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SOUTHWEST MARINE SHIPYARD
The Conservancy has been working to save the historic Southwest Marine Shipyard at the Port of Los Angeles for almost three years. The WWII-era shipyard buildings were slated for demolition in 2006, and more recently, the Port approved plans to fill its two slips wtih contaminated dredge spoils as part of a project to deepen the main channel.
In June, the Conservancy and Gambol Industries, the shipyard’s recent tenant, entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Port of Los Angeles to drop their appeals of the environmental impact report (EIR) for the Port’s channel deepening project. Although the slips have been altered over time, the Conservancy was concerned that filling them in would nullify the shipyard’s historic function and limit opportunities for reusing the adjacent buildings by cutting off their access to the water.
Through talks facilitated by Councilwoman Janice Hahn, the Port agreed to a one-year exclusive negotiating period, which will give Gambol the opportunity to work with the Port on a detailed business plan to return the historic shipyard to its historic use as a shipbuilding and repair facility. Under the agreement, the Port is free to move forward with the planned demolition work at the site of the slips, but it will not initiate construction of the foundation that would fill the slips before February 2010.
Significantly, the Port also agreed to permanently shelve the 2006 EIR for the proposed demolition of the Southwest Marine Buildings, and require a new EIR for any future proposal to raze structures in the National Register-eligible historic district. The Conservancy is grateful for the leadership of Councilmember Hahn in crafting a process for reuse of the site. We look forward to working with all parties in developing a win-win solution. History The Port of Los Angeles has a great summary of the Port's history on their site at http://www.laporthistory.org/level3/berth_240.html |
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Wilshire May Company This Streamline Moderne department store with its prominent cylindrical gold tower signals the western entrance of Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile district. The Conservancy swung into action when the May Co. building was threatened with demolition for office towers and a hotel during the early 1990s. After successfully nominating the building for City Historic-Cultural Monument status, the Conservancy worked with County officials to ensure the building's reuse by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Now LACMA West, the May Co. had a splashy reopening in 1999 when it played host to a blockbuster Van Gogh exhibit. Photo courtesy of Julius Shulman |
