December 22, 2024 • 35 mins
Join Michael Monks as he delves into the heart of Los Angeles, uncovering the stories behind the city's iconic buildings, bustling streets, and vibrant communities.The hour features an insightful conversation with expert, Adrian Scott Fine, President and CEO of the LA Conservancy, who shares his passion for preserving LA's rich architectural heritage. Whether you're a long-time resident or new to the city, the conversation offers a glimpse into the past, present, and future of one of America's most dynamic urban landscapes.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
I Michael Monks from KFI News, Merry Christmas and Felith
Navidad from all of us here at KFI. I'm going
to keep you company until nine o'clock tonight. Hope you'll
keep me company as well and join the conversation whenever
you feel like it. Click on that iHeartRadio app and
(00:26):
then click on the talkback button and we'll play some
of your comments throughout the evening, whatever is on your mind,
and whatever you have to say about what I have
to say. Today it's a busy travel day. I hope
if you're out in your car listening to us, that
you're being safe and also that you're being patient. A
lot of people on the roads, a lot of people
headed to the airport. Today is apparently the big day
(00:47):
of the holiday travel season, though it will persist through
New Year's Day. I was out and about today myself,
finishing up my Christmas shopping. But again I live downtown,
so I just had to walk, which is very very
nigh nice. But the drive into Burbank here to get
to the studio today was not too bad on the
one oh one for the short eleven miles to get here.
But again, I hope wherever you are, you're feeling good.
(01:09):
You're feeling safe. If you're sitting in traffic, just take
a deep breath. You're going to get there. Don't hurt anyone.
It's Christmas, so I'm all finished with my shopping. Hope
you are too. Unless you're out finishing up right now,
I hope you're done in the next day or two,
because time is running out. I was at the Macy's
today in downtown LA, at the block that mall down
there on Seventh Street. I love shopping at that Macy's.
(01:32):
I love shopping at that Macy's. Before I even moved
to LA would always hit it up when I visited.
And of course, yeah, I can walk to it. So
that's one of the big things. To be able to
go to a important department store without driving. That's pretty cool.
The block is also nice. You can have a coffee outside,
and at Christmas time it's so wonderful. It's one of
those little destinations that you can sit down and really
(01:53):
have a nice experience. They have beautiful Christmas lights up
and regular light shows throughout the day. Buy But unfortunately,
I was able to confirm something that I had been
hearing about the Macy's in Downtown LA. And it does
appear that the Downtown LA Macy's is one of the
(02:14):
ones on the list that's closing. So, you know, Macy's
is closing a bunch of locations all across the country,
and this beloved downtown destination is apparently one of them.
I talked to one of the workers who said that
it would probably be early next year, February or March.
Now the workers are getting the opportunity to transfer to
other stores or just move on with their lives. But
(02:36):
what happens there now that's the anchor of the block.
What kind of large retail establishment like that would be
willing to replace it? You know, downtown LA has some
well documented problems, but in spite of that, it does
have some pretty major retailers. Target Apple has a beautiful
(02:57):
store there. We have a new Adidas shop that opened
up downtown. Of course, we've got our grocery stores, the Routs,
we've got Whole Foods. But as far as what goes
into that Macy's, that's a big loss. For the block,
but that's for somebody else to decide. We'll keep you
posted on that. My question for you beyond that is,
(03:21):
does it matter to you that the Macy's is vacating
that space and I'm talking about the physical structure of
the block where the Macy's is. Do you have any
special memories? But what about any special memories from your
local Big Lots your Tiffany talked about in the last
(03:41):
hour Discount Chain Big Lots conducting going out of business
sales and it's remaining locations after the sale of the
company did not materialize. Now, Big Lots, you know, they
sell furniture, they sell home to core, they sell some groceries.
But they filed for Chapter eleven bankruptcy protection in September.
They had hoped they were going to be acquired by
(04:03):
a private equity firm. It looks like it didn't work out,
so it's trying to find something else. But in the
meantime going out of business sales. So do you have
any heartbreak over the loss of your local Big Lots?
And what about your local Party City? The La Times
(04:24):
reports Party City the party in costume supply chain with
more than seventy locations in California, including several in la Is,
shutting down operations immediately and laying off its employees, and
Bloomberg News first reported that there was a meeting online
Friday where the CEO of Party City, Barry Litwyn, told
the employees at the corporate office that it would be
(04:45):
their last day of work. Just like that, no severance
pay right at Christmas. Party City is gone. So I'm wondering,
you might miss these businesses. You might miss the big lots,
you might miss the Party City, you might miss the
macy downtown. But what about their connection to those buildings?
You know, probably not a lot of emotional connection to them, right,
(05:08):
because they're usually pretty unremarkable. And as much as I
like the block, that's even true for that Macy's. It's
just it's not an architectural marvel. But that was not
always the case for retailers, right, especially when they were
in city center city centers. What if I asked you
about J. W. Robinson's, would you remember coming downtown and
(05:28):
shopping at JW. Robinson's. It's gone, but it's building is
still there. It's beautiful and it's full of newer things,
making newer memories Why does that building matter in an
old big box big lots doesn't. Now, you'd have to
be pretty old to remember shopping at Eastern Colombia. But
(05:48):
if you're alive right now, if you hear my voice,
you know the Eastern Columbia building. It's one of the
most photographed in all of LA, one of the most
beautiful examples of our deco in the country. Retail businesses
come and go and we missed them, but sometimes their
(06:11):
footprints remain and we're lucky for that. Other times we
knocked them down. This past year in La, we decided
to save a house that Marilyn Monroe died in. Even
though the new owners of that house wanted to tear
(06:31):
it down, we did tear down a beautiful structure important
in local Jewish history. We lost our minds in recent
weeks when Norms nearly became a raising canes, and we're
seriously thinking about making an old Arby's sign on Sunset
(06:54):
Boulevard outside an Arby's restaurant that is no longer there
an official historic cultural landmark. It's an RB sign. You
can picture it, the old Western hat with the lights.
You see them everywhere, but this one on Sunset is
(07:16):
very close to being named a historic cultural landwork.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
So how does all this work? This hour, we're going to.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Talk about the old buildings that made it this year
and the ones that did not in twenty twenty four,
the where and the why. And join our conversation on
the iHeartRadio app. Click on that talkback button. We'd love
to hear from you as well. That's coming up next.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio App.
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News. We're with you till
nine o'clock tonight. Merry Christmas to you. Hope you're finishing
up your shopping this weekend. Hope you're being safe out
there on the roads. If you are traveling, just be patient,
take a breath. You will get there. Twenty twenty four
(08:06):
was busy for preservationists and developers in La. Some high
profile buildings based demo, while some lower profile spaces captured
a lot of passion. Let's talk about it. Adrian Scott
Fine is the President and CEO of the La Conservancy. Adrian,
thank you so much for being with us.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Thanks for having me you know.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
La is one of those places that is, you know,
it's a big city here in America, but it's not
as old in many ways as some of our East
Coast cousins. And I think people would be surprised to know, however,
that there are a lot of old, beautiful buildings here.
