Controversial Gehry Project Approved: David Ryu Applauds, but Historic Preservation Suffers

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DEEGAN ON LA- On Tuesday, November 1, the City Council approved Frank Gehry’s revised project at 8150 Sunset Boulevard. Gehry did not get what he wanted and David Ryu got more than may have been expected in a showdown over the project that the councilmember and many others objected to. Unresolved, just as it was when the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) committee met last week, is the status of the Lytton Savings Bank, a Modernist building that has been nominated for Historic-Cultural Monument status by the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission, pending an approval by PLUM and the full City Council. It sits within the footprint of Gehry’s project. 

The PLUM committee sidetracked a decision about what to do with Lytton in their rush to approve the bigger – i.e. Gehry -- piece of the project. Now that the deal has been approved by City Council, demolition is probably what can be expected for the Lytton Savings Bank building, Kurt Meyer’s architectural gem. 

Councilmember Jose Huizar’s PLUM committee will consider approving Historic-Cultural Monument status for Lytton on November 22, in what may be one of the most mocking, irrelevant and posthumous hearings they have ever held. Short of Frank Gehry changing his mind about not wanting the bank to be part of his collection of buildings at 8150 Sunset, or David Ryu doubling down to what he has already done for the community on this this project, preservation of the Lytton Savings bank building looks doomed -- even if PLUM votes for historic-cultural monument status. 

There’s a nuance between saying you are supporting or you are preserving. It’s the latter that has gotten caught in the throats of those who will only go so far in their expression of support for Lytton. Everybody seems to like the bank building and want to give it cultural monument status, but very few want to save it. 

Keith Nakata, Co-founder of the Friends Lytton Savings, stated that “it’s disappointing that the city did not handle the items in a way that would be appropriate to come to an intelligent decision about the project.” 

What benefits have come out of this controversy? Councilmember David Ryu (CD4), who was at the center of the negotiations to change the scope of the project, explains, “When I took office, this project stood at 234 feet. Today, it will be reduced by nearly a quarter, capping the height of this project at 178 feet. Additionally, the density will be reduced, community benefits will be provided to the adjacent neighborhoods, parking and pedestrian access will be increased, traffic improvements will be implemented, and additional workforce housing units will be provided with increased affordability overall.”                                                                       

Ryu’s recap set the stage for his immediate pivot to what may be his next land use and development objective: “This project serves as a clear reminder that the city must revise its rules on how the State’s Density Bonus law (SB 1818) is applied. I strongly believe that we are disproportionately incentivizing developers and that this exchange is not equitable for our residents. We must approach future projects that include affordable housing units with more common sense solutions to achieve better results for our city.” 

Gehry had the last word, referring to the future of the seemingly-doomed Lytton Savings Bank, and he kept it simple, telling a reporter that “somehow, I’m going to figure out how to recognize Kurt Meyer as part of our project.”

 

(Tim Deegan is a long-time resident and community leader in the Miracle Mile, who has served as board chair at the Mid City West Community Council and on the board of the Miracle Mile Civic Coalition. Tim can be reached at [email protected].) Edited for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.