The formerly fortressy Macy’s shopping plaza officially reopened Thursday as The Bloc, an open-air reboot of the retail hub that was famous for being almost hermetically sealed off from the surrounding streets and sidewalks.
Photos from the event show off the new seating areas and lounging spots, including a patch of artificial turf decorated with colorful outdoor furniture. All of it is a huge departure from the pre-makeover mall, and the changes are still coming.
Shops will be rolling out throughout the summer and the fall, as work on storefronts is completed. Eventually, tenants will include the highly anticipated artsy Alamo Drafthouse and hip stores aplenty. (The complex’s signature Macy’s is currently open, as is the Sheraton Hotel, which got an Art Deco-inspired makeover last year.)
And shoppers will get to skip waiting at the crosswalk to go from the Bloc to the Seventh/Metro Center station across the street, because there’s going to be a pedestrian tunnel from the shops to the rail station.
There are plenty more very drastic LA mall renovations coming down the pipe, with the Westside Pavilion planning to tear down its walls at street level, and a Beverly Center renovation will put in skylights and more eateries along the street.
Take a look at the brand new Bloc:
- Downtown LA’s New Open-Air Mall Opening This Week [Curbed LA]
- Cruise Through the Future Seventh Street Pedestrian Tunnel in DTLA's Financial District [Curbed LA]
- The Westside Pavilion Mall is Planning to Tear Down Its Walls [Curbed LA]
- First Look at the Beverly Center's Huge Makeover [Curbed LA]
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