On the Town: Disney works its magic on historic air terminal

It was an opening reminiscent of a blockbuster premiere when the Walt Disney Co. hosted the Glendale Historical Society’s “Come Fly With Us” gala and benefit at the spruced-up Grand Central Air Terminal.

Guests, some dressed in 1920s finery, walked a red carpet and stopped for a photo in front of the paparazzi backdrop before entering the building.

Disney has completed the restoration and rehabilitation of the terminal that was built in 1929 and whose frequent flyers included Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Architect Henry Gogerty combined the style of Spanish Colonial Revival with Zigzag Moderne in the terminal’s design. The last flight from the historic air field was in 1959.

The terminal and adjacent buildings were purchased by Disney in 1997. The Glendale Historical Society was a strong advocate for the restoration of the terminal over the years and was heavily involved throughout the renovation process from 2013 to 2015 to ensure that the building’s historic features were preserved.

Disney employees inhabit office space on the second floor. A visitor’s center, which will be open to the public later this month on a limited, reservation-only basis, has photographs of famous aviators and other mementos on display. For more information, go to https://bit.ly/1Uzg2NM.

Guests chatted during the gala while partaking of hors d’oeuvres and signature cocktails in the event room, which originally was the passenger waiting area. Among those enjoying the event were Richard and Carol Lee and Gail Egan, who donned a flapper’s dress.

Perusing the vintage photos in the visitor’s center was community volunteer Patty Mack, who recalled coming with her parents to see Earhart at the historic terminal. Her father snapped several photos of the famous aviatrix.

Greg Grammer, society president, thanked Disney and G &C Properties for sponsoring the event and Forest Lawn for donating the flowers. Grammer then presented the first Preservation Award to Disney’s Adam Gilbert, director of corporate real estate and asset management, and Steve Milam, senior project manager who oversaw the renovation that was completed by the design team of Frederick Fisher & Partners Architects, Pamela Burton & Co. Landscape Architecture and Historic Resources Group.

“Grand Central serves as a model for adaptive reuse and the kind we’d like to see more of in Glendale,” Grammer said.

The second award for Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation went to the Niodrara Drive Historic District, which includes 32 houses and is distinguished by examples of Period Revival, Ranch, Modern and an American Foursquare from 1912, one of the oldest houses in the Verdugo Woodlands.

This is the seventh historic district to be designated in Glendale. Accepting the award were Cathy Jurca and Laura Crook. Jurca, the historical society’s vice president, was the applicant for the award, and Crook is a society board member. The two worked diligently to get the district through the application process.

Crook also served on the gala committee with Jeri Anderson, Sean Bersell, Leslie and Robert Gordon, Marica Hanford, Victoria Lasken, Sonia Montejano, Scott Smissen and Ralph Ziegler.

Attending the event were Mayor Paula Devine, council members Laura Friedman, Vartan Gharpetian and Zareh Sinanyan as well as Glendale Unified School District Board President Armina Gharpetian.

Proceeds from the evening, which included a silent auction, benefit the society’s endowment and preservation funds, which allow the society to continue to be a strong voice for preservation in Glendale.

JOYCE RUDOLPH can be reached at rudolphjoyce10@gmail.com.