Short-term parking can be had
along 20th Street east of McGee. You can walk to all three
Western Auto caches from there. Total distance for all three
caches and back to parking is about a half mile. Bring your
own writing implement. Not recommended for night
caching.
By Any Other Name
The Western Auto Building at 21st
and Grand Avenue was first known as the Coca Cola Building. It was erected in
1915 to house the company's regional headquarters and
distribution center. Coca Cola remained in the building until
1932. By then, the building was owned by Asa Candler (the
founder of the Coca Cola Company and sole proprietor until
1919) as part of his real estate holdings, and it became known
as the Candler
Building.
The Western Auto Company was founded by George Pepperdine in
1909. Selling car parts by mail, his business expanded rapidly, so
that in 1928, the company moved to the eleventh floor of the Coca
Cola Building. They acquired more office space over time, and
eventually purchased the entire building in 1951. With new
ownership, the name was changed to the Western Auto Building.
The latest chapter in the 90 year history of the building is in
sharp contrast to its original purpose. In 1998, Advance Auto Parts
bought Western Auto and sold the building. Six years later in 2004,
the building was transformed into upscale loft condominiums,
creating 93 units ranging from 635 to 1,470 square feet. A single
unit in the Western Auto Lofts
comes with a purchase price in the $300,000 range.