Trillion dollar tech titan Google is opening a brick and mortar store on the Third Street Promenade. You might have noticed the recent addition of a blue-colored banner on the northwest corner of Third Street and Broadway wrapped around the iconic Keller Building.
This will be one of only six Google stores in the country and the first in Southern California. There are two in New York City, in Chelsea and Williamsburg, plus one in Mountain View, naturally and another in Boston. One is opening in Oakbrook, Illinois this Fall and then fingers crossed next up will be the Santa Monica store.
This comes as a much-needed relief for the retail reputation of the Downtown area. Many stores remain unoccupied despite the occasional opening here and there; the loss of REI last year still stings and the recent closure of the AMC theater on the Promenade between Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd hasn’t helped.
In a similar architectural approach adopted by other Silicon Valley giants for their own brick and mortar stores, Google’s retail outlets often utilize creatively-designed spaces, often in iconic, historic buildings.
Indications are that Google is only taking the ground floor, as both the first and second are still available for rent, according to loop.net. However, it does suggest that the space is approximately 7,100 sq ft and to put that into perspective, the ground floor space inside Apple’s Promenade store is 8,084 sq ft.
The building itself was built around 1893 and is a rare example in Los Angeles County of its type of architecture, known as "Richardsonian Romanesque Revival." It was constructed by a gentleman named Henry Keller, son of Mathew Keller, a prominent local businessman who invested in banking, oil and real estate. He also owned a vineyard and was a member of city council and insisted that he be called by his adopted name "Don Mateo" that reflected his naturalized Mexican citizenship
Google is the first business to announce its occupancy in the Keller Building since Festival Real Estate, a California-based property management company, purchased the structure at 1460 Third Street in 2021 and began a multi-million-dollar restoration. When completed, the first and second floors will also each offer approximately 7,100 sq ft of space for either retail or office rental. Apparently, there’s even the opportunity for a rooftop bar and dining venue with ocean views.
Prior to the restoration, a popular eatery called Cult Café occupied the space until February of this year when the restaurant closed. In an Instagram post the business owners say, "Due to a noticeable decline in business activity in our area and public safety concerns, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors."
"Recent developments in the neighborhood have unfortunately made it increasingly challenging to maintain an economically feasible and enjoyable environment," the post says.
"We’re thrilled that Google has chosen the Third Street Promenade for one of its select US locations. This addition highlights Downtown Santa Monica’s continued appeal as a premier retail destination," said Andrew Thomas, CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc, adding, "I’m confident this store will drive foot traffic and contribute to the vibrancy of our local economy by offering cutting-edge solutions to residents and visitors alike."
Much like the Apple store, Google will offer a wide variety of products and exclusive branded merchandise for sale, including phones, smartwatches and home accessories. It will also incorporate an event space for programs and educational workshops plus on-site experts for support such as Pixel phone repairs.
It’s not yet known exactly when the new store will open to the extent that at the time of going to press, it wasn’t even listed on Google store locations site.
scott.snowden@smdp.com
