The Grove | Los Angeles, CA:
The Grove is an upscale outdoor shopping mall located next to the Farmer’s Market in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles just south of CBS Television City. It is relatively small as LA shopping malls go, with about 45 businesses, which makes it easier to navigate, and it makes up in ambiance whatever it may lack in size.
The complex fills space previously occupied by an orchard and nursery, which were the last remains of a dairy farm owned by A. F. Gilmore in the latter part of the 19th century. The developers began demolition of an antiques alley and other older buildings on Third Street behind CBS Television City, and broke ground for the new mall in 1999. There was some controversy over potentially increasing traffic in a busy Los Angeles neighborhood that already offered several other shopping venues, including the Beverly Center. The Grove opened in 2002.
The Warner Bros. tabloid television news program Extra was also taped in the complex from 2010-2013, usually on the mall’s lawn area.
Since November 2015, it has also served as a venue for the finales of Dancing with the Stars.
The history behind the development of the Gilmore property that eventually became The Grove was not without controversy. In 1984, A. F. Gilmore and neighboring CBS Television City hired Olympia & York California Equities Corp. to look into the possibility of creating a major business and entertainment complex that would have been twice as large as Universal City but would have required the demolition of all existing structures at both Farmers Market and CBS in the process. That plan was not well received by the City of Los Angeles or by its neighbors and the plan was later shelved. Two years later A. F. Gilmore and CBS hired Urban Investment & Development Co. of Chicago to create another development plan.
In 1989, A. F. Gilmore announced that it was going to build a $300 million mall adjacent to the existing Farmers Market and that the new project would be managed by JMB/Urban Development of Chicago. The proposed mall was going to be anchored by May Company California, Nordstrom, and J. W. Robinson’s along with over 100 other stores. Later, the project was scaled down to 2 anchors.
During the next decade, A. F. Gilmore announced in 1998 a further scaled-down plan with Caruso Affiliated as the new development partner for a new proposal that eventually became The Grove at Farmers Market, a $100-million project on 25 acres, Nordstrom signed on in 2001 to build a 122,000 sq ft store. By early 2001, toy retailer FAO Schwarz also sign on for 25,000 sq ft. along with Banana Republic, Gap, Barnes & Noble, J. Crew, Maggiano’s Italian restaurant and a 14-screen movie complex to be the initial stores in the new project. After many delays, the retail center finally opened in March 2002.
FAO Schwarz was one of the first retail casualties at the Grove when FAO Schwarz’s parent company had to declare bankruptcy the following year. The Grove was able to replace the store with American Girl Place, which opened in April 2006. Abercrombie & Fitch closed their flagship store in February 2015 and was replaced seven months later with a Nike flagship store that opened in September 2015. Also in 2013, Banana Republic moved into a new space at the mall, and the old space was replaced with the first Topshop/Topman store in Los Angeles.
In the original plan, the 14-screen movie complex was going to be built by Pacific Theatres to be its first Arc Light multiplex.[8] At the last minute, Pacific Theatres pulled out of the project and opted to build the multiplex in Hollywood, ArcLight Hollywood, instead. Caruso decided to fund the construction of the multiplex out of the company’s own pockets. After 10 months of successful operations, Caruso decided to sell the multiplex outright. Pacific gave the highest bid at US$30 million.
The Grove includes a combination of designer fashions and mid-range retail, popular restaurants and a movie theater in a crisscross of pedestrian boulevards lined with facades inspired by art deco and old Europe. Patio and balcony dining overlook the Dancing Fountain in the courtyard.
Some highlights of The Grove include the first west coast American Girl Place:
The American Girl Place every little girl’s fantasy, with dolls representing various ages, ethnicities and myriad careers and hobbies, and, of course, accessories galore. There are also the hundreds of American girl books with wholesome stories of strong, independent girls. The piece de resistance is the American Girl Café, where girls, their dolls, and accompanying adults can enjoy the perfect tea party or a nutritious meal.
Franknleen