Northeast corner of Seventh Street and Broadway, 1927-2011

1927-2011

Once at the junction of Los Angeles’ greatest retail corridors, the intersection of Seventh Street and Broadway was arguably the city’s busiest crossing throughout the interwar years. In 1915, the Haas Realty Company completed the construction of a 12-story office tower at its northeast corner, joining Bullock’s department store (1907) and the Hotel Lankershim (1904). At the time of its opening, the Haas Building’s corner retail space was leased to the Bank of Italy (later Bank of America), which remained in the building for nearly four decades.

Seventh Street and Broadway lost most of their luster during the latter half of the 20th century, a fate permanently etched into the Haas Building’s walls. Its Beaux-Arts terra cotta facade, designed by Morgan, Walls & Morgan, was nearly entirely destroyed during an unfortunate remodeling in the 1970s. All that remains is the building’s office entrance on Seventh Street, uncovered and restored during its 2009 conversion into residential lofts.

Renovated entrace juxtaposes old and new on Broadway [blogdowntown]

Sources:
1. “Fact and comment” Los Angeles Times. 5 Apr. 1914. V1.
2. “Lease opposite park.” Los Angeles Times. 14 Jan. 1915. I10.
3. “Rushing work on skyscraper.” Los Angeles Times. 13 Dec. 1914. V1.
4. “Structure sales hit $15,000,000.” Los Angeles Times. 27 Jul. 1952. E1.
Original photo: “acsc-m857 – Pedestrian and automobile traffic-7th and Broadway, Los Angeles, 1927.” Automobile Club of Southern California negatives. USC Digital Library. Automobile Club of Southern California. http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/assetserver/controller/view/AAA-NG-1203-I.