Jordan Brand shoe store planned for historic Broadway building

As development booms in Downtown LA, Broadway is continuing its evolution from an eclectic strip of shops, restaurants, and repurposed theaters to a higher-end commercial corridor.

Following that trend, Foot Locker may soon redevelop the historic Schaber’s Cafeteria building at 620 South Broadway into a retail outlet dedicated to the Jordan brand (a subsidiary of Nike named, of course, after Michael Jordan).

Urbanize LA spotted plans for the project, which are set to be reviewed tomorrow by the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council's Planning and Land Use Committee. The plans call for retail space on the first floor, with a locker room, 1,369-square-foot fitness room, and small VIP lounge on the second floor.

The roof of the building would be outfitted with a basketball court, along with bleacher seating and a snack bar.

The plans reveal that the project would be designed by San Francisco-based architecture firm McCall Design Group. There’s even a rendering of the project, which shows that the shoe store will preserve much of the historic aesthetic of the original structure.

Built in 1928, the building is sandwiched between the Palace Theatre building and the former Desmond’s Department Store. It was designed by Charles F. Plummer, who later collaborated on the Pan-Pacific Auditorium with partners Walter Wurdeman and Welton Becket. The structure was remodeled in 2012 when Figaro Bistrot moved in, but the restaurant closed in 2014.

In keeping with Broadway’s historic design guidelines, the Jordan Brand project would include a neon blade sign with the words “Studio 23” (probably a reference to the uniform number Jordan wore as a player).

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