HISTORY & OVERVIEW
The Empire Market Building is architecturally significant as one of the best examples of Art Deco commercial architecture in downtown Santa Ana. The building retains a high degree of integrity and displays the characteristics typical of the style including stucco walls, full-height piers separating bays on the first and second floors; ornamented window heads; decorative grillwork; and the zig-zag design at the parapet. This building was constructed as a speculative venture, circa 1933 by the Santora Corporation, on the site of a used car lot (1927). Known as the Empire Market from 1933 to 1941, the building was occupied by a variety of retail businesses, including Gillets Café. This building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 as a contributor to the Downtown Historic District. Under the regulations implementing the California Register of Historical Resources, the building is also listed in the California Register. As an example of the Art Deco styling which was fashionable during the 1920s and 1930s, the building satisfies Criterion 1 for inclusion in the Santa Ana Register of Historic Property. Additionally, the property has been categorized as “Key” because it has a “distinctive architectural style and quality” and “is characteristic of a significant period in the history of the City of Santa Ana.”
Existing tenants
