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# Nordstrom finds a new place to call home
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/nordstrom-finds-a-new-place-to-call-home/
- Published: 2008-07-16T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:11:04.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Business, Downtown, #archive-import

*Nordstrom to open in 2010*

DOWNTOWN Upscale retailer Nordstrom will become a new anchor at Santa Monica Place, replacing Robinsons-May at the corner of Second Street and Broadway, officials from the mall announced Tuesday.

The three-level, 122,000-square-foot store is scheduled to open in fall 2010 following the complete remodel of the mall, which is currently being transformed from a 1980s era, indoor shopping mall to a 550,000-square-foot outdoor retail village complete with a rooftop dining deck with views of the Santa Monica Bay.

“Santa Monica is a wonderful community and an exciting retail environment where many of our customers visit, live and work,” said Erik Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom. “We compliment Macerich on their vision for the new Santa Monica Place, which we anticipate to be an outstanding shopping experience.”

Macy’s serves as the other anchor and has remained open during the remodel. The mall is expected to reopen in fall of 2009.It has been closed for construction since January.

“We’re very pleased to welcome Nordstrom to the new Santa Monica Place,” said Randy Brant, executive vice president, real estate, for Santa Monica-based Macerich Co., the owners of the mall. “The extraordinary appeal of Nordstrom is a great match for this exceptional market, and for what we believe will be a one-of-a-kind retail project two blocks from the beach in Downtown Santa Monica.”

Nordstrom’s arrival is expected to be a boon for the city, attracting shoppers currently heading to West Los Angeles in search of higher-end, merchandise without breaking the bank at places like Bloomingdales or Neiman Marcus. Many residents have been calling for a Nordstrom for years, looking for more variety aside from the many boutiques located along popular shopping districts like Montana Avenue and Main Street, or the more youth oriented option on the Third Street Promenade.

“We’re delighted,” said Miriam Mack, economic development director for City Hall. “It will add a new dimension …. We are underserved in this area and we know our residents are leaving Santa Monica for the kind of merchandise that Nordstrom has.If we can capture those sales within Santa Monica and Santa Monica Place,it is going to be a significant benefit to the city and the Bayside District, too.”

Downtown property owners recently approved a new business assessment district that will generate roughly $3.6 million a year for added maintenance, marketing and an ambassador program. Those who voted in favor of the assessment said it is necessary to keep Downtown an attractive and desirable shopping destination for residents and visitors.

The addition of Nordstrom is expected to help by bringing in more customers who may shop elsewhere in Downtown once they arrive, helping other mall tenants as well as businesses on surrounding streets.

> “For a long time it was really just the food court in there.” — Blondina said

> “Honestly, I think it will just be cool to see stores there,”

“The Downtown department store supply was dwindling \[following the loss of Robinsons-May\] so with the arrival of Nordstrom I think it is good news, not just for Macerich, but for all of Downtown,” said Rob York, a consultant for the Bayside District Corp.,which helps City Hall manage and market Downtown.

The details of the lease between Macerich and Nordstrom were not made available.Brant said the lease is “a long-term deal.”

There are those who believe the addition of Nordstrom may hurt its neighbor Macy’s, but not Grecia Salmeron, a salesperson at the department store.

“I think it will improve business for us because Nordstrom will bring more people into the mall,” said Salmeron, a Pacific Palisades resident who frequently shops in Downtown.

Kristin Polak,who lives on Main Street,said she loves Nordstrom as well as the smaller boutiques by her home and likes the idea of being able to hit both on her shopping sprees.

Rachel Blondina, a Culver City resident who works at a salon on Main Street, said she would rather have seen a Target located at the mall instead of another department store given that the Third Street Promenade has plenty of retail options.

That said, she, like many other residents, is happy to hear that something will be at the mall instead of a vacant building.

Nordstrom is also planning to relocate an existing store in the Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos to a new location that will have two levels and 138,000 square feet. The new location will replace a Robinsons-May store and is expected to open in spring 2010\. Nordstrom has operated a store in the Cerritos mall since 1981\. Nordstrom added that it will remodel and expand its store at Broadway Plaza in Walnut Creek. The retailer will add 32,000 square feet to the store for a total of 225,000 square feet. The remodel is expected to be complete in 2010\. Nordstrom currently has six stores in the Los Angeles area and four Nordstrom Rack stores. The company plans to open a new store this year in Thousand Oaks at The Oaks Shopping Center on Sept. 5\. In the Bay Area, Nordstrom currently has six stores and four Nordstrom Rack stores.

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation’s leading fashion specialty retailers, with 159 stores located in 28 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 105 full-line stores, 50 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and two clearance stores.

One of the nation’s largest retail real estate investment trusts, Macerich currently owns approximately 77 million square-feet of gross leasable area in major markets across the United States. The company’s diverse portfolio includes 72 regional malls and a mix of lifestyle, large-format retail and specialty centers.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 16, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/071608.pdf?ref=smdp.com)