When I first got hired at KFI, they introduced me
on the Gary and Shannon Show and they asked me
(08:51):
why I decided to live downtown. And one of the
things I said was I happen to like old buildings
and being surrounded by old buildings, and they made a joke.
I remember, like like buildings from the nineteen fifties, and
that's just not the case. In many places in La
there are old buildings, And I want to know, just generally,
why does it matter.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Well, we say old buildings because they helped tell us
where we've been, our heritage, our connections to the past.
They just root us in our understanding of a place,
how it has evolved and changed over time, and it
just connects us. You know, La does have history, despite
what some might may think. Our history is a little newer.
But if you don't have the buildings for places and
(09:34):
the spaces that helped illustrate that it's really hard to understand,
you know, where we've come from, and that's I think
a big part of it. And also the idea it
just makes sense that we reuse existing in older buildings
for new uses and that we reinvest in resources that
have already been built.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I know, over the course of my career as a journalist,
and it's even been true here in LA, that there's
really nothing like a good historic preservation. It draws a
lot of attention folks who have maybe true passion about
saving old buildings, like your organization, or folks who just
have a general affection for a place in town that
(10:13):
they have memories of, and then folks who were like, oh,
come on, let the people build whatever they want. I'm wondering,
if you had degrade the year twenty twenty four from
the perspective of historic preservationists, how do we do in
Greater LA saving old buildings.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Well, I mean it's a mixed track record. I don't
know what the grade necessarily be, but you know, we
save some and that's always our goal to save more
than we lose. But yeah, I mean it's part of
the process in La you're always balancing growth with development
pressures and saving and reusing old places. But there's definitely
you know, people care about historic places and when they're
(10:55):
at risk, they often come out in force. And that's
part of our job at the Conservancy is to mobilize
people and to help people understand why a place is important,
how it can be reused, and how to actually do
something to affect change.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
As I just noted, there are folks who have preservation instincts.
There are folks who have generic affection for a memory
that they hold deer from experiences at a certain place.
And then there are folks who say, let people develop.
And we just saw that play out very recently on
a building that you would list has saved for now,
(11:30):
and that's the old Norms Restaurant, which was apparently very
close to becoming a raisin raising canes chicken fast food joint.
What do you think inspired all of the commotion over
that one?
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Norms is an interesting case. We first got involved with
Norms when it was threatened with demolition in twenty fourteen,
and back then as well, people came out in rogues.
I think in part for a couple of reasons. One,
people love the architecture and the look at the place.
It's Googy style, so it's wild looking architecture and it
just stands out from everything else. The other reason, and
(12:09):
maybe the one that resonates even more, is that people
have been coming to places like Norms and other kind
of coffee shops and places like this. It's not just
for years, but decades, and so they have a very
strong connection to this place as being a part of
their life or coming there, you know, at two am,
after they've been out at restaurants and bars and things
(12:31):
like that, and it's part of a cultural experience and
they don't want to see it lost. And I think
that's the issue that's very much at play right now
in terms of the building is safe, it's protected, it's
now designated as a historic Cultural Landmark monument in the city,
but the business itself is not, or the use, and
so what's being considered right now is whether it stays
(12:53):
as Norms or it turns into something else like a
raising Knes. And that's where people just said, wait a second,
we love Norms. It's not just the building, it's also
the place and this business.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
But in a way, if a business, a modern business
like raising Canes replaces a historic business like Norms. Obviously
there's going to be some sad feelings in nostalgia around that.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
But if they keep the building.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
That's better than a Raising Canes dropping in on that site,
putting in a drive through with curb cuts and setbacks
and all of that. I mean, you find that folks
like you have to make concessions like that from time
to time, right.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
All the time. That's part of our job is balancing
these competing interests. And yeah, it's it's better than losing
the entire place if we kept the building. And guess
if it turns into a raising Canes or some other business,
it's not a complete loss. And it's about those kind
of continuity of places they do take they do take
(13:54):
on new uses. Historic and older buildings are incredibly adaptable
for new uses. At the same time, things like legacy businesses.
In this case Norms, it's been operating since it's opened
in nineteen fifty seven, twenty four hours a day, and
so in that particular case, that business that legacy businesses
(14:14):
also be loved as well as the building. But yeah,
we're often looking about how to weigh these two things
and how to make the best possible outcome as much
as possible.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
We're talking with Adrian Scott Fine, the LA Conservancy President
and CEO. We're taking a look back at the year
twenty twenty four and wish old LA Area buildings made
it through wish old LA Area buildings did not survive
this year. I want to take you to Brentwood now
and talk about the Maryland Monroe House. This was something
(14:47):
that was a little polarizing as well, because, of course
Marilyn Monroe is a Hollywood icon. There's great affection for
her that lingers all these years after her death inside
this house. But there was also the argument raised that, yeah,
she died there, but she lived there for like fifteen minutes.
We've got all these tourists coming up, and the neighbors
wanted to tear this house down and expand their own
(15:09):
footprint on the property side.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
And they got stopped from doing that as of now.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
So take us to Brentwood and tell us why the
Marylyn Monroe House was worth saving.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
So this is an interesting one as well. Marilyn Monroe
House probably generated the most media coverage that we've seen
on any issue, perhaps maybe in all of our history,
in terms of a single year in terms of not
just you know, Los Angeles or California, but across the
US and internationally. This house resonated with people, primarily what
we were hearing from many people that saved the house.
(15:43):
It's important in terms of telling the story of Marilyn Monroe.
Certainly the owners of the house have a different opinion.
They wanted to demolish it to build or expand their
existing house. The issue here is this is the only
house that really tells a particular slice or part of
Marylyn Moroe's story. This is the only house that she
bought on her own as a single person at the
(16:05):
end of her life, when she was still very much
active in doing her work. But she had very much
a connection to this house. She talked about this house.
She famously said that, you know, if you like my house,
we'll get along to a sign or something to that effect.
So she had a connection here. And you know, in
the case of celebrities, it's always a little tricky about
(16:25):
how do you identify which property is the property to
you know, preserve or to protect to help tell their story.
In this particular case, it's really clear that she had
a connection here. Even though she was only here for
about six months.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
The Marilyn Monroe House has survived for now, but there
may be limits on who can go see it. We'll
talk about that next, and why an old lifeguard shack
in Venice and an RB's fast food sign in Hollywood
are also considered to be preservation worthy.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
I AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News with you till nine
o'clock on this Saturday night in LA. I hope you're
doing well out there, finishing up your shopping and driving
safely on the roads. The Maryland Monroe House in Brentwood
was slated for demolition because the new owners wanted to
expand their property. The city stepped in and blocked that
(17:23):
for now. We continue now with Adrian Scott Fine, president
of the La Conservancy. One of the pieces of the
aftermath of this that I thought was interesting was there
were a lot of people who said we should save
this because of its connection to Maryland. Maryland Monroe. It
means a lot to folks, and now it seems like
there's going to be an effort to stop people from
(17:44):
going up there in mass right, there's going to be
limits on tour buses, limits on people kind of lurking
outside of that area. So when we preserve a space
like this because of people's affection for the person connected
to it, what are we supposed to do when we
turn around and say, but by the way, you're not
going to be able to go take it in?
