Demolition of famed Beverly Hills department store begins

With its floor-to-ceiling windows, striking marble exterior and seemingly endless displays of fine imported crystal, Robinsons stood at the entrance to Beverly Hills for years as a symbol of elegance.

But on Wednesday, the once-grand department store was missing its bold, blocky R. Chunks of concrete and curled metal hung limply off the cracked side of the dilapidated building.

More than 62 years after the stores 1,100-space parking lot first welcomed shoppers into four spacious levels, Robinsons-May is finally being demolished.

Its sad. None of us know whats going to be there, said Dorothy Salkin, 78, a longtime Westwood resident who shopped at Robinsons countless times. It was the most beautiful store Ive ever seen. Not like any other.

Although it sits on one of the most desirable pieces of real estate in the country, the building has been unoccupied for nearly a decade. Its demolition has loomed since the property went back on the market this spring. It has yet to be sold.

The city of Beverly Hills issued a demolition permit to BH Wilshire International on June 26, a city spokeswoman said. The developer agreed to demolish the store during the summer when a nearby school was out of session. The work must be completed before school resumes.

The property has gone through multiple owners in recent years. Laurie Lustig-Bower, a broker with CBRE Group Inc., which is marketing the property, said she expects the current owner to sell it within the next couple months.

Previous owners had secured approvals to build a 235-unit condominium complex designed by Getty Center architect Richard Meier on the eight-acre space.

On the one hand, its a department store thats no longer there, Lustig-Bower said. But now its an opportunity for someone to have a beautiful place to live. The time has come for it to be developed and enjoyed by people again.

In recent years, the propertys various owners have been unable to find lenders willing to fund the project.

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Demolition of famed Beverly Hills department store begins