The long-declining Schulte United Department Store building in Los Angeles’ downtown Broadway district has been extensively renovated and reopened as Broadway Arts Tower, reported L.A. Downtown News.
The Schulte building opened in 1928 at 529 S. Broadway as a department store with a huge cafeteria. Schulte United went bust four decades later, and the building saw a string of various tenants, but nothing on its upper floors.
This Google Street View image from June doesn’t show the building in its fully restored glory, but it was getting there:
The news site details how it was revived:
The Schulte United building was acquired in July 2012 for about $3 million, according to Michael Treadway, property manager and financial officer for the building. He would not identify the buyer, who also purchased and rehabbed the nearby Spring Arts Tower.
Work started in late 2012 and was completed last month.
“The owner likes a challenge, and he saw the potential of turning this building into a mini version of the Spring Arts Tower,” Treadway said. Referring to the street-enhancing effort propelled by 14th District City Councilman José Huizar, he added, “It also made sense because of the Bringing Back Broadway initiative and everything happening in the neighborhood.”
The $2 million renovation included restoring the original facade, which had been covered, and its grand staircase inside. The Broadway Arts Tower website contains several photos of the renovations. The building is on the National Register of Historic Places, according to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.
For years, Broadway in downtown L.A. served as the western terminus of Route 66 until it was extended to Santa Monica. That section of town is seeing a nice revival after many years of decline.
(Hat tip: Scott Piotrowski)