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Yeah, I think it will still be an opportunity for
an individual to be able to go and see the house.
The thing here is you can't really see the house
even today. There's a large wall in front of it.
But still people want to go kind of almost the
pilgrimage to have a sense of like where does she live?
But the idea of tour buses disrupting a neighborhood, that's
(18:26):
completely a different thing. And I get that in terms
of kind of a nuisance to a neighborhood. So it's
again about all about balancing this. The street won't be
blocked off, people can still go there as an individual,
but it's really about, you know, in that is the
issue about what does that mean? How does that change
the entire feel and the kind of the nuisance factor
(18:47):
in terms of a neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
We're joined by Adrian Scott Fine of the LA Conservancy
as the president and CEO. There we're talking about buildings
that survived the wrecking ball this year in La of
a historic nature and those that did not. I want
to go to Venice now, to a historic lifeguard station.
And I covered this at city Hall and looked it
up and read about the history of this old lifeguard station.
And this you know again, I see the charm, I
(19:11):
see the character and the nostalgia associated with this. But
what is the purpose of saving an old lifeguard station
that isn't in use anymore?
Speaker 4 (19:21):
It helps tell the story of just simple things like
the lifeguard system that existed in Venice and certainly part
of along the beach there in Los Angeles. It's kind
of a quirky, unusual mid century modern building. The dates
from the late sixties and until the early seventies. But
it tells again a kind of a touch point in
(19:43):
terms of what was happening in the whole operation of
the county's lifeguard operations, and this building helps to illustrate that.
And there's a group of residents in Venice that want
to keep it and repurpose it, so it means something
to the community in terms of what it represents and
also the idea that it could be repurposed rather than demolished.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
There's another one that I think a lot of people
have generic affection for but isn't particularly unique, I might editorialize.
I'm talking about the Arby's fast food sign on the
shuttered location on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. I mean, this
looks like a sign like any other Arby's from the
twentieth century that's got the old western style hat and
(20:26):
the word Arby's on it. But this one is so
important that it's making its way through the city process
to be deemed a historic cultural landmark. What is so
significant about the Arby's sign?
Speaker 4 (20:42):
If you know, this cowboy hat shaped sign resonates with people,
and I think the piece part of this is they're
one for many of these signs now there are very few,
so in terms of telling the story of arby'shen this
is one of the first Arby's that you know, landed
in Los Angeles and has been a touchstone in terms
of Sunset Avenue in this portion of the city with
(21:05):
this very distinctive you know, like I said, cowboy hats
sign that has this neon on it that people, you know,
think of it as a landmark. And we see this
all the time with signage that people connect to these
things that helped tell the history of their experience in
a community. And certainly the Rby sign is part of
that as well in terms of people loving it and
(21:26):
don't wanting to see that, not wanting to see that
go as well, even if there's no longer an Arby's there.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I know that the LA Conservancy has celebrated the saving
of various properties across the Greater LA area, including the
Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, the UCLA Faculty Club in Westwood,
Paramount and Boyle Heights, and the Harbor House in San Pedro.
But of course, at any given year you're also going
to lose some properties. I'm wondering if there was one
(21:55):
that struck you particularly difficult to take.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Yeah, they're always hard when we lose a place, especially
if it's not necessary and there are options that otherwise
could have kept the building. The one that probably does
it for me this year is the Benig Risk Lodge
in Westlake. This is a nineteen twenty four building that
was important initially for the Jewish community. Later it was
(22:24):
significant for labor history. And it's also just an architecturally
there was architecturally stunning building in terms of on a
corner site, very prominent building. Three four story building that
was demolished is just now finishing up the demolition right now,
and it's being demolished for nothing. Catholic Charities entered into
(22:46):
a deal with the City of Los Angeles that allowed
them to demolish this, and we believe that you are
very concerned it sets a precedent for other historic buildings
in the future. And like I said, it's one of
those things that just kind of sticks them across in
terms of the building that didn't need to be demolished.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
It is such a gorgeous building.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
There are some others that have bit the bullet this year,
including the Sportsman's Lodge in Studio City.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
This was also controversial.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
It's going to be redeveloped, but this was a place
that had kind of run out of life anyway.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
So will this be missed.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I think it's absolutely going to be missed. I mean,
for many of the folks in Studio City, the Valley area,
this is a legendary place that people have connections to.
It's a place where you had your barmsa or weddings.
All kinds of community events were connected to this place
(23:43):
and it has resonated for the community in lots of
different ways. And it's also been a preservation issue that
has been ongoing for almost twenty years in terms of
various considerations about whether it is or isn't historic, and
then also how it could be redeveloped. So yeah, I
think it's definitely a loss for Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
And it was another place that I recall reporting was
pretty well connected to old school Hollywood crowds. A lot
of famous mid century actors also frequented that place. And
so again we go back to people's affection for people
and the spots that they're associated with. And do we
lose some of the Hollywood history when we lose these spots,
(24:25):
We absolutely do.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
I think you hit your hit the nail on the head.
In terms of the reason we say places is for people.
We don't say buildings just for the sake of saving
old buildings. It's about how do they connect to us
as people, how do they tell our stories? How do
they help us feel rooted? In terms of a place,
and when we lose a place like that, it's almost
(24:47):
like a losing a little bit of ourselves because we
have that connection and now it's gone. And this is
something that holds so many different stories in terms of
the community, whether it was Hollywood history, or Jewish history,
or just valley history. Sportsman's Lodge was an epic, iconic
place in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Another building downtown LA also facing an uncertain future in
spite of how prominent it is. It's owned by the government.
We'll talk about that when next.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News, here with you till
nine o'clock on this Saturday night in LA. I'm also
going to be with you Monday through Friday in the
early morning hours, filling in for our friend Amy King,
who will be away. So I hope you can join
me for wake Up Call the week of Christmas, starting
(25:43):
at five am, all the way through the Bill Handle
Show into the mid morning. So that should be fun
and adventurous. Please do tune in. I'll even be there
on Christmas, so for the rest of you who are
working on Christmas Day, commiserate with me and I'll be
happy to keep you company, just like we are tonight
until nine o'clock when Revision is History comes on Here
(26:04):
at KFI A six forty.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
We want to wrap up this review of the year
in old.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Buildings in la and I did find something interesting for
folks speaking of preservation. If you wanted to preserve your
home from something terrible like a wildfire, there's apparently a
new trend that might even be considered a status symbol.
So forget about the Mercedes Benz or the other fancy cars.
(26:30):
Forget about the pool that's bigger than your neighbors, or
the more manicured lawn. According to some reports that are
out there, including one in the Wall Street Journal, the
new status symbol and ritzy areas such as Malibu are
personal fire hydrants. These are even being promoted by realtors
who claim they can help sell the homes more quickly
(26:53):
because they mitigate people's fear. Now, look, we know that
Malibu can burn. We just saw that happen, and so
if you're making an investment to buy a sprawling property
in Malibu, why not get yourself, your own personal fire hydrant.
