The rise and fall of the Eagle Rock Plaza

Photos by Simone Modina and Oona Warren

Whether you shop at “the big Target” or go to the gym at the Fitness 19, you’re probably familiar with the concrete eyesore that is the Eagle Rock Plaza. Formerly hosting a plethora of exciting stores, this mall’s glory days have long since passed. It has become somewhat of a dead mall, and all of the vacancies help to create a creepy environment.

History

Newspaper clipping from the LA Times

Way before the Americana was envisioned, and a few years before the Glendale Galleria was established, a mall on the border of Eagle Rock and Glendale opened. Over 100 properties were cleared to develop the shopping center in 1970. Premiering three years later, the Eagle Rock Plaza debuted featuring 55 different stores that brought it a variety of customers. These stores included: See’s Candies, Vroman’s, Baskin Robbins, and two big department stores: Montgomery Ward and May Co. It had a movie theatre called the Eagle Rock Plaza Cinema Four, several restaurants, and of course, many clothing and fashion retail stores.  

Being one of the only malls around, customers flocked to the exciting storefronts. Many people can still remember the bright lights of the mall highlighting their favorite memories of their childhood, whether it be enjoying movies at the theater, getting chased around by mall cops for skating, or just hanging out with friends after school.

From first jobs to learning to drive in the massive parking lot, the mall was a beloved hotspot for teens and families in the seventies.

Decline 

However, the mall started to become outdated. In December of 2000, the Montgomery Ward company announced that it would be closing all of its stores, including the Eagle Rock location. The mall’s east and west anchor department stores were replaced with Target and Macy’s. In 2001, the movie theatre closed as well. Some of the Eagle Rock Plaza stores we’ve come to know started to open, such as Chuck E. Cheese and Seafood City. Compared to the Glendale Galleria or the Americana, the stores at the Eagle Rock Plaza have lost their relevance and popularity, leading to less crowds and not a lot of business for shop owners.

Present Day

With many of the shops now vacant, the Plaza has lost much of its relevance as a consumer-driven mall. People no longer flock to it as a weekend activity, and it’s far from the ideal place to shop or hang out. Remnants of what the vacant stores offered are still in place. We were able to guess what each of the places offered, but it was still very disheartening to see. The top floor is almost barren, not a lot of foot traffic. The Macy's closed a few years back, but  the shell of it remains. Both floors have a garage-like door covering the entrance, and it seems like that huge area is totally vacant. There have been no announcements of what will be done with the place.  

However, the place is still alive for many locals. With the installation of Seafood City, Jollibee, and many other Filipino-run stores, the mall is still running with a sense of community and culture. As you go down the escalator, you can start to hear the crowds of people grabbing food. This includes the popular spots of Jollibee, Grill City, and of course, Seafood City. Seafood City seems to be the heart of this mall, with the many crowds of customers buying ingredients and groceries.

So while the Eagle Rock Plaza may not be the ideal hangout place currently compared to other nearby malls, it still thrives in the culture and community it has set up. Many stores and their legacy have been forgotten, yet new memories are continuing to thrive and grow within the mall. Whether the mall becomes renovated or simply torn down for housing, the mall still holds a rich history in the heart of Eagle Rock.