Iconic Golden Era building becomes a condominium

[Marc Chevalier]

If you live in Los Angeles, you've seen the EASTERN COLUMBIA BUILDING downtown. It's the 1930s one completely covered in turquoise blue and gold ceramic. In fact, it looks a lot like the building silhouette on the far left of the Fedora Lounge logo (look up and to the left of the fedora guy's head, right now! )

Well, now you can live in it. Take a look:


http://www.easterncolumbialofts.com/html/index.html

http://www.easterncolumbialofts.com/html/building/index.html

http://www.easterncolumbialofts.com/html/neighborhood/index.html

http://www.easterncolumbialofts.com/html/building/view4.html


The question is, how do you feel about the conversion of Golden Era buildings like these to residential use?

By the way, no one has yet figured out where to relocate the homeless/transient population displaced by all this downtown gentrification. Ironic, since many of these transients were dumped (and redumped) there for years. Outlying cities would have their police pick up transients and give them a one-way ride to downtown.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

Well considering that I actually live in downtown LA....

I would 100% prefer them making them into condo's then the other option.

At least with the re-use projects the main structure is preserved. Yes, business should use them, but they won't. Its that simple.

So if people want to live in them, its one more building that isn't going to be completely torn down.

Some loss of interiors is better then loss of the whole exterior structure from the skyline.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I agree with you. I think that sometimes, architectural preservationists shoot themselves in the foot by insisting that nothing be altered in historic buildings. They exist today and should be used today. Like humans, buildings must adapt (or rather, be adapted) to changing times and needs.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

By the way, it would be really interesting to hear from you about what living in downtown L.A. is like.

(Note to non-L.A. people: the question is not as absurd as it seems. Our downtown is not like other downtowns.)

 

[Miss Neecerie]

By the way, it would be really interesting to hear from you about what living in downtown L.A. is like.

(Note to non-L.A. people: the question is not as absurd as it seems. Our downtown is not like other downtowns.)

I live a bit south of actual downtown, ie just south of Staples Center...but its still downtown.. and would probably qualify in many peoples books as 'ghetto-ish'..but I would move into one of the lofts closer into the center if I had the money.....

I actually really like being this central to everywhere. I can get to the Valley, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Long Beach, etc....all in about the same amount of time. Granted, how long that is depends on traffic, but its all the same distance from here.

I think its getting a lot better in terms of things being open at night and places to go. there are new eateries and so forth popping up.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

It's amazing how much downtown has changed in the past few years. Have you seen Chinatown lately? All those curio shops have become art galleries. And every warehouse is being turned into a loft.

 

[VivianRegan]

An historic preservationist chimes in...

Yes, turn it into lofts if it saves it from being razed. Adaptive re-use is catching on in many downtowns as a viable way to utilize underutilized buildings.

AND, get this... as long as the exterior stays intact, the building is eligible for the most important of designations, lisiting on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP doesn't take into account interiors, because they are not always accessible to the public (as in private homes).

Once a building gets listed on the NRHP, all SORTS of grants, loans and financial assistance is available. It is possible that these developers have applied for and received special monies from the city, conservancy (do they do that?), state or feds.

A quick search of the NRHP database comes up negative for the Eastern Columbia. They could, currently, be working on the listing.

Purists are realizing that flexibity can save some of our finest architecture. At least, I hope they are!

 

[katiemakeup]

I think the building is beautiful- I agree with you guys. Whatever it takes to keep it still standing. I wish I could afford to live in one of those beautiful old highrises!

 

[Harry Lime]

It's great.

I looked into buying a condo in that building. Couldn't convince the wife; gentrification hasn't proceeded to a level where she feels safe at night yet in the area. Couldn't really argue too much, the area is still pretty rough especially at night.

Agree that condos are a great way to go. The building won't be re-used as offices anymore, they're outmoded for a number of reasons. Turning them into condos no only saves the buildings it brings a re-energized tax base permanently into the area. More businesses move in to service the new residents, the downtown stays open later, etc. I've seen this happen (and continue to happen) successfully in downtown Chicago, it is really srtaing to happen in LA. LA has a remarkable treasure of old buildings. Some day we may all be able to walk it's streets at night safely surrounded by beautiful old buildings, a scene out of the Golden Age.

I wasn't sure this would ever happen in downtown LA. It really had over the years decayed and become a dumping ground for societies unfortunates, drug abusers, etc. I work down there a lot; you still see a lot of pretty unspeakable things but it is getting better, particularly around the Staples Center. (Anyone ever go to the Biltmore? It's pretty gorgeous.)

Condo conversion means downtown LA can be saved and not turn into another Detroit. There's an old city with a lot of gorgeous old buildings that I don't hold out much hope for. Detroit has never been able to get it's act together and the weather is going to take it's toll on it's old buildings much quicker than it did in LA.


(Only downside to living in downtown LA - summer. It really does get awfully hot down there.)

Harry Lime

 

[airfrogusmc]

I agree. If it saves the building cool. And in allot of cases some building have been restored to their old glory. Definately better than what was going on in the 50 & 60s with all the tear downs.

 

[Miss Neecerie]

I wasn't sure this would ever happen in downtown LA. It really had over the years decayed and become a dumping ground for societies unfortunates, drug abusers, etc. I work down there a lot; you still see a lot of pretty unspeakable things but it is getting better, particularly around the Staples Center. (Anyone ever go to the Biltmore? It's pretty gorgeous.)




(Only downside to living in downtown LA - summer. It really does get awfully hot down there.)


Harry Lime

Yes, it is getting better here. They are also going ahead with a giant sports entertainment complex by the Staples Center, which with restaurants and movie theatres etc....will bring even more people that way...for good reasons.....

And yes...some of us Powder Room ladies had tea at the Biltmore the last day of the Queen Mary event last year. Great fun.

Try living in one of the Valleys (san fran or San Gabriel). They are a good 5-10 degrees warmer then downtown.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

So we agree: re-using -- and not abusing -- a great old building like the Eastern Columbia is a good thing.

That said, L.A.'s "loftification", as I call it, can go too far. In Chinatown, a very ugly, 1970s concrete box of a building -- for years a home to sewing factories and the occasional art gallery -- is being converted into (what else?) lofts. The sewing factories and the art gallery have been kicked out.

Sometimes, an industrial building should remain industrial. Especially one this ugly.

 

[VivianRegan]

The ugly building of the '70s, if it remains standing, will one day be historical.

I struggle with this all the time, but it will happen. Someday, people will enjoy what we think is SO hideous, and they'll be excited when one gets converted to living space.

It's similar to when, in the '30s and '40s, Victorian architecture was thought gaudy and repulsive. Lots of work was done on buildings to update a rectify the high-peaked roofs, gingerbread and multi-shaped shingles.

We only have 14 years until buildings built in 1970 will be eligible for the National Register. This freaks me out to no end.

If I could live in the Eastern Columbia, I surely would.

Phoenix's version is the Title and Trust Building (now the Orpheum Lofts). It's modest, comparatively, but sports a dramatic lobby, also (the units themselves are nondescript, compared to the lobby!)

http://www.orpheumlofts.com/living/interior_views.html