At LAX, they’re sifting ideas for a hotel and revival of the Theme Building
Leaders of LAX, looking to revive their sleepy signature Theme Building and perhaps add the airport’s first on-site hotel, say they are “pleased by the enthusiastic and creative responses” they’ve seen from the private sector so far.
The concept is in its infancy, and officials of Los Angeles World Airports wouldn’t say how many responses they have in hand. But the agency on March 8 issued a “request for information” that would shed light on the idea of creating a hotel and or conference center in the LAX’s core area, and the deadline was Friday afternoon.
“Members of the executive team will meet over the next several weeks to review and evaluate the proposals, at which time next steps will be determined,” said LAWA spokesman Charles Pannunzio in a statement.
The sleek, spider-like Theme Building, built in 1961 to welcome the jet age, is one of the most iconic structures in Los Angeles, but its upstairs restaurant area has been idle since the start of 2014 and its observation deck is closed indefinitely.
The airport has never had an on-site hotel, but the advent of a new people-mover train, due to start running March 2023 among terminals, public transit and parking areas, has LAX’s leaders thinking about new uses for the space within the horseshoe formed by Terminals 1 through 8.
christopher.reynolds@latimes.com
Follow Reynolds on Twitter: @MrCSReynolds
Sign up for The Wild
We’ll help you find the best places to hike, bike and run, as well as the perfect silent spots for meditation and yoga.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
