The Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission is scheduled to hold a hearing at 10 a.m. Oct. 8 to consider a landmark status application for the endangered, century-old Standard gas station in the Eagle Rock neighborhood.
Esotouric initially flagged several weeks ago the demolition permit application for the 1919 metal station at 1659 W. Colorado Blvd. (aka Route 66).
The station’s new owners, Paradigm Collaboration, must halt all demolition until the landmarks hearing, though Esotouric reported illegal demolition activity in the adjacent building.
Esotouric also reported:
The new owners have said that they want the station gone for a surface parking lot, a use that might not even be allowed under the Colorado Boulevard Specific Plan. But their demolition permit is still moving through the system.
Okay, but what’s the rush? Eagle Rock is proud of its place on the Mother Road, and feels a deep affection for the station. If the new owners aren’t interested in caring for it, there’s a process by which they can seek permission to demolish or to move it. And at the same time, the community can use the policy tools that exist to seek municipal landmark designation, preservation in place and city oversight of any changes sought for this treasured local landmark.
As the National Parks Service notes, there are a lot of great public and private options for adaptive reuse of an historic service station: they’ve been turned into ice cream stands and art gallery/shade structures, park restrooms and drive-thru coffee shops. It’s been suggested that this one could become a passenger shelter on the new BRT commuter busway, which will run along Colorado on the old Route 66 alignment.
Also, the 1933 Group — which brought and restored the Tail O’ the Pup and Formosa Cafe — reportedly wants to buy the station and move it to a safer location.
Esotouric pledges to keep tabs on the station and will post updates here.
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A very cool bit of history there. I hope they can save it.