The 100-year history of one corner of downtown looks like this. The LFM (Leonard, Fitzpatrick, Mueller) purchased the stock of retailer Cracowaner at the northwest corner of Franklin and Polk Streets in 1925. Ten minutes after they opened their doors in June of that year, they were forced to close them due to overwhelming crowds. It happened several times that day. The store was sandwiched between O. Falk’s and Wolf Brothers department stores and across the street from the Kress Bldg. in the center of the downtown shopping universe. Business was so good that in 1926, they added two stories to the building. In 1929, as the Great Depression loomed, national retailer Bellas Hess Apparel bought the store.

Bellas went through a reorganization in 1932 and sold the building. In June of that year, the Stovall-Baugh Department Store opened, but it only lasted six months. It closed its doors and moved in December.

In 1933, J.C Penny opened in the former Baugh building. James Cash Penny owned a chain of stores around the U.S. that he started in 1902. In the 1940s Penny also had a store in Ybor City next to the Kress Building in the 1600 block of Broadway (now 7th Ave). Surrounded by other popular stores downtown, it remained a prime spot for retail through the late 1950s but faltered with declining sales. Penny moved from downtown in the 1960s to join other retailers in suburban shopping centers and malls.

The Element condominium building broke ground here in 2007. When a recession hit in 2008, the owners sought a zoning change to convert the project to apartments. The Element continues to serve as a vital residence as the downtown area has seen a strong renaissance and has sprung back to life with new stores, restaurants, and places to live.

© Chip Weiner 2024. All rights reserved