According to the report in the Wall Street Journal, some
(27:13):
of these homeowners are choosing to install this device as
an extra safety measure, whereas others have no choice because
their property is located in a remote area. So you've
got some rural spots where it makes sense, but you've
got others who were here basically in the city or
close to the water that is prone to fire, so
they get themselves a personal fire hydrant. This is obviously
(27:39):
related to the frequency the severity of these wildfires. We
saw how scary that one was in Malibu. I won't
forget the images we saw out of Pepperdine, where the
kids were very safe apparently, but to see those flames
licking the outside of those buildings where they were, that
was terrifying. And to know that nine families lost their homes.
(28:01):
That's also very sad this time of year, especially so
here in Malibu, we are seeing that these personal fire
hydrants are going in. One such person as developer Michael Owens,
who has highlighted a quote yellow personal fire hydrant on
the driveway of a listing worth almost fifteen million dollars
(28:25):
a five bedroom property, and he told the Wall Street
Journal quote. I certainly didn't try to hide it. It's
a selling point. It mitigates fear, and it appears, according
to this report, that there's an idea that they're just
darn enough firefighters to protect entire areas in the event
(28:46):
of a widespread disaster, and so seeing something like a
fire hydrant right outside the house reduces that fear. These
are not cheap. That's why they are called status symbols.
This is just like getting yourself a fancy automobile or
the bigger pool or the fancier landscaping. They're not cheap.
(29:07):
The fire hydrant cost reportedly twenty thousand dollars, and then
there is an additional one off thirty five thousand dollar
fee to the local water company and fire department to
ensure that it meets regulations. So that puts you north
of fifty thousand dollars. But I suppose if you're spending
in the millions on a house, what's another fifty grand
(29:30):
for that peace of mind, especially if you want to
see the return on the investment when it's your turn
to list that thing. Apparently there's more fees than that, though,
so you got the entire system which includes permits, the
design a concrete foundation for the tank, a retaining wall
(29:52):
that can then push the costs into the six figures.
The Wall Street Journal wrote about Victoria Waldorf, the listing
agent for a five bedroom, three bathroom home spanning four
six hundred ninety one square feet priced at one point
seven to seventy five million dollars in augwood will say.
She also notes that the personal fire hydrant is very
(30:13):
important to prospective buyers when she's showing them.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
She says, it's a relief in people's faces.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Someone who spoke to The Daily Mail about this John McNicholas,
a California based real estate agent. Here he says, while
it may seem overkill to pay for all these fire defenses,
when you own a property that is worth between ten
and fifty million dollars, it is a fraction of what
it would cost to rebuild the home in the event
(30:42):
of a total loss. So that is a lesson in
preservation that we can all take to heart. If you're
in that price range for a house, might as well
throw down another one hundred two hundred grand and get
yourself a personal fire hydrant.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
I wonder what kind of rims you could put on.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
That thing, but let's go ahead and wrap up this
review of the year twenty twenty four in old buildings
in La What has made it, what has been knocked down?
What is on the horizon for next year? Which buildings
are threatened? We've got LA Conservancy President Adrian Scott fine.
Another building that appears to be in danger is owned
(31:19):
by the La County government. It is their home currently.
It is the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration downtown, and
the daughter of Kenneth Han, Janishon, a current LA County supervisor,
has very vocally and publicly expressed her concern about the
future of the building that bears her father's name, because
(31:39):
the county has just been a lot of money to
move into a skyscraper downtown and that does leave the
Kenneth Hall. Kenneth Han Hall of Administration in Jeopanyil downtown
has beautiful old buildings, and some of the government buildings
I think are among the best. City Hall, the Hall
of Justices are gorgeous old buildings. What's important or special
(32:01):
about this I guess relatively newer government building.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Yeah, it was built in nineteen sixty and it is
a later iteration in terms of the La Civic Center
and its growth and operation. But it's a really important
part of that development. And this as well as the
Stanley Moss Courthouse, we're designed as almost like two bookend
buildings to kind of frame the mall what we can
(32:28):
now call Grand Mall. And so it's newer architecture, it's
late modern. Not everyone has warmed up to this architecture,
and maybe it takes a little bit longer before they
understand how important it is. It looks a little different,
but really important in terms of what it represents to
the overall civic center arrangement and urban design. Was designed
(32:50):
by a series of architects, including Paul R. Williams, So
it has a lot of significance and it's had some
deferred main So it's a building that looks a little higher,
but that doesn't mean that it can't be updated, improved,
And I think that's part of the discussion we're just
now starting in terms of talking with the county about
what are the options rather than going down the road
(33:12):
to demolition.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
As we get closer to twenty twenty five, what should
we be looking for as threatened next year?
Speaker 4 (33:21):
Well, I think Front and Center probably more broadly rather
than individual buildings. It's just the issue of multifamily housing.
We're increasingly seen in the quest to increase housing density.
We're seeing a lot of older and historic multifamily housing,
great apartment buildings, duplexes all over the city being redeveloped
(33:43):
and display the existing residents, and one by one they're
adding up to a lot of really important buildings, not
just in terms of providing housing now that's critical, but
also we're losing and shipping away at part of our
multifamily history. In a place like Los Angeles, more than
sixty percent of residence rent and these buildings provide a
(34:04):
critical service, but we're very quickly seeing them lost. And
when I'm sure we'll have other, you know, individual building
threats that we will be there to fight as the Conservancy,
But we're looking at the bigger picture. What are the trends,
and certainly housing is driving a lot of this right now.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
We're not going to find you chained to an RB
sign on sunset, though, are we Probably not.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
I haven't done that yet in my career. I say yes,
but you know, you never know sometimes that that's what's
called for, And I think again, just speaks to the
passion that people feel for places, including us to the Conservancy.
And that's what Manners is. People need to step up
and stand up for places that matter to them.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Adrian Scott Fine is the President and CEO of the
La Conservancy. Adrian, I do appreciate you taking the time
to look back on twenty twenty four and historic preservation
in Greater LA.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Thanks for the.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Time, Thank you, And so what do you think to
these historic preservation rules go too far?
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Always?
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Sometimes none of the time, has there been a loss
of a building that you care deeply for and you're
still upset about it? Are there buildings you're worried about losing?
Speaker 3 (35:17):
Let us know. Join the conversation.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Click on that iHeartRadio app and then click on the
talkback button and we'll play some of your messages. We're
here with you until nine o'clock on Michael Monks from
the KFI News team. And again we've got another hour
to go, and in that next hour, holiday travels underway.
You may be sitting in traffic somewhere as we speak,
and I wonder what you think about this A new
(35:40):
survey identifying the best and the worst drivers in the country.
