In the former space of California Market on the corner of 5th Street & Western Avenue, construction has begun for THE G, a new Gaju Marketplace Shopping Center scheduled to open in 2012.
Also being referred to as California Marketplace, this shopping complex is an 80,000-sf project. To compare, the former Gaju supermarket occupied 24,000 square feet and had only surface parking.
To comply with the Los Angeles Municipal Code requirements, this new building will have 350 parking spaces. The parking structure will be approximately 40 or 50 feet, while the main building itself will be 48 feet high, with decorative parapets rising to 60 feet.
The ground floor will feature the market, the second floor will have restaurants and retail, and the third floor will have a few restaurants and retail spaces, along with a large open patio area. Bars will not be allowed as tenants. The architectural firm is Gruen & Associates, the very same company that designed Koreatown Plaza in 1985.
Note: The large California Market on Beverly & Kingsley remains open.
