▁Street ▁was ▁demol ished ▁to ▁make ▁way ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁open - air ▁sho pping ▁center , ▁opened ▁in ▁mid - Se ptember , ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁This ▁was ▁followed ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁by ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁an ▁expanded ▁northern ▁F ashion ▁Wing , ▁with ▁Nord st rom ▁as ▁the ▁m all ▁anchor ▁and ▁supp lement ed ▁by ▁lux ury ▁ret ail ers ▁such ▁as ▁Kate ▁Sp ade , ▁Hugo ▁B oss , ▁Un i q lo , ▁Michael ▁K ors , ▁and ▁Ben ▁Bridge . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁major ▁oil - produ cing ▁region , ▁Tor rance ▁was ▁once ▁d otted ▁with ▁thousands ▁of ▁oil ▁well s ▁and ▁oil ▁der r icks . ▁ ▁Though ▁the ▁oil ▁well s ▁are ▁not ▁as ▁common ▁as ▁they ▁once ▁were , ▁the ▁Tor rance ▁Re fin ery ▁O il ▁ref in ery ▁owned ▁by ▁P BF ▁Energy ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁is ▁responsible ▁for ▁much ▁of ▁Southern ▁California ' s ▁gas oline ▁supply . ▁Tor rance ▁was ▁also ▁an ▁important ▁hub ▁and ▁shop ▁site ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁Electric ▁Railway . ▁ ▁Tor rance ▁has ▁a ▁general ▁av iation ▁air port , ▁originally ▁named ▁simply ▁" T or rance ▁Airport " ▁and ▁since ▁renamed ▁Zam per ini ▁Field ▁after ▁local ▁track ▁star , ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁hero ▁and ▁Tor rance ▁High ▁gradu ate ▁Louis ▁Zam per ini . ▁The ▁air port ▁handles ▁approximately ▁ 1 7 5 , 0 0 0 ▁annual ▁take - offs ▁and ▁land