Owner of Historic Structure May Seek Demolition Permit

The owner of Glendale’s century-old Edgar D. Goode House said he may seek to demolish it because his proposed sale of the historic site fell through and he cannot get financing for his plan to build senior citizen housing around the landmark.

Joe Ayvazi, who owns the Goode House and several adjacent lots, said Monday that he cannot persuade a lender to finance construction of a 40-unit senior citizen apartment complex around the Goode House, which the city approved if Ayvazi agreed to restore the deteriorating dwelling.

“If it reaches a point where we can’t do anything with the house, we may have no choice but to apply for a demolition permit,” he said.

Because Glendale officials have designated the Goode House as a protected landmark, Ayvazi would have to plead economic hardship before the city’s Historic Preservation Commission and the City Council.

“I can’t speak for either one of those groups, but I would guess that they would look very closely at other alternatives than demolition of the Goode House,” said Dana Ogdon, a city planner.

If the Goode House is demolished or relocated, approval for the senior citizen housing could also be revoked because it was granted with the condition that Ayvazi restore the historic home, Ogdon said.

A demolition request would probably provoke protests from Glendale history buffs, who have pressed for restoration of the Goode House.

The house is named for its original owner, a leader in Glendale’s city incorporation drive. The two-story building at 119 N. Cedar St. is also cited as the last example of Queen Anne/Eastlake architecture in Glendale.

After he acquired the property about three years ago, developer Ayvazi proposed construction of a U-shaped office building around the Goode House, then later revised it to provide senior citizen housing. In the newer plan, the office building was eliminated but Ayvazi gained approval to create office space in the Goode House.

The Glendale Historical Society opposed both plans, saying the Victorian landmark would be obscured by the new structures. But in June, 1989, city officials granted Ayvazi the variances needed to build the senior citizen project.

Three months later, Ayvazi abandoned the idea and offered to sell the property to the city for $1.3 million. City Council members took no action.

Early this year, Glendale businessmen Bill Boyd and Peter Hillman began negotiating with Ayvazi to purchase the site. The partners said they wanted to restore the Goode House and build fewer senior citizen apartments around the house.

The historical society endorsed the partners’ preliminary design, and Mayor Larry Zarian met with the parties to encourage a sale.

But Ayvazi said an agreement could not be reached, and he has taken the Goode House off the market. He said he balked when Boyd and Hillman wanted to tie up the property in escrow for six months or more with no guarantee they would complete the sale.

Hillman said Ayvazi wanted “a ridiculous price” for the property. Hillman said he also learned that restoration of the Goode House could cost up to $900,000.

“It doesn’t seem to be economically feasible, even with a subsidy for senior housing,” Hillman said. “I just think the whole thing doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from an economic standpoint.”

Ayvazi said he believes that restoration would cost only $200,000 to $400,000. Nevertheless, he said, “The way the market conditions are, no one wants to loan you money to restore the house.”

The owner said he hopes the city or the historical society will help finance the repair work.

The Goode House may be eligible for federal or city redevelopment money, said Madalyn Blake, Glendale’s director of community development and housing. But she said the city already gave Ayvazi permission to build extra apartments and other incentives to help offset the restoration costs.

“He has an approved project, and the project was not predicated on any additional funding,” Blake said.

David L. Smith, president of the Glendale Historical Society, charged this week that Ayvazi “has been letting the house fall apart for months . . . so the cost of restoring it keeps going up and up.”

Smith added, “We viewed the Boyd group’s proposal as probably the best chance to save the house. To have that fall by the wayside certainly concerns us.”

He said the historical society would be reluctant to help repair the Goode House as part of Ayvazi’s original design. “If we were to contribute money to the restoration of this house, it would have to be to a restoration plan that we could agree with,” Smith said.