Go ahead and guess which side of the list. California
is on KFI AM six forty, on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
I Michael Monks from KFI News, Merry Christmas and Felith
Navidad from all of us here at KFI. I'm going
to keep you company until nine o'clock tonight. Hope you'll
keep me company as well and join the conversation whenever
you feel like it. Click on that iHeartRadio app and
(00:26):
then click on the talkback button and we'll play some
of your comments throughout the evening, whatever is on your mind,
and whatever you have to say about what I have
to say. Today it's a busy travel day. I hope
if you're out in your car listening to us, that
you're being safe and also that you're being patient. A
lot of people on the roads, a lot of people
headed to the airport. Today is apparently the big day
(00:47):
of the holiday travel season, though it will persist through
New Year's Day. I was out and about today myself,
finishing up my Christmas shopping. But again I live downtown,
so I just had to walk, which is very very
nigh nice. But the drive into Burbank here to get
to the studio today was not too bad on the
one oh one for the short eleven miles to get here.
But again, I hope wherever you are, you're feeling good.
(01:09):
You're feeling safe. If you're sitting in traffic, just take
a deep breath. You're going to get there. Don't hurt anyone.
It's Christmas, so I'm all finished with my shopping. Hope
you are too. Unless you're out finishing up right now,
I hope you're done in the next day or two,
because time is running out. I was at the Macy's
today in downtown LA, at the block that mall down
there on Seventh Street. I love shopping at that Macy's.
(01:32):
I love shopping at that Macy's. Before I even moved
to LA would always hit it up when I visited.
And of course, yeah, I can walk to it. So
that's one of the big things. To be able to
go to a important department store without driving. That's pretty cool.
The block is also nice. You can have a coffee outside,
and at Christmas time it's so wonderful. It's one of
those little destinations that you can sit down and really
(01:53):
have a nice experience. They have beautiful Christmas lights up
and regular light shows throughout the day. Buy But unfortunately,
I was able to confirm something that I had been
hearing about the Macy's in Downtown LA. And it does
appear that the Downtown LA Macy's is one of the
(02:14):
ones on the list that's closing. So, you know, Macy's
is closing a bunch of locations all across the country,
and this beloved downtown destination is apparently one of them.
I talked to one of the workers who said that
it would probably be early next year, February or March.
Now the workers are getting the opportunity to transfer to
other stores or just move on with their lives. But
(02:36):
what happens there now that's the anchor of the block.
What kind of large retail establishment like that would be
willing to replace it? You know, downtown LA has some
well documented problems, but in spite of that, it does
have some pretty major retailers. Target Apple has a beautiful
(02:57):
store there. We have a new Adidas shop that opened
up downtown. Of course, we've got our grocery stores, the Routs,
we've got Whole Foods. But as far as what goes
into that Macy's, that's a big loss. For the block,
but that's for somebody else to decide. We'll keep you
posted on that. My question for you beyond that is,
(03:21):
does it matter to you that the Macy's is vacating
that space and I'm talking about the physical structure of
the block where the Macy's is. Do you have any
special memories? But what about any special memories from your
local Big Lots your Tiffany talked about in the last
(03:41):
hour Discount Chain Big Lots conducting going out of business
sales and it's remaining locations after the sale of the
company did not materialize. Now, Big Lots, you know, they
sell furniture, they sell home to core, they sell some groceries.
But they filed for Chapter eleven bankruptcy protection in September.
They had hoped they were going to be acquired by
(04:03):
a private equity firm. It looks like it didn't work out,
so it's trying to find something else. But in the
meantime going out of business sales. So do you have
any heartbreak over the loss of your local Big Lots?
And what about your local Party City? The La Times
(04:24):
reports Party City the party in costume supply chain with
more than seventy locations in California, including several in la Is,
shutting down operations immediately and laying off its employees, and
Bloomberg News first reported that there was a meeting online
Friday where the CEO of Party City, Barry Litwyn, told
the employees at the corporate office that it would be
(04:45):
their last day of work. Just like that, no severance
pay right at Christmas. Party City is gone. So I'm wondering,
you might miss these businesses. You might miss the big lots,
you might miss the Party City, you might miss the
macy downtown. But what about their connection to those buildings?
You know, probably not a lot of emotional connection to them, right,
(05:08):
because they're usually pretty unremarkable. And as much as I
like the block, that's even true for that Macy's. It's
just it's not an architectural marvel. But that was not
always the case for retailers, right, especially when they were
in city center city centers. What if I asked you
about J. W. Robinson's, would you remember coming downtown and
(05:28):
shopping at JW. Robinson's. It's gone, but it's building is
still there. It's beautiful and it's full of newer things,
making newer memories Why does that building matter in an
old big box big lots doesn't. Now, you'd have to
be pretty old to remember shopping at Eastern Colombia. But
(05:48):
if you're alive right now, if you hear my voice,
you know the Eastern Columbia building. It's one of the
most photographed in all of LA, one of the most
beautiful examples of our deco in the country. Retail businesses
come and go and we missed them, but sometimes their
(06:11):
footprints remain and we're lucky for that. Other times we
knocked them down. This past year in La, we decided
to save a house that Marilyn Monroe died in. Even
though the new owners of that house wanted to tear
(06:31):
it down, we did tear down a beautiful structure important
in local Jewish history. We lost our minds in recent
weeks when Norms nearly became a raising canes, and we're
seriously thinking about making an old Arby's sign on Sunset
(06:54):
Boulevard outside an Arby's restaurant that is no longer there
an official historic cultural landmark. It's an RB sign. You
can picture it, the old Western hat with the lights.
You see them everywhere, but this one on Sunset is
(07:16):
very close to being named a historic cultural landwork.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
So how does all this work? This hour, we're going to.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
Talk about the old buildings that made it this year
and the ones that did not in twenty twenty four,
the where and the why. And join our conversation on
the iHeartRadio app. Click on that talkback button. We'd love
to hear from you as well. That's coming up next.
Speaker 1 (07:39):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio App.
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News. We're with you till
nine o'clock tonight. Merry Christmas to you. Hope you're finishing
up your shopping this weekend. Hope you're being safe out
there on the roads. If you are traveling, just be patient,
take a breath. You will get there. Twenty twenty four
(08:06):
was busy for preservationists and developers in La. Some high
profile buildings based demo, while some lower profile spaces captured
a lot of passion. Let's talk about it. Adrian Scott
Fine is the President and CEO of the La Conservancy. Adrian,
thank you so much for being with us.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Thanks for having me you know.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
La is one of those places that is, you know,
it's a big city here in America, but it's not
as old in many ways as some of our East
Coast cousins. And I think people would be surprised to know, however,
that there are a lot of old, beautiful buildings here.
When I first got hired at KFI, they introduced me
on the Gary and Shannon Show and they asked me
(08:51):
why I decided to live downtown. And one of the
things I said was I happen to like old buildings
and being surrounded by old buildings, and they made a joke.
I remember, like like buildings from the nineteen fifties, and
that's just not the case. In many places in La
there are old buildings, And I want to know, just generally,
why does it matter.
