A former nominee for Curbed's Ugliest Building contest, Downtown's Macy's Plaza was just bought up by a prominent developer--for an undisclosed amount--who plans to redesign the monolith, the Downtown News reports. The Ratkovich Company, known for numerous developments in DTLA and beyond (including the redevelopment of Ktown's Wiltern theater in the eighties and the Hercules creative office campus at Playa Vista), is in escrow for the nearly 40-year-old plaza, which includes a mall, a Sheraton, and a 24-story office tower. The big complaint about Macy's is that nearly all of its doors and windows face Seventh Street, while the structure turns its brick butt to Eighth, Hope, and Flower Streets, creating a dead zone of pedestrian activity on three blocks. "Ratkovich Co.'s proposed renovation would aim to better integrate the property with street life," according to the story. Ratkovich probably recognizes the opening for retail in Downtown, as Target and the developers behind FIGat7th did. As far as the big entrance on Seventh, one design option being considered is an open-air shopping plaza a la Santa Monica Place.
· Prominent Developer Buying Macy's Plaza [DN]
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