LITTLE TOKYO : Restoration Plan Remains on Track

The effort to restore the historic Union Church building remains alive, even though a theatrical group has pulled out of the project.

The Little Tokyo Service Center hopes to restore the long-vacant brick building at 120 N. San Pedro St. so Visual Communications, a nonprofit media company, and the Little Tokyo Branch Library, can move in.

The East West Players had hoped to repair and move into the building but abandoned the plan last fall, mainly because of the estimated $3-million cost.

The service center is asking the city for a 50-year lease of $1 a year, similar to the arrangement the Japanese American National Museum negotiated with the city for use of the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple at 1st Street and Central Avenue.

Built in 1923, the Classical Revival style three-story building served not only as a church but also as a community center. The sanctuary was outfitted with a movie projector booth, the altar area served as a stage for drama productions, and the basement social hall was used as a gymnasium.

During World War II, the church served as a processing center for the internment of Japanese-Americans; after the war it was a housing referral center.

Visual Communications, which produces films and documentaries for community groups, hopes to build production facilities in the church and use the second-floor community-hall area for small film screenings, said Linda Mabalot, Visual Communication’s executive director.

“It could be an off-Broadway-type place, while the Japan America Theater would be the main stage,” Mabalot said.

The Little Tokyo Branch Library, which alone circulated 121,000 materials last year, could likewise use a larger facility. The library’s lease on 2,400 square feet in the Centenary Church at 3rd and Central streets expires in February, 1994.

Community Redevelopment Agency officials indicated support for the proposal but warned that funding may be difficult to obtain in the current economy. “It’s something we very much want to do because it’s an anchor in our historic district,” said Gloria Uchida, Little Tokyo Redevelopment Project manager.

Project supporters remain optimistic about their applications for public funds.

“As projects go, it’s looking very promising,” said Lisa Sugino, project manager of the Little Tokyo Service Center.