Whittier Strives to Shake Image of 1987 Quake

Whittier is alive, mostly recovered, and ready for more investors and shoppers, city officials said Monday, exactly three years after a major earthquake caused nearly $90 million in damage in the area.

In 1987, Whittier became famous for dust, rubble and earthquake damage, an image the city deserves to shake, said Melanie Bickley, president of the local Chamber of Commerce, at a city-sponsored news conference.

The quake, which had a magnitude of 5.9, leveled or led to the demolition of 34 downtown buildings in the town of 77,000. Of those structures, 30 have been rebuilt, replaced or are under construction, according to city figures. The news conference was held at a Greenleaf Avenue location that was a pile of bricks three years ago. A new, two-story office building and a renovated movie theater have been built at the site.