6 Accused of Bid to Raze Historic House
Six people accused of illegally trying to demolish the historic McKinley Mansion in Los Angeles to make way for an apartment complex were charged Thursday with violations of various city codes.
City Atty. James K. Hahn called the case “an example of blatant disregard not only for the law but for the historical and cultural traditions of Los Angeles.”
The 13,000-square-foot Italian Renaissance-style mansion in the Westlake District was built in 1917 by Mayor H. McKinley, a mortuary owner, and declared a historic-cultural monument in 1987.
Charged in the case were John K. Kwon, 47, of Arcadia; his wife, Kyung J. Kwon, 40, and Sandra Park, 32, of the Park La Brea area, who were the owners of the mansion when the demolition was attempted.
Also charged were Myong Bok Lee, 35, a Wilshire District resident who is president of Dragon Realty; Menashe Kozar, 32, a Hollywood resident who was foreman of the demolition crew, and Ami Mor, 47, of Northridge, who allegedly supplied false information to obtain the demolition permit.
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