Late afternoon shoppers stroll past the old Arcade Theater on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles.
The Arcade was designed by architects Morgan & Walls in 1910 for Alexander Pantages as a vaudeville music & variety theater. Today the interior remains roughly intact, although the seats have been removed and the interior space is used for stock storage. Its former lobby now houses a discount electronics store.
The property is one of several historic theaters and other properties in the historic core owned by Joseph Hellen of Australia. Mr Hellen has proposed demolishing the building and constructing an upscale retail building. This particular proposal has been blocked by alarmed preservationists, although Mr Hellen is open to suggestions for what else to do with this unique property.
In the meantime, you can still get a pretty good deal on a digital alarm clock.
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