L. A. Council to Vote on Wilshire Disco’s Hours

The Los Angeles City Council will vote Wednesday on whether to change the hours a controversial mid-Wilshire disco and restaurant may remain open.

Wall Street, a club located in the Art Deco-style El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., is now open nightly from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., the hours stipulated on its conditional use permit.

Neighbors have protested that the hours violate a written agreement between homeowners and the club owners. Zoning officials have admitted that the late operating hours listed on the permit resulted from a clerical error. Neighbors were not aware of the error until the club opened early this year.

Club owner David Andre Bohbot said that forcing him to close at midnight would be disastrous for his business. He said the 8 p.m. opening hour is too late to attract diners to the upstairs restaurant and that disco patrons do not show up until about 9 on week nights and 11 on weekends.

Bohbot said he has spent about $800,000 refurbishing the 1930s building.

Lyn MacEwen Cohen, president of the Mid Wilshire Neighbors Assn., said that her organization endorsed the opening of the club after its owners signed a three-page document, agreeing, among other things, that the club would operate from 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.