Curtain Call for a Landmark Theater

City and county officials rallied Wednesday to save the landmark Golden Gate theater complex in East Los Angeles, which is a rare historic landmark in the area.

Demolition crews had swept onto the site at the corner of Whittier and Atlantic boulevards Tuesday and Wednesday, and began to dismantle some walls. But they were halted by a stop-work order obtained from the county Public Works Department through the efforts of Supervisor Ed Edelman.

Edelman, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Gloria Molina, and sheriff’s deputies went to the site Wednesday afternoon to be sure demolition work was halted, and spoke to more than 50 concerned community members who gathered there.

“We’re going to try and stop this damn demolition before it happens,” said Edelman, who blamed the demolition’s start on a “foul-up” in the Public Works Department, which issued a permit to demolish the structure last week.

“Some heads are going to be rolling on this,” he declared.

“As strongly as this community fights to keep unwanted projects from their area, we will fight as strongly to preserve the cultural and historical benefits we have,” Molina said.

The Baroque and Art Deco style complex was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. One part of it includes the Golden Gate theater, which apparently is not threatened, but another includes an L-shaped building called the Vega, best known for its four-story octagon tower, where the demolition was scheduled to take place.

Complex Characterized

County records on file detailing the reasons for the national landmark designation describe the complex as one with “a sense of time and place. The majority of its structural features, including its conformation, detailing and decorative elements, have been unaltered. As a result, the building has clearly retained a sense of architectural integrity and original design.”

However, the Vega was damaged in the 5.9 earthquake of last Oct. 1, according to Jean Granucci, spokeswoman for the county Department of Public Works, and had been posted by county inspectors as unsafe for occupancy. Business owners who had operated jewelry, stationery and shoe repair stores and a bowling alley in the structure had been evicted.

According to Martha Molina, administrative assistant to Assemblywoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, the building’s owner, George Frousiakis, had apparently not been willing to pay the cost of repairs.

The community had only recently found out his intention to tear the structure down, and was concerned, she said, “because it’s the only designated monument we know of in the area.” Frousiakis could not be reached for comment.

Before a historic building can be demolished, an environmental evaluation must be done, Granucci said.

“The owner had to hire a structural engineer,” the Public Works spokeswoman said. “A permit was issued after we had the report from the engineer indicating the building was in imminent danger.”

However, Bob Ballenger, an Edelman deputy, said late Wednesday that the supervisor “wants to have an independent architectural firm come in and assess the damage to see if anything can be done to save the building.”