November 17, 2005
St. Vibiana's Re-Opening
St. Vibiana's Cathedral at 114 East 2nd Street in the heart of downtown Los Angeles has been in the news recently. Tom Gilmore, the renowned downtown developer who stepped in to save the threatened landmark, and the Los Angeles Conservancy celebrated the grand re-opening of the historic cathredral as a performing arts center with a gala fundraiser on November 12, 2005. The celebration marked 10 years since the landmark ecclesiastical structure was closed due to severe earthquake damage.
Dedicated in 1876, St. Vibiana's Catholic Cathedral is one of Los Angeles' last and most important 19th century structures. Designed by architect Ezra Kysor, plans to construct a cathedral for Los Angeles began as early as 1859 using land donated to the Church by Amiel Cavalier. The edifice was completed in 1880 at a cost of approximately $80,000. Pope Pius IX chose the Cathedral's name, selecting St. Vibiana, who was a 3rd century martyr.
The cathedral has been closed since May 1995 because of damage sustained during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. The recent grand re-opening celebration follows a long effort to save the historic building. In 1996, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles began demolishing the structure, starting with the bell tower, to make way for a new facility. The Los Angeles Conservancy opposed the demolition and proved successful in two lawsuits that stopped the demolition.
St. Vibiana's was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's 11 Most Endangered Places list in 1997. The property has since been purchased by developer Tom Gilmore and successfully rehabilitated as a performing arts complex anchored by Cal State Los Angeles. The rehabilitation included a seismic retrofit to help protect the cathedral from future earthquake damage.
Read more about St. Vibiana's grand re-opening in the following articles:
Diane Keaton builds on a passion to preserve L.A.'s architecture
"Actress Diane Keaton smiled as she surveyed the expansive interior of Vibiana Place, a new community arts center in downtown L.A. "It's a wonderful example of reuse," said Keaton, an L.A. Conservancy board member, who attended the center's opening gala last weekend..."
Revitalizing Vibiana's
"After 10 years and millions of dollars in seismic retrofitting and restoration, Vibiana Place opened Saturday, Nov. 12, for its first official event - "Viva Vibiana," a gala that, fittingly, fêted its restoration..."
Happy to Eat My Words About Vibiana
"There are times when it feels great to be wrong. In 1996 I didn't think there was any way to save the Cathedral of St. Vibiana at Second and Main streets..."
A Church's Resurrection
"St. Vibiana's Cathedral in downtown L.A. is reopening as an arts center 10 years after it was closed because of earthquake damage..."
Historic L.A. cathedral gets new life as arts center
"St. Vibiana's Cathedral, the 129-year-old church that narrowly escaped demolition after earthquake damage closed it a decade ago, has been resurrected..."
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