Crenshaw Plaza

Crenshaw Plaza. Baldwin Hills. , , A Shopping Revolution , The two-block-long Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, more popularly known as the Crenshaw Mall, is the retail heart of the Crenshaw area. It's been that ever since it first opened its doors in 1947 as the Broadway-Crenshaw Center, an outdoor regional shopping mall that was the first major retail hub in greater Los Angeles, and the first of its kind in the nation. Originally built as two separate shopping centers straddling the Baldwin Hills and Crenshaw Manor districts, they were eventually classed as a single entity. The north end of the site was anchored by a May Company, known as "May's Crenshaw" that was designed by Albert C. Martin and dedicated in October of 1947. The other section of the center was initially anchored by The Broadway and a Von's supermarket. Smaller specialty stores included Silverwood's and Desmond's. In 1988, the plaza was mostly torn down and enclosed by mall developer Alexander Hagen. Then, with the 1992 civil unrest, coupled with the recession, hopes that the plaza would become the economic engine it had once been were derailed. , , Urban Renaissance , In stepped Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The former Lakers luminary, also a member of West Angeles Church, formed Johnson Development Co. in the 1990s with the idea of lending his star power , and personal fortune , to reviving black urban neighborhoods like Crenshaw. When he opened the Magic Johnson Theatres multiplex, a partnership with Sony, on the grounds of the mall in 1995, it was hailed as a milestone for cinema-starved Crenshaw and an encouraging sign for black development in general. Magic then sought a much bigger prize: rights to redevelop Santa Barbara Plaza. The 23-acre shopping center directly across the street from the Crenshaw Mall, built in the 1950s, 1950s, had fallen into decline and needed an Alexander Hagen of its own. Magic envisioned an upscale center that would attract shoppers from the Hills who were used to driving west or south for quality goods and nice restaurants. It was a vision that resonated with just about everyone in Crenshaw, but the political and complicated financial demands of the project proved insurmountable for Johnson Development Co. In 2010, after fifteen years at the mall, Johnson quietly sold his share of the theaters. , Though Magic Johnson's vision didn't turn out the way he'd hoped, he certainly made his mark: the Pan African Film Festival, the largest African American film festival showcasing filmmakers in the U.S. and the African diaspora, came "home" to the mall in 1999 after starting out at the Sunset Laemmle in West Hollywood. Through all the changes, the mall continues to endure as the focal point of Crenshaw and a major gathering place. Touches of the original Art Deco design have remained, including the curved corner facade of the old May Company and the spire atop the old Broadway tower. For thirteen years, the former Broadway building was home to the nation's only three-story Walmart; however, the retail titan closed its Crenshaw location in 2016. , , A Cultural Touchstone , Over the years, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza has evolved into a center of black community and culture. In addition to the Pan African Film Festival, it now features the annual Leimert Park Village Book Fair. Through the years, it has featured popular Louisiana Creole restaurants such as Gagnier's, Chalee Blues, and the Creole Chef. Further, the Museum of African American Art is located on the third floor of Macy's, and in 2010, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy moved from Culver City onto the mall grounds. Inside the mall, which was extensively renovated in the 2010s, the bridge joining the two parts of the mall across Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard hosts various events, including jazz concerts, receptions, community forums, and a weekly farmer's market. , , photo caption: , In 1948, the Von der Ahe brothers, of Von's markets, opened their most ambitious store (over 58,000 square feet) at the Broadway-Crenshaw Center. Thanks to the introduction of pre-packaged perishables, the store offered self-service produce, meat, and deli departments, making it one of the first true supermarkets as we know them today.