The Brentwood Country Mart

The Brentwood Country Mart is a local shopping and food center in Los Angeles, California. It opened its doors on November 18, 1948. It is a historical site that has been a part of Brentwood since the late 1940s. It has now become a tourist destination as many celebrities are frequently seen at the mart.

General Info

The Brentwood Country Mart is a 30,000 square foot shopping center,^[1] which is located 26th street just south of San Vincente Blvd. Architect Rowland Crawford designed the barn-like architecture.^[2] The country mart is not a typical strip mall. It was built and still strives to provide the community with a warm and family based shopping experience. The Brentwood Country Mart retains Rowland Crawford’s barn inspired design. The Mart has its own free parking lot and offers an outdoor dining area surrounding a large fire pit in the middle. The Mart hosts twenty-two stores and six dining options. Additionally, The Brentwood Country Mart offers Pony Rides and a Petting Zoo from 9am-2pm.^[2] The variety of stores in the Mart allows shoppers to complete the majority of their tasks in one place.

History

In the 1920s, land was zoned in Brentwood Place; 26th street and San Vincente was reserved for commercial construction.^[3] The Herbert M. Baruch Corporation, a company that existed from the early 1920s until the late 1940s, originally developed the country mart. Louis M. Sentei and A.L. Levin were the original owners of the mart. Their mission was to create a “one stop shopping” center in the heart of Brentwood.^[4] Architect Rowland Crawford, famous for designing the Santa Monica Sears Department Store,^[5] and phase two of the Los Angeles Times Building,^[6] designed a commercial building with a country feel to it. Sentei and Levin aimed to create a similarity to the Fairfax District Farmers' Market, a place containing a grouping of fresh food eateries. His design embodied the rural atmosphere of Brentwood at the time. People came visit the country mart on horseback even as late as 1948. The Country Mart included a post office, shoe repair, and barbershop, which are still present today.^[3]

John E. Anderson

However, in 1971 the Brentwood Country Mart fell under new ownership. John E. Anderson, founder of Topa Equities, received the property. Although Anderson was an enormously successful businessman, local Brentwoodians opposed his intentions to add Ralphs and Trader Joes as tenants.^[7] In 1987, Brentwood residents started a petition drive to obtain historical status for the Brentwood Country Mart, despite assurances from the owner of the property that the firm has no intention of demolishing the shopping center.^[8]

J.S. Rosenfield and Co.

In 2003 when the Brentwood Country Mart had hit an all time low, James Rosenfield of J.S. Rosenfield and co. purchased the Mart for $30 million.^[9] The Brentwood Country Mart reached 40% vacancy when Rosenfield purchased the property. He restored the property physically and, backed by investors such as billionaire Charles T. Munger and John Bucksbaum,^[10] sought to bring back past merchants who had since left the Mart. J.S. Rosenfield and co. bought the property from John E. Anderson. Anderson is still the owner of the land on which the country mart is built; however, the two agreed to a 60-year ground lease.^[1] J.S. Rosenfield and co., founded in 1987, prides itself on restoring existing shopping centers and implementing a unique set of stores that will enhance the community’s shopping experience. J.S. Rosenfield and co. is also the owner of the Montecito and Marin Country Marts, the Aero theatre, and multiple other locations around Los Angeles.^[11]

References