June 23, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

China Developer Acquires Former Robinsons-May Site

Robinsons-May
The man behind the Wanda Group, Wang Jianlan, was behind his company’s purchase of the Robinsons-May site in Beverly Hills. (Courtesy of the Wanda Group)

The last remaining evidence of the Robinsons-May’s existence in Southern California has finally come down, with one of China’s largest commercial property developers announcing last week it has acquired the site of the former retail chain’s Beverly Hills location and plans to infuse $1.2 billion into a new mixed-use development near the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards.

About two years after doling out $2.6 billion to purchase the AMC theater chain, the Wanda Group reportedly acquired the site of the former Robinsons-May location by The Beverly Wilshire and a stone’s throw from the Century City high-rises.

The site was reportedly owned by another investment group from Hong Kong, which, according to multiple sources and news reports, had plans of its own to build a multi-use development with condos, restaurants, shops, and parking in place of the old Robinsons-May building.

It remains a mystery what the Wanda Group’s exact plans with the site are, as the company has not announced whether it would carry the torch from its predecessor or execute a completely different plan.

Interestingly enough, in July the Wanda Group officially opened the “Wanda Plaza” in the Chinese city of Changzhou – a city of about 4.5 million people. The plaza reportedly includes a luxury hotel, an IMAX cinema, office space, a “commercial boulevard,” and a “large shopping mall.”

According to the Wanda Group, the plaza is the largest commercial development in Changzhou. Whether the plaza would inspire what the Wanda Group ultimately plans to do with the Robinsons-May site remains to be seen.

Also a mystery: how much the Wanda Group paid for the property.

While the Hong Kong investment firm reportedly purchased the Robinsons-May property for an nearly $150 million, there are some news reports that estimated the Wanda Group paid more than double that amount. However, there are no confirmations of the exact or estimated purchase price.

What is known is that the Wanda Group beat out nearly a dozen bidders to acquire the highly sought property adjacent to one of the busiest intersections in Southern California.

“Wanda successfully beat out more than ten bidders from Asia and North America for the project,” the Beijing-based company said in a statement on its website. “The Los Angeles project will serve as the Wanda Group’s first important step into Hollywood.The Los Angeles project is expected to aid China’s entry into Hollywood’s film industry and generally promote Chinese culture abroad.”

The company added it would establish a Los Angeles office to oversee and handle its entertainment investments.

Though driving from the Robinsons-May site to Hollywood could be a bit of a chore – especially during daylight hours – just about everyday of the week, the Wanda Group’s acquisition of the property near the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards could still keep the company close to the world’s largest film industry. Currently, the Hollywood Foreign Press Assoc. hosts the annual Golden Globe Awards event at the Beverly Wilshire, which is adjacent to the Robinsons-May site.

Finally in demolition stage, the former Robinsons-May building was erected in the 1950s but has not been used since the retailer went dark in 2005.

Last week’s purchase of the Robinsons-May site was not the first significant financial investment it made in the Los Angeles area.

In 2013, the Wanda Group reportedly made a $20 million donation a few miles northeast of the Robinsons-May site to establish a film museum at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). The donation was made to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – the group who puts on the Oscars and will operate the film museum.

The Wanda Group also hinted at investing nearly $1 billion to build the newest high-rise in Chicago, according to multiple news reports.

Wang Jianlan, a Chinese billionaire who reportedly served in the People’s Liberation Army and was a member of his country’s Communist Party, helms the Wanda Group. According to Forbes, he became chairman of the Wanda Group in 1989, when he was just 35 years old. At that time, the Wanda Group was reportedly state-owned.

Also according to Forbes, Jianlan is the richest man in Mainland China and owns 51 luxury hotels, 75 department stores, and 85 shopping plazas.

His current net worth, Forbes stated, is $15.7 billion.

Related Posts

Recent Homebuyer Down Payments Slip for First Time in Nearly Two Years

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

April’s Median Down Payment Fell as Buyers Lean Toward Lower-Cost Homes The median down payment made by U.S. homebuyers dropped...

Del Rey Affordable Housing Project to Rise on Former Charter School Site

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Community Corp., Local Faith Group Team Up to Build 122 New Apartments Plans are moving forward for a new residential...

Paris Hilton Buys Mark Wahlberg’s Beverly Park Mansion for $63.1M

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

The Heiress and Media Mogul Joins a Star-Studded Neighborhood Paris Hilton and husband Carter Reum have purchased a high-profile estate...

A.O.C. Brentwood to Close After 16 Years on San Vicente Boulevard

June 22, 2025

June 22, 2025

Chef Goin and Styne Cite Unsustainably High Rent in Decision to Close  A.O.C. Brentwood, the acclaimed Westside outpost from James...

LA City Councilwomen Yaroslavsky and Jurado Call for Legal Action Against Federal Immigration Raids

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

City Motion Targets Alleged Unconstitutional Tactics, End Qualified Immunity for Fed Officers  City Councilmembers Katy Yaroslavsky and Ysabel Jurado introduced...

Weekend Lane Closures on PCH in Malibu Could Snarl Summer Beach Traffic

June 21, 2025

June 21, 2025

Army Corps Work Triggers Weekend Closure on Pacific Coast Highway Motorists traveling along Pacific Coast Highway this weekend should prepare...

All Aboard to LAX: Metro Opens Game-Changing Transit Hub Ahead of Global Events

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

 New LAX/Metro Transit Center Comes Closer to Connecting Metro Directly to LAX The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro)...

Princess Diana’s Largest Wardrobe Auction Set for Beverly Hills

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Over 200 Royal Garments to Hit the Auction Block for Charity More than 200 garments and royal artifacts, including the...

Queer Beauty Through the Ages: Getty Hosts Lecture on Greek Art’s Influence on LGBTQ Aesthetics

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Art Historian to Trace Homoerotic Imagery From Ancient Greece to Modern Queer Identity As part of its ongoing Pride Month...

Food Fight on the Venice Boardwalk: Chefs Stand Up for Immigrants with Food

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Turk’s Pizza Party Rallies Top Local Eateries for an Immigrant Rights Fundraiser In a bold display of culinary activism, Turk’s...

Navy Vietnam Vet Finally Gets His UCLA Commencement Moment

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

John Fong, 80, Missed His Graduation in 1968 While in Vietnam  Nearly six decades after completing his studies, U.S. Navy...

Culver City Launches Solidarity Campaign Alongside Hate Crimes Report Presentation

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

Join City Leaders on June 24 for a Community Presentation on Rising Hate Incidents Local officials and residents are invited...

Films, Flair, and Panoramas: Free Cultural Events Light Up The Ebell This Week

June 20, 2025

June 20, 2025

The Ebell Theatre Hosts a Double Feature of Films, Plus a Coffee Talk A pair of free public events this...

Culver City Police Nab Two Suspects in Canterbury Drive Burglary Case

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Community Tip and Set Investigation Lead to Arrest of Repeat Offenders Culver City police have arrested two suspects in connection...

9th Circuit Court Backs Trump in Battle Over California National Guard Control

June 19, 2025

June 19, 2025

Federal Judges Allow Trump to Retain Command of Troops in Los Angeles Federal judges on Thursday cleared the way for...