299 Borchard Drive, Ventura
Image
Title
299 Borchard Drive, Ventura
Description
The following description was submitted by an outside party. The views expressed are the individual’s own and are not representative of the Museum of Ventura County.
[User contributed description]
A view of the east facade of a building constructed in the mid-1950s to house a Safeway grocery store. Borchard Drive is in the foreground. The grand opening took place on March 8, 1956 according to advertisements in the Ventura County Star-Free Press. Safeway occupied the building from 1956 until 1971. As of late 2024, only two other businesses have been tenants — Pic ’N' Save from 1973 to circa 1997 and Big Lots! from circa 1997 until the parent company filed for bankruptcy and the store permanently closed in December 2024.
The exterior of the building has changed very little since it was constructed. The decorative “Santa Maria” stonework that made the building distinctive in the mid-1950s remains unaltered. The only substantial exterior change to the structure is a small addition at the southwest corner to accommodate Safeway’s need in subsequent years for more cold storage.
The architectural firm Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall (Los Angeles) designed this building. The contractor was Bramwell Construction, a subsidiary of the Safeway corporation.
[User contributed description]
A view of the east facade of a building constructed in the mid-1950s to house a Safeway grocery store. Borchard Drive is in the foreground. The grand opening took place on March 8, 1956 according to advertisements in the Ventura County Star-Free Press. Safeway occupied the building from 1956 until 1971. As of late 2024, only two other businesses have been tenants — Pic ’N' Save from 1973 to circa 1997 and Big Lots! from circa 1997 until the parent company filed for bankruptcy and the store permanently closed in December 2024.
The exterior of the building has changed very little since it was constructed. The decorative “Santa Maria” stonework that made the building distinctive in the mid-1950s remains unaltered. The only substantial exterior change to the structure is a small addition at the southwest corner to accommodate Safeway’s need in subsequent years for more cold storage.
The architectural firm Daniel, Mann, Johnson and Mendenhall (Los Angeles) designed this building. The contractor was Bramwell Construction, a subsidiary of the Safeway corporation.
Creator
Bob Delaney
Date
2024-12-25
Format
Photograph taken with iPhone XS Max
Subject
Commercial buildings in Ventura
Coverage
Ventura (Calif.)
Audience
Other
Collection
Citation
Bob Delaney, “299 Borchard Drive, Ventura,” Research Library at The Museum of Ventura County, accessed May 10, 2025, https://photographs.venturamuseum.org/items/show/8601.