Serving Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, and the Greater Wilshire neighborhoods of Los Angeles since 2011.

Orchard Hardware Supply Sprouting on La Brea

Orchard-LaBrea

The large complex that spans almost two blocks on La Brea between 4th and 6th will soon be the new home to Orchard Supply Hardware, an “urban OSH” that will cater to city dwellers and the hundreds of new residents expected to move into the many  apartments and condominiums under construction along the La Brea corridor.

Over the past couple of weeks the building at 415 S. La Brea has risen quickly and area residents may expect to see the store open by early fall 2013 if all goes according to plans. The site was formerly a Chrysler Jeep dealership.

Screen Shot 2013-04-24 at 12.37.55 PM

OSH’s new “neighborhood friendly” format will include roof-top parking, over 30,800 of interior retail space and 3,800 sq ft of outdoor garden and nursery space. Hoping to appeal to the city resident, the store will feature container and small garden planting, paint, repair and home maintenance supplies, and products for smaller living spaces.

The store has little architectural detail in its concrete block, big-box style, it’s singular feature being the  familiar OSH gable over the front door. But the entire La Brea facade will sport large clear windows, making it street-friendly and hopefully adding to the mix of home design and decor stores along the now-bustling boulevard.

“The windows will be clear, allowing pedestrians on the sidewalk and drivers in the street to see the store buzzing with activity as they pass by,” an Orchard spokesperson told the Buzz. “The racking system will be set back from the windows creating a clean and pedestrian-friendly appearance from the outside looking in.”

The project is zoned commercial and did not need discretionary approvals, according to Renee Weitzer, Chief of Land Use Planning in Council District 4.

Mark Baker, President and Chief Executive Officer of Orchard, described the new store in a press release:

“We are thrilled about the new store, which is ideally located in a thriving residential/urban setting. The La Brea area is undergoing a significant revitalization effort and is transforming into an increasingly pedestrian-friendly street. New residential and commercial construction is underway, including a number of mixed-use complexes featuring apartments, ground-floor retail and pedestrian space. We’re excited to bring our neighborhood store format to those who live and work in the Mid-Wilshire area of Los Angeles, while continuing to serve Orchard’s existing Hollywood store customers in a significantly enhanced shopping environment.”
 

The store is also expected to host a “workbench” where customers may  get assistance with basic hardware needs such as tool and knife sharpening, re-screening and lock re-keying. The company’s website promotes making their stores more “female friendly” in interior design and product, given 42% of customers are now women.

This store will replace the OSH on the corner of Sunset and Western for Hollywood residents. The OSH located on Venice Blvd, just west of Rimpau, still appears to be thriving despite the introduction of a giant Lowe’s last year, just to the east.

Larchmont Buzz: Digging Up Dirt on La Brea and 4th

Larchmont Buzz: La Brea Coming Back as Design Mecca

 Editors Note: The OSH on Venice Blvd has closed. 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Julie Grist
Julie Grist
Julie co-founded the Larchmont Buzz with fellow buzzer Mary Hawley in 2011 and served as Editor, Publisher and writer for the hive for many years until the sale of the Buzz in August 2015. She is still circling the hive as an occasional writer.

Related Articles

3 COMMENTS

  1. This OSH has been a 24 hour annoyance to the neighborhood between 6th and 4th street. Along with the contractors saying the f word every 15 minutes to a generator that stays on until well after 10pm this construction site let alone the basic foundation of the store is questionable.
    I worked years at a construction bonding company and i’m familiar with proper building codes. Built very cost effective for OSH, I question the safety of the building and people in it should there be an earthquake. It’s been under construction for over a year and the neighborhood affectionately refer’s to the OSH site as, “the big pile of poop.” Basically they took a quaint neighborhood and built a big brown structure. Hanging a sign over the entrance is like spraying perfume in a room where someone just pooped.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Calendar

Latest Articles

.printfriendly { padding: 0 0 60px 50px; }