Foster the People mural in downtown L.A. is painted over

Despite an online campaign and intervention from the office of Mayor Eric Garcetti, a mural in downtown Los Angeles for the indie rock band Foster the People has been painted over after the work ran afoul of preservation codes for the historic Santa Fe Lofts.

The mural, located on the back of a building facing a parking lot, was painted over on Friday, according to one resident of the Santa Fe Lofts. The mural had garnered attention when it went up in January and later was used as the basis for the band’s album “Supermodel,” which was released in March.

The band announced in July that the mural would have to be removed, but an online petition helped to delay the process for a couple of weeks. Garcetti’s office stepped in and suggested any change to the mural be postponed.

A recently released joint statement from the band, Garcetti’s office and the building’s owner said that the Santa Fe Lofts is a designated state historic building and therefore receives tax credits for maintaining original design features. It is “necessary to remove the mural to return this historic property to its original state.”

The parties also said that they have “committed to working together to create a new mural in another downtown location that all Angelenos can enjoy for many years. Details of the mural will be revealed at a later date.”

Santa Fe Lofts, which is near 6th and Main streets downtown, is owned by Capital Foresight, a real-estate company.

Twitter: @DavidNgLAT