A mixed-use development is planned for the site of the Western Department Store, which has been an anchor of LA’s Koreatown for nearly 40 years, but business owners who run shops inside the department store are unaware of the plans, raising the prospect of future conflicts with the landlord.
Kenneth Lee, the owner of Western Department Store, submitted a plan to redevelop the corner site at 836-874 S. Western Avenue to the Los Angeles Department of City Planning on March 21. According to the plans, Lee intends to demolish the current single-story retail building and construct a six-story, 157-unit mixed-use apartment building. The new apartments will be a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom units. It will have more than 3,000 square feet of retail space and a semi-underground parking garage for 129 vehicles.
The news is a bit of a surprise to Western Department Store’s current tenants.
“I haven’t heard anything about it at all. If there was a development plan, they would have told us long ago,” said Jiah Lee, a business owner who opened her store in the Western Department Store in 2019, “If this is true, this will be a huge blow to us.”
Hyekyung Lim, a shop owner who has been operating inside the department store for 25 years, also said she had not heard about the demolition.
“Around September last year, a notice was posted about land evaluation, and there was talk among business owners that the shopping center would be torn down and new apartments would be built,” she said, adding “At that time, we were very nervous, but then we were relieved to hear that it was just a rumor.”
Another business owner said, “When the daughter of the owner, Lee, almost took over the management, the Western Department Store began to be neglected, it also stopped all advertisements.” “I understand that the current exterior work is not a remodeling project, but rather a renovation for safety reasons, as the old building is decaying and falling debris could cause injuries,” he said.
Western Department Store, which opened in 1987, is the town’s longest-running mall, boasting a 37-year history. The building itself was constructed in 1929 and is nearly 100 years old. The news of the department store’s demolition reflects the reality of swap meets fading into history as Slauson Super Mall, a popular swap meet in the Los Angeles area, is also on its way out.
The Western department store was a shopping destination for Korean-Americans looking for Korean products when it first opened, but times have changed and it is no longer as popular as it once was.
“There are more than 40 business spaces, but many have recently left, and there are only a total of 36 or 37 business operators,” Lee said. “Most of them have been in business for 20 to 30 years, making a living, and it would be a shock if they were suddenly asked to leave. It’s one of the few remaining swap meets with a history in Koreatown, and we don’t want to see it disappear.”
The Western Department Store’s management office was also unaware of the incident. In a phone call with the Korea Daily, Olivia, a property manager at Western Department Store’s management office, said, “This is the first I’ve heard of it. I haven’t heard anything from Mr. Lee. I will ask the chairman.” The Korea Daily made repeated attempts to reach Chairman Lee but was unable to reach him.
The designer of the new construction plan, DFH Architects has released a bird’s-eye view of the six-story mixed-use apartment building titled 870 Western, which will rise on the site of the current Western Department Store. The modern podium-style apartments are clad in metal panels, cement plaster and fiberboard, and porcelain tile, and feature amenities such as a rooftop deck, garden, and clubroom.
BY SUAH JANG, HOONSIK WOO [jang.suah@koreadaily.com]
