Los Angeles

Grand Central Market, Million Dollar Theater Considered for Monument Status

Grand Central Market and the Million Dollar Theater could become historic-cultural monuments.

What to Know

  • Grand Central Market and the Million Dollar Theater will be considered for inclusion on the city's list of historic-cultural monuments.
  • Grand Central Market has over 35 food vendors for locals and tourists.
  • The Million Dollar Theater was one of the earliest and largest movie palaces when it opened.

Two iconic buildings in downtown Los Angeles that stand next to each other, the Grand Central Market and the Million Dollar Theater, will be considered for inclusion on the city's list of historic-cultural monuments, the Cultural Heritage Commission ruled Thursday.

The Grand Central Market, a popular spot for downtown workers, tourists and local visitors, has over 35 food vendors and is located in a mixed-use commercial building that spans the block between Broadway and Hill Street between Third and Fourth Streets.

Constructed in 1898 as the Homer Laughlin Building, the structure has served as the market's location on its ground floor and basement since the market's opening in 1917, when it became one of the largest city markets on the West Coast, according to a report from the Department of City Planing. A three-story addition was built in 1905 on the rear of the property.

The property is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributor to the Broadway Theater and Commercial District and is individually listed in the California Register of Historical Resources, but has not been named as a monument by the city.

"When this came forward I was kind of surprised that the Grand Central Market wasn't already a monument, but so be it," Commission President Richard Barron said.

The commission unanimously voted to consider the application for the Grand Central Market that was filed by the building's owner, Langdon Street Capital, which bought the building in 2017 along with the Million Dollar Theater.

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The Million Dollar Theater building is a 12-story mixed-use commercial building located on the southwest corner of Broadway and Third Street, and was constructed in 1918 as a movie theater and office space.

The theater, which was one of the earliest and largest movie palaces when it opened, was initially owned and operated by showman and entrepreneur Sid Grauman, who also created the Chinese Theatre and the Egyptian Theatre.

The theater has fallen out of regular use in recent decades, but opened for performances and special events in 2008 after a year-long refurbishment, and now serves as an event and filming location, according to the Los Angeles Conservancy.

The theater's application was also filed by Langdon Street Capital, and the property is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places and California Register of Historical Resources both individually and as a contributor to the Broadway Theatre and Commercial District.

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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