcel later became a housing development.

• 1990

  Mall demolition begins

  [1]La Mirada Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Demolition of the old mall began as the property transitioned away from its enclosed regional-shopping-center format.

• 1988

  Reduction and demolition plan approved

  [1]La Mirada Mallen.wikipedia.org

  By early 1988, a decision had been made to demolish the enclosed mall and reduce the property's scale.

• 1983

  Toys "R" Us opens

  [1]La Mirada Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Toys "R" Us opened in the former Woolco space at 15300 La Mirada Boulevard.

• 1980

  Discount-mall repositioning

  [1]La Mirada Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The property adopted a discount-oriented positioning in an effort to compete with numerous nearby shopping centers.

• 1970

  Enclosed mall redevelopment

  [1]La Mirada Mallen.wikipedia.org

  During the early 1970s, Mark Tanz invested approximately $7 million to turn the growing retail cluster into an enclosed mall with a renovated plaza.

• 1962

  Ohrbach's opens at the site

  [1]La Mirada Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Ohrbach's opened a 100,000-square-foot freestanding department store on November 3, establishing the site's first major retail anchor.

Originally positioned as a suburban regional shopping center, La Mirada Mall later attempted to compete in the crowded Gateway Cities retail market as a discount mall offering lower-rent stores and discounted name-brand merchandise.

• Retail property · 1970

  Regional shopping mall

  La Mirada Mall operated as a regional enclosed shopping center serving La Mirada and surrounding Gateway Cities communities. Its tenant mix combined department stores, general merchandise, groceries, specialty retail, and entertainment. The center was created from an earlier open-air retail arrangement and was later demolished as competition and tenant turnover weakened its position.

• Retail format · 1980

  Discount mall concept

  In the early 1980s, the property promoted itself as a discount mall. The concept sought to distinguish La Mirada Mall through lower rents and retailers selling discounted name-brand goods. It represented an attempted strategic response to the density of competing shopping centers in the Gateway Cities market.

• Entertainment venue

  La Mirada Theatre

  A theater venue associated with the mall provided cinema entertainment during the property's operating period. The site later continued to support theater and entertainment activity through the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and AMC Theatres.

• 1988

  Decision to demolish and reduce the mallStrategy

  Background

  By early 1988, the enclosed mall faced continued competitive and tenant-related difficulties.

  Action taken

  A plan was made to demolish the old mall and reduce the size of the commercial development.

  Aftermath

  Demolition began around 1990. Some northern outbuildings were renovated into a strip center, while other portions became housing and later commercial uses.

  Source

• 1980

  Repositioning as a discount mallStrategy

  Background

  La Mirada Mall struggled to establish a distinctive identity among the many shopping centers operating in the Gateway Cities area.

  Action taken

  The property emphasized lower rents and retailers offering discounted name-brand merchandise.

  Aftermath

  The repositioning did not prevent the departures of Ohrbach's and Woolco, and the mall was later slated for demolition and downsizing.

  Source

1. 1La Mirada Mallen.wikipedia.org