Fifteen Years After Riots, South L.A. Shopping Mall Thrives

Sunday, April 29th marks the 15th anniversary of the L.A. riots. As part of our special coverage of South Los Angeles' economic recovery, KPCC's Patricia Nazario checks in on the health of one local shopping mall.

Patricia Nazario: At 860,000 square feet, the indoor mall at Martin Luther King Jr. and Crenshaw Boulevards is one of the largest urban shopping centers in the country. Since the 1992 riots, it carries another designation.

Quintin Primo: This is Main and Main...(laughs) in the hood!

Nazario: That's Quintin Primo. He's the chairman and CEO of Capri Capital Partners. The Chicago-based, minority-owned real estate investment firm bought the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza a year and a half ago for nearly $140 million.

Primo says during negotiations, he couldn't help but remember the destruction that followed the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the beating of Rodney King.

Primo: But then after reflecting, I was even more intensely committed to showing Los Angeles and showing the country what African Americans are capable of.

Nazario: This Harvard-educated entrepreneur says he takes a personal interest in turning the South L.A. mall into a destination. When his company took it over, Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza was 70% leased. Now occupancy is at 95% and filling fast. Wal-Mart located its first vertical store in the country there.

After the discounter moved into a vacant department store, more national retailers followed, including TJ Maxx, Lane Bryant, and Lerners. Now most of the mall's tenants are chain stores.

Robert Tackett: Wuzzup brother, how ya' doing. You doin' all right...

Nazario: Robert Tackett is Capri Capital's point man at the plaza. His daily routine includes greeting mall staff and walking around to make sure the property is presentable for shoppers. Tackett's been in the mall management business about 20 years. He calls this one a full-service community center.

Tackett: There's a post office service; you can do you taxes here. So, once you park your car, you don't have to leave the property.

Nazario: A Los Angeles Police Department substation and a constant police presence are on this property too. The plaza became a police command post during the riots 15 years ago.

Michael Jones: The community is coming back since the 1992 riots, because people are working together now.

Nazario: Michael Jones is the president of the Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce, representing about 200 area businesses. Jones says the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza is a cornerstone in commercial investors' return to South L.A.

Jones: Before the new mall owner, there were some challenges with the mall. You had several stores that were similar in nature. There was not a lot of diversity and a lot of variety. The view is now to listen to the people and put something together that'll really be enjoyed by everybody in the community.

Nazario: Developer Quintin Primo of Capri Partners says his firm intends to invest about $200 million in the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. Long term plans for the 40 acre property include a hotel, condominiums, and higher-end retail chains like Niketown.

Primo also hopes to set aside space to honor African American and Latino civil rights heroes, as part of his plan to transform the neighborhood landmark into more than just another mall.