ON PRESERVATION

By John Welborne

A local mystery, ongoing since the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns in early spring of 2020, has been solved!

Suddenly, in April and May of 2020, the former Crate & Barrel store at The Grove disappeared. No, not just the tenant, but the entire building! What was the construction activity underway?

We asked folks at landlord Caruso, but nobody was talking. Nobody would say what was to come.

Then, slowly, new construction activity began taking place behind fences. Most intriguing, viewed from the upper levels of The Grove’s parking structure, were substantial foundations being built on the ground level of what appeared to be a wideopen, three-story-high, single room. By October of 2020, steel roof girders spanned the vast space. Would it become some sort of a restaurant with magnificent outdoor dining, yearround, a turn-on-a-dime redesign by an architect because of the pandemic?

What would it be? But again, nobody was talking. It was said to be a private project, not being built by Caruso, and Caruso’s representatives would not comment.

A little investigative diligence in 2021 revealed the name of the architect who had signed the building permit applications. Further research showed him to be a partner in the San Francisco office of Foster + Partners. That firm, founded by architect Norman Foster and headquartered in London, is famous for many buildings, including London City Hall; the “Gherkin Building,” also in London; 1985’s HSBC Building in Shanghai; the reconstruction of the Reichstag Building in Berlin; (Please turn to page 4)

Left: CRATE & BARREL

literally bit the dust at The Grove, leaving an empty site in May 2020.

Right:

A TOWER CRANE helped build the new mystery building, including its wide-span steel roof. October 2020 photo.

ALL WRAPPED UP, one year later in October 2021, the new store had yet to be announced. Santa flies nearby!

SECTION ONE

SISTER Judy Vaughan with her helper, Jerry. 1

ENTERTAINMENT On the Menu 18 Theater 20 SCHOOL NEWS 26 YOUTH SPORTS 28

SECTION TWO

VIEW:

Real Estate Libraries, Museums Home & Garden

CHANGES districtwide. 10

HOME GROUND 2 ON PRESERVATION 3 MUSEUMS 9 REAL ESTATE SALES10 AT THE MOVIES 12 LIBRARIES 13 A TINY CHALLENGE 14 POLICE BEAT 14 POKER FOR ALL 15 BEEZWAX 15 CLASSIFIED ADS 15