Building Will Be Razed for Temporary Park

The Glendale Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday voted to demolish another Brand Boulevard building and to replace it with a temporary park.

Agency members voted 3 to 2 to raze the former American Savings building at 527 N. Brand Blvd., which is owned by the city. The one-story building has been vacant since last summer, when the savings institution moved into a new office tower at 505 N. Brand Blvd.

City Manager James Rez said real estate agents have been unable to find a tenant for the old building because the structure is scheduled to be torn down in August.

The city plans to sell the land to the Reliance Development Co. of Glendale. Reliance, which built the neighboring 14-story tower, plans to use the site for a second project, a three-story structure.

The park on the site would remain only until Reliance begins work on the building.

Rez said the unoccupied building presents safety and security problems for the city.

Dozens of buildings in the downtown area have been razed in the last five years and not replaced.

Councilmen Larry Zarian and John F. Day objected to demolition.

“We’re in great danger of looking like downtown Burbank,” Day said, referring to blocks of buildings in that city that were leveled several years ago.