Speaker 4 (09:12):
Well, we say old buildings because they helped tell us
where we've been, our heritage, our connections to the past.
They just root us in our understanding of a place,
how it has evolved and changed over time, and it
just connects us. You know, La does have history, despite
what some might may think. Our history is a little newer.
But if you don't have the buildings for places and
(09:34):
the spaces that helped illustrate that it's really hard to understand,
you know, where we've come from, and that's I think
a big part of it. And also the idea it
just makes sense that we reuse existing in older buildings
for new uses and that we reinvest in resources that
have already been built.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
I know, over the course of my career as a journalist,
and it's even been true here in LA, that there's
really nothing like a good historic preservation. It draws a
lot of attention folks who have maybe true passion about
saving old buildings, like your organization, or folks who just
have a general affection for a place in town that
(10:13):
they have memories of, and then folks who were like, oh,
come on, let the people build whatever they want. I'm wondering,
if you had degrade the year twenty twenty four from
the perspective of historic preservationists, how do we do in
Greater LA saving old buildings.
Speaker 4 (10:32):
Well, I mean it's a mixed track record. I don't
know what the grade necessarily be, but you know, we
save some and that's always our goal to save more
than we lose. But yeah, I mean it's part of
the process in La you're always balancing growth with development
pressures and saving and reusing old places. But there's definitely
you know, people care about historic places and when they're
(10:55):
at risk, they often come out in force. And that's
part of our job at the Conservancy is to mobilize
people and to help people understand why a place is important,
how it can be reused, and how to actually do
something to affect change.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
As I just noted, there are folks who have preservation instincts.
There are folks who have generic affection for a memory
that they hold deer from experiences at a certain place.
And then there are folks who say, let people develop.
And we just saw that play out very recently on
a building that you would list has saved for now,
(11:30):
and that's the old Norms Restaurant, which was apparently very
close to becoming a raisin raising canes chicken fast food joint.
What do you think inspired all of the commotion over
that one?
Speaker 4 (11:46):
Norms is an interesting case. We first got involved with
Norms when it was threatened with demolition in twenty fourteen,
and back then as well, people came out in rogues.
I think in part for a couple of reasons. One,
people love the architecture and the look at the place.
It's Googy style, so it's wild looking architecture and it
just stands out from everything else. The other reason, and
(12:09):
maybe the one that resonates even more, is that people
have been coming to places like Norms and other kind
of coffee shops and places like this. It's not just
for years, but decades, and so they have a very
strong connection to this place as being a part of
their life or coming there, you know, at two am,
after they've been out at restaurants and bars and things
(12:31):
like that, and it's part of a cultural experience and
they don't want to see it lost. And I think
that's the issue that's very much at play right now
in terms of the building is safe, it's protected, it's
now designated as a historic Cultural Landmark monument in the city,
but the business itself is not, or the use, and
so what's being considered right now is whether it stays
(12:53):
as Norms or it turns into something else like a
raising Knes. And that's where people just said, wait a second,
we love Norms. It's not just the building, it's also
the place and this business.
Speaker 2 (13:05):
But in a way, if a business, a modern business
like raising Canes replaces a historic business like Norms. Obviously
there's going to be some sad feelings in nostalgia around that.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
But if they keep the building.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
That's better than a Raising Canes dropping in on that site,
putting in a drive through with curb cuts and setbacks
and all of that. I mean, you find that folks
like you have to make concessions like that from time
to time, right.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
All the time. That's part of our job is balancing
these competing interests. And yeah, it's it's better than losing
the entire place if we kept the building. And guess
if it turns into a raising Canes or some other business,
it's not a complete loss. And it's about those kind
of continuity of places they do take they do take
(13:54):
on new uses. Historic and older buildings are incredibly adaptable
for new uses. At the same time, things like legacy businesses.
In this case Norms, it's been operating since it's opened
in nineteen fifty seven, twenty four hours a day, and
so in that particular case, that business that legacy businesses
(14:14):
also be loved as well as the building. But yeah,
we're often looking about how to weigh these two things
and how to make the best possible outcome as much
as possible.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
We're talking with Adrian Scott Fine, the LA Conservancy President
and CEO. We're taking a look back at the year
twenty twenty four and wish old LA Area buildings made
it through wish old LA Area buildings did not survive
this year. I want to take you to Brentwood now
and talk about the Maryland Monroe House. This was something
(14:47):
that was a little polarizing as well, because, of course
Marilyn Monroe is a Hollywood icon. There's great affection for
her that lingers all these years after her death inside
this house. But there was also the argument raised that, yeah,
she died there, but she lived there for like fifteen minutes.
We've got all these tourists coming up, and the neighbors
wanted to tear this house down and expand their own
(15:09):
footprint on the property side.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
And they got stopped from doing that as of now.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
So take us to Brentwood and tell us why the
Marylyn Monroe House was worth saving.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
So this is an interesting one as well. Marilyn Monroe
House probably generated the most media coverage that we've seen
on any issue, perhaps maybe in all of our history,
in terms of a single year in terms of not
just you know, Los Angeles or California, but across the
US and internationally. This house resonated with people, primarily what
we were hearing from many people that saved the house.
(15:43):
It's important in terms of telling the story of Marilyn Monroe.
Certainly the owners of the house have a different opinion.
They wanted to demolish it to build or expand their
existing house. The issue here is this is the only
house that really tells a particular slice or part of
Marylyn Moroe's story. This is the only house that she
bought on her own as a single person at the
(16:05):
end of her life, when she was still very much
active in doing her work. But she had very much
a connection to this house. She talked about this house.
She famously said that, you know, if you like my house,
we'll get along to a sign or something to that effect.
So she had a connection here. And you know, in
the case of celebrities, it's always a little tricky about
(16:25):
how do you identify which property is the property to
you know, preserve or to protect to help tell their story.
In this particular case, it's really clear that she had
a connection here. Even though she was only here for
about six months.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
The Marilyn Monroe House has survived for now, but there
may be limits on who can go see it. We'll
talk about that next, and why an old lifeguard shack
in Venice and an RB's fast food sign in Hollywood
are also considered to be preservation worthy.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (16:59):
I AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News with you till nine
o'clock on this Saturday night in LA. I hope you're
doing well out there, finishing up your shopping and driving
safely on the roads. The Maryland Monroe House in Brentwood
was slated for demolition because the new owners wanted to
expand their property. The city stepped in and blocked that
(17:23):
for now. We continue now with Adrian Scott Fine, president
of the La Conservancy. One of the pieces of the
aftermath of this that I thought was interesting was there
were a lot of people who said we should save
this because of its connection to Maryland. Maryland Monroe. It
means a lot to folks, and now it seems like
there's going to be an effort to stop people from
(17:44):
going up there in mass right, there's going to be
limits on tour buses, limits on people kind of lurking
outside of that area. So when we preserve a space
like this because of people's affection for the person connected
to it, what are we supposed to do when we
turn around and say, but by the way, you're not
going to be able to go take it in?
Speaker 4 (18:04):
Yeah, I think it will still be an opportunity for
an individual to be able to go and see the house.
