The Sears, Roebuck & Company Mail Order Building, located in Boyle Heights, was built in 1927 as a distribution center for the company's mail order department. It was designed in the Art Deco style by the architectural firm of George Nimmens Company and was constructed by Scofield Engineering-Construction Company in record-breaking time: a mere 6 months, at a cost of $5,000,000. On completion, the building had nine stories and a basement, a 226-foot Art Deco tower, and a total floor area of approximately 11 acres. The Sears building was one of the largest in Los Angeles, and it attracted more than 100,000 visitors in the first month of operation. In May of 1991 after 64 years of operation, Sears announced that it would close its regional distribution center in Boyle Heights, and its doors were officially closed in January 1992 - eliminating 585 full-time, and 775 part-time jobs. Considered to be one of the iconic landmarks of LA's Eastside, it has been the subject of several renovation proposals since the mid-1990s. The Boyle Heights Sears building was designated Historic-Cultural Monument #788 in August 2004, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 21, 2006 - #05001407. D. F. McGarry speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony of the Sears store on Soto Street and Olympic Boulevard, Boyle Heights, in 1927.
McGarry, D. F Sears, Roebuck and Company Department stores--California--Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) Building construction--California--Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) Ground breaking ceremonies--California--Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) Art deco (Architecture)--California--Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Boyle Heights (Los Angeles, Calif.) Scofield Engineering-Construction Company George Nimmens Company
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