Council Vote Paves Way to Save Historic Building

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved an easement for the deserted Van Nuys Post Office in the first step of a $1.29 million plan to restore the building’s facade and convert it into a 360-seat theater.

The easement, approved unanimously and without discussion, was needed for the project to qualify for a $600,000 grant from the state Office of Historic Preservation.

Built in the mid-1930s, the post office at 14530 Sylvan Street was one of the few San Fernando Valley projects under the Works Progress Administration program. It was included on a list of 15 buildings the City Council submitted to the state agency last fall as candidates for historic preservation.

The Back Alley Theater, which now operates out of a 93-seat theater on Burbank Boulevard in Van Nuys, is expected to contribute $690,000 to the restoration and conversion project, according to Councilman Marvin Braude, whose district includes Van Nuys. The Back Alley will occupy and run the new theater.

To qualify for the state funds, the city was required to show that it had “substantial control” over the post office building, which was purchased by a group of attorneys 10 years ago.

The easement, which gives the city the authority to approve alterations to the building, takes effect if the state awards the $600,000 grant.

“From the perspective of historical preservation, the easement’s value is that it will maintain an attractive and historically significant building in the Van Nuys community,” Braude said.