The thing here is you can't really see the house
even today. There's a large wall in front of it.
But still people want to go kind of almost the
pilgrimage to have a sense of like where does she live?
But the idea of tour buses disrupting a neighborhood, that's
(18:26):
completely a different thing. And I get that in terms
of kind of a nuisance to a neighborhood. So it's
again about all about balancing this. The street won't be
blocked off, people can still go there as an individual,
but it's really about, you know, in that is the
issue about what does that mean? How does that change
the entire feel and the kind of the nuisance factor
(18:47):
in terms of a neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
We're joined by Adrian Scott Fine of the LA Conservancy
as the president and CEO. There we're talking about buildings
that survived the wrecking ball this year in La of
a historic nature and those that did not. I want
to go to Venice now, to a historic lifeguard station.
And I covered this at city Hall and looked it
up and read about the history of this old lifeguard station.
And this you know again, I see the charm, I
(19:11):
see the character and the nostalgia associated with this. But
what is the purpose of saving an old lifeguard station
that isn't in use anymore?
Speaker 4 (19:21):
It helps tell the story of just simple things like
the lifeguard system that existed in Venice and certainly part
of along the beach there in Los Angeles. It's kind
of a quirky, unusual mid century modern building. The dates
from the late sixties and until the early seventies. But
it tells again a kind of a touch point in
(19:43):
terms of what was happening in the whole operation of
the county's lifeguard operations, and this building helps to illustrate that.
And there's a group of residents in Venice that want
to keep it and repurpose it, so it means something
to the community in terms of what it represents and
also the idea that it could be repurposed rather than demolished.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
There's another one that I think a lot of people
have generic affection for but isn't particularly unique, I might editorialize.
I'm talking about the Arby's fast food sign on the
shuttered location on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. I mean, this
looks like a sign like any other Arby's from the
twentieth century that's got the old western style hat and
(20:26):
the word Arby's on it. But this one is so
important that it's making its way through the city process
to be deemed a historic cultural landmark. What is so
significant about the Arby's sign?
Speaker 4 (20:42):
If you know, this cowboy hat shaped sign resonates with people,
and I think the piece part of this is they're
one for many of these signs now there are very few,
so in terms of telling the story of arby'shen this
is one of the first Arby's that you know, landed
in Los Angeles and has been a touchstone in terms
of Sunset Avenue in this portion of the city with
(21:05):
this very distinctive you know, like I said, cowboy hats
sign that has this neon on it that people, you know,
think of it as a landmark. And we see this
all the time with signage that people connect to these
things that helped tell the history of their experience in
a community. And certainly the Rby sign is part of
that as well in terms of people loving it and
(21:26):
don't wanting to see that, not wanting to see that
go as well, even if there's no longer an Arby's there.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
I know that the LA Conservancy has celebrated the saving
of various properties across the Greater LA area, including the
Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, the UCLA Faculty Club in Westwood,
Paramount and Boyle Heights, and the Harbor House in San Pedro.
But of course, at any given year you're also going
to lose some properties. I'm wondering if there was one
(21:55):
that struck you particularly difficult to take.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Yeah, they're always hard when we lose a place, especially
if it's not necessary and there are options that otherwise
could have kept the building. The one that probably does
it for me this year is the Benig Risk Lodge
in Westlake. This is a nineteen twenty four building that
was important initially for the Jewish community. Later it was
(22:24):
significant for labor history. And it's also just an architecturally
there was architecturally stunning building in terms of on a
corner site, very prominent building. Three four story building that
was demolished is just now finishing up the demolition right now,
and it's being demolished for nothing. Catholic Charities entered into
(22:46):
a deal with the City of Los Angeles that allowed
them to demolish this, and we believe that you are
very concerned it sets a precedent for other historic buildings
in the future. And like I said, it's one of
those things that just kind of sticks them across in
terms of the building that didn't need to be demolished.
Speaker 3 (23:02):
It is such a gorgeous building.
Speaker 2 (23:04):
There are some others that have bit the bullet this year,
including the Sportsman's Lodge in Studio City.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
This was also controversial.
Speaker 2 (23:12):
It's going to be redeveloped, but this was a place
that had kind of run out of life anyway.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
So will this be missed.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
I think it's absolutely going to be missed. I mean,
for many of the folks in Studio City, the Valley area,
this is a legendary place that people have connections to.
It's a place where you had your barmsa or weddings.
All kinds of community events were connected to this place
(23:43):
and it has resonated for the community in lots of
different ways. And it's also been a preservation issue that
has been ongoing for almost twenty years in terms of
various considerations about whether it is or isn't historic, and
then also how it could be redeveloped. So yeah, I
think it's definitely a loss for Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
And it was another place that I recall reporting was
pretty well connected to old school Hollywood crowds. A lot
of famous mid century actors also frequented that place. And
so again we go back to people's affection for people
and the spots that they're associated with. And do we
lose some of the Hollywood history when we lose these spots,
(24:25):
We absolutely do.
Speaker 4 (24:26):
I think you hit your hit the nail on the head.
In terms of the reason we say places is for people.
We don't say buildings just for the sake of saving
old buildings. It's about how do they connect to us
as people, how do they tell our stories? How do
they help us feel rooted? In terms of a place,
and when we lose a place like that, it's almost
(24:47):
like a losing a little bit of ourselves because we
have that connection and now it's gone. And this is
something that holds so many different stories in terms of
the community, whether it was Hollywood history, or Jewish history,
or just valley history. Sportsman's Lodge was an epic, iconic
place in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (25:07):
Another building downtown LA also facing an uncertain future in
spite of how prominent it is. It's owned by the government.
We'll talk about that when next.
Speaker 1 (25:17):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
I'm Michael Monks from KFI News, here with you till
nine o'clock on this Saturday night in LA. I'm also
going to be with you Monday through Friday in the
early morning hours, filling in for our friend Amy King,
who will be away. So I hope you can join
me for wake Up Call the week of Christmas, starting
(25:43):
at five am, all the way through the Bill Handle
Show into the mid morning. So that should be fun
and adventurous. Please do tune in. I'll even be there
on Christmas, so for the rest of you who are
working on Christmas Day, commiserate with me and I'll be
happy to keep you company, just like we are tonight
until nine o'clock when Revision is History comes on Here
(26:04):
at KFI A six forty.
Speaker 3 (26:06):
We want to wrap up this review of the year
in old.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
Buildings in la and I did find something interesting for
folks speaking of preservation. If you wanted to preserve your
home from something terrible like a wildfire, there's apparently a
new trend that might even be considered a status symbol.
So forget about the Mercedes Benz or the other fancy cars.
(26:30):
Forget about the pool that's bigger than your neighbors, or
the more manicured lawn. According to some reports that are
out there, including one in the Wall Street Journal, the
new status symbol and ritzy areas such as Malibu are
personal fire hydrants. These are even being promoted by realtors
who claim they can help sell the homes more quickly
(26:53):
because they mitigate people's fear. Now, look, we know that
Malibu can burn. We just saw that happen, and so
if you're making an investment to buy a sprawling property
in Malibu, why not get yourself, your own personal fire hydrant.
