October 31, 2005

Save the Derby Meeting

The proposed demolition of the historic Brown Derby Restaurant Building at 4500 Los Feliz Boulevard (at the corner of Hillhurst and Los Feliz) ran into some trouble last week at a community meeting held by the Adler Realty Company, the project developer. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the project and obtain public feedback. For those who were unable to attend, the news is that the response from the community was overwhelming.

According to the Save the Derby Blog, "From the beginning of the meeting it was apparent that the property owners severly underestimated the local residents opposition to building an 81 luxury condo development with retail stores..." Due to the community's negative response, representatives of the developer have indicated that the they are planning to reduce the proposed project to about 13,000 sq.ft. from previous plans for a 47,000 sq. ft. supermarket. They are also considering plans to partially preserve the Brown Derby Restaurant building, although no specifics have been released.

Both the Save the Derby Blog and the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GGPNC) website have posted extensive accounts of the evening. Included are photographs of the meeting, video clips, and descriptions of the event's tenor.

The next meeting concerning this project will take place on November 10, 2005 in the auditorium of a local church at 2071 Dracena Drive. The meeting is being sponsored by the GGPNC. The GGPNC will be making recommendations to the city based on the input provided at this meeting.

For more information on the historic Brown Derby Restaurant, its demolition, and the proposed development project, be sure to visit the Save the Derby Blog at http://thederby.blogspot.com and the Save the Derby website at http://www.savethederby.com. On the GGPNC website, one can also find links to a number of project related documents, including the developer's master land use permit application, environmental assessment form, and concept design drawings.

See past coverage of this issue at in PreserveLA Archives and at: http://www.preservela.com/archives/000482.html



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