Santa Monica Place's Bloomingdale's: Iconic Enough?

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Let's consider the plans for the Bloomingdale's at the much-delayed Santa Monica Place, shall we? The store will take over the Macy's space at the corner of Fourth and Colorado. It'll be an anchor for the mall, and, according to this proposal on the Santa Monica city government website, it should also behave like a grand entrance to the city—an "iconic gateway corner," as the developers have it.

One reader, however, doesn't think the proposed design is as dramatic as it could be. "Have you seen these photos yet of Bloomingdales, Santa Monica?" he writes. "I'm not sure what to think about them. It seems so—how do I state this lightly?—'middle class.'" Thoughts? It does look a lot like a mall department store—but that's exactly what it is.
· Bloomingdale’s - Proposed Remodel of Existing Macy’s Building [Santa Monica City Council]
· Santa Monica Place Even More Behind Schedule [Racked]