Long Gone

0



The Ambassador Hotel is far from the only lost landmark that could have been adaptively reused over the years. Here are a few more:



Perino’s Restaurant:

Classic Italian and Continental eatery on Wilshire Boulevard that was a Hollywood favorite for decades after opening in 1932. Closed in 1986 and demolished in 2004 to make way for apartments.



Brown Derby Restaurant:

Opened across the street from the Ambassador Hotel in 1926 with its trademark bowler hat and became a symbol of Hollywood’s golden years. Closed in 1982 and later razed to make way for mini-mall.



Pan Pacific Auditorium:

This Streamline Moderne icon in the Fairfax District became one of L.A.’s most popular indoor performing centers after its 1935 construction. A small fire in 1983 damaged it and a massive fire destroyed it six years later.



Richfield Oil Company Building:

Art Deco stunner built in 1929 with black and gold fa & #231;ade meant to symbolize the “black gold” or oil that drove Richfield’s business. Torn down to make way for ARCO Plaza in late 1960s.



Long Beach Naval Station:

Administration building and residences built by renowned architect Paul Wiliams in 1941. Fell victim to the base cutting frenzy of the 1990s despite campaign to save it. Demolished in 1998 to make way for shipping terminal.



McKinley Building:

Spanish style revival commercial building constructed in 1923 on Wilshire Boulevard during the thoroughfare’s first building boom. A 1998 attempt to have the City Council declare it a landmark failed and the building was demolished to make way for a drug store.

Previous article Movers and Losers
Next article Gas Facility Resumes Production
Howard Fine
Howard Fine is a 23-year veteran of the Los Angeles Business Journal. He covers stories pertaining to healthcare, biomedicine, energy, engineering, construction, and infrastructure. He has won several awards, including Best Body of Work for a single reporter from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers and Distinguished Journalist of the Year from the Society of Professional Journalists.

No posts to display