Apple plans store in Downtown Los Angeles’ historic Tower Theater

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The Tower Theater will be the home of the first LA Apple Store in the Downtown district.
The 91-year-old Tower Theater will be the home of the first LA Apple Store in the Downtown district.
Photo: Steve Minor/Flickr

There are multiple Apple Stores in the Los Angeles Area, but not one in the Downtown district. That’s apparently just about to change.

The iPhone maker has plans to put an Apple Store in the historic Tower Theater on S. Broadway.

The plans were just filed with the LA Department of Building and Safety, according to Curbed. Previous tenants in the space were asked to leave at the end of the month.

The permits filed with city specifically state that Apple will be the tenant in the space. They request permission to “remove/replace existing gallery/mezzanine.” Seismic retrofits are also being made. The plans still need to be approved by the city.

The Tower Theater was built in 1927. It was the creation of S. Charles Lee — actually the very first of about 400 theaters he’d go on to design. The lobby is already devoted to retail, while the auditorium is used by a church, so the LA Apple Store won’t interfere with its functioning.

Apple Stores have a new focus

The project is just beginning, so it will be months before the LA Apple Store opens. When it does, the first customers might be surprised with the layout.

The new Seattle Apple Store is an example of the company’s new focus for its retail locations. The center is a giant screen used for classes and other presentations that are part of the “Today at Apple” program.

There are still so tables with iPhones, Macs, and iPads, but these are located around the edges of the retail space.

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