According to the report in the Wall Street Journal, some
(27:13):
of these homeowners are choosing to install this device as
an extra safety measure, whereas others have no choice because
their property is located in a remote area. So you've
got some rural spots where it makes sense, but you've
got others who were here basically in the city or
close to the water that is prone to fire, so
they get themselves a personal fire hydrant. This is obviously
(27:39):
related to the frequency the severity of these wildfires. We
saw how scary that one was in Malibu. I won't
forget the images we saw out of Pepperdine, where the
kids were very safe apparently, but to see those flames
licking the outside of those buildings where they were, that
was terrifying. And to know that nine families lost their homes.
(28:01):
That's also very sad this time of year, especially so
here in Malibu, we are seeing that these personal fire
hydrants are going in. One such person as developer Michael Owens,
who has highlighted a quote yellow personal fire hydrant on
the driveway of a listing worth almost fifteen million dollars
(28:25):
a five bedroom property, and he told the Wall Street
Journal quote. I certainly didn't try to hide it. It's
a selling point. It mitigates fear, and it appears, according
to this report, that there's an idea that they're just
darn enough firefighters to protect entire areas in the event
(28:46):
of a widespread disaster, and so seeing something like a
fire hydrant right outside the house reduces that fear. These
are not cheap. That's why they are called status symbols.
This is just like getting yourself a fancy automobile or
the bigger pool or the fancier landscaping. They're not cheap.
(29:07):
The fire hydrant cost reportedly twenty thousand dollars, and then
there is an additional one off thirty five thousand dollar
fee to the local water company and fire department to
ensure that it meets regulations. So that puts you north
of fifty thousand dollars. But I suppose if you're spending
in the millions on a house, what's another fifty grand
(29:30):
for that peace of mind, especially if you want to
see the return on the investment when it's your turn
to list that thing. Apparently there's more fees than that, though,
so you got the entire system which includes permits, the
design a concrete foundation for the tank, a retaining wall
(29:52):
that can then push the costs into the six figures.
The Wall Street Journal wrote about Victoria Waldorf, the listing
agent for a five bedroom, three bathroom home spanning four
six hundred ninety one square feet priced at one point
seven to seventy five million dollars in augwood will say.
She also notes that the personal fire hydrant is very
(30:13):
important to prospective buyers when she's showing them.
Speaker 3 (30:16):
She says, it's a relief in people's faces.
Speaker 2 (30:20):
Someone who spoke to The Daily Mail about this John McNicholas,
a California based real estate agent. Here he says, while
it may seem overkill to pay for all these fire defenses,
when you own a property that is worth between ten
and fifty million dollars, it is a fraction of what
it would cost to rebuild the home in the event
(30:42):
of a total loss. So that is a lesson in
preservation that we can all take to heart. If you're
in that price range for a house, might as well
throw down another one hundred two hundred grand and get
yourself a personal fire hydrant.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
I wonder what kind of rims you could put on.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
That thing, but let's go ahead and wrap up this
review of the year twenty twenty four in old buildings
in La What has made it, what has been knocked down?
What is on the horizon for next year? Which buildings
are threatened? We've got LA Conservancy President Adrian Scott fine.
Another building that appears to be in danger is owned
(31:19):
by the La County government. It is their home currently.
It is the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration downtown, and
the daughter of Kenneth Han, Janishon, a current LA County supervisor,
has very vocally and publicly expressed her concern about the
future of the building that bears her father's name, because
(31:39):
the county has just been a lot of money to
move into a skyscraper downtown and that does leave the
Kenneth Hall. Kenneth Han Hall of Administration in Jeopanyil downtown
has beautiful old buildings, and some of the government buildings
I think are among the best. City Hall, the Hall
of Justices are gorgeous old buildings. What's important or special
(32:01):
about this I guess relatively newer government building.
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Yeah, it was built in nineteen sixty and it is
a later iteration in terms of the La Civic Center
and its growth and operation. But it's a really important
part of that development. And this as well as the
Stanley Moss Courthouse, we're designed as almost like two bookend
buildings to kind of frame the mall what we can
(32:28):
now call Grand Mall. And so it's newer architecture, it's
late modern. Not everyone has warmed up to this architecture,
and maybe it takes a little bit longer before they
understand how important it is. It looks a little different,
but really important in terms of what it represents to
the overall civic center arrangement and urban design. Was designed
(32:50):
by a series of architects, including Paul R. Williams, So
it has a lot of significance and it's had some
deferred main So it's a building that looks a little higher,
but that doesn't mean that it can't be updated, improved,
And I think that's part of the discussion we're just
now starting in terms of talking with the county about
what are the options rather than going down the road
(33:12):
to demolition.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
As we get closer to twenty twenty five, what should
we be looking for as threatened next year?
Speaker 4 (33:21):
Well, I think Front and Center probably more broadly rather
than individual buildings. It's just the issue of multifamily housing.
We're increasingly seen in the quest to increase housing density.
We're seeing a lot of older and historic multifamily housing,
great apartment buildings, duplexes all over the city being redeveloped
(33:43):
and display the existing residents, and one by one they're
adding up to a lot of really important buildings, not
just in terms of providing housing now that's critical, but
also we're losing and shipping away at part of our
multifamily history. In a place like Los Angeles, more than
sixty percent of residence rent and these buildings provide a
(34:04):
critical service, but we're very quickly seeing them lost. And
when I'm sure we'll have other, you know, individual building
threats that we will be there to fight as the Conservancy,
But we're looking at the bigger picture. What are the trends,
and certainly housing is driving a lot of this right now.
Speaker 2 (34:22):
We're not going to find you chained to an RB
sign on sunset, though, are we Probably not.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
I haven't done that yet in my career. I say yes,
but you know, you never know sometimes that that's what's
called for, And I think again, just speaks to the
passion that people feel for places, including us to the Conservancy.
And that's what Manners is. People need to step up
and stand up for places that matter to them.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
Adrian Scott Fine is the President and CEO of the
La Conservancy. Adrian, I do appreciate you taking the time
to look back on twenty twenty four and historic preservation
in Greater LA.
Speaker 3 (34:59):
Thanks for the.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
Time, Thank you, And so what do you think to
these historic preservation rules go too far?
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Always?
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Sometimes none of the time, has there been a loss
of a building that you care deeply for and you're
still upset about it? Are there buildings you're worried about losing?
Speaker 3 (35:17):
Let us know. Join the conversation.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Click on that iHeartRadio app and then click on the
talkback button and we'll play some of your messages. We're
here with you until nine o'clock on Michael Monks from
the KFI News team. And again we've got another hour
to go, and in that next hour, holiday travels underway.
You may be sitting in traffic somewhere as we speak,
and I wonder what you think about this A new
(35:40):
survey identifying the best and the worst drivers in the country.
Go ahead and guess which side of the list. California
is on KFI AM six forty, on demand
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