Downey : Preservationists Don’t Want Hamburger Stand to Go

Nostalgia buffs and historians have scheduled a rally at noon Sunday to show support for saving Downey’s landmark McDonald’s restaurant.

The hamburger stand, with its neon arches and red-and-white tile walls, is the oldest operating McDonald’s built in the original architectural style of the fast-food chain.

McDonald’s corporate officials are considering closing or remodeling the stand because it is not making money. The restaurant lacks indoor seating and a drive-through window, standard features in modern fast-food outlets.

Downey officials and preservation groups want the restaurant kept open and intact. The purpose of the rally is “to let the McDonald’s corporation know what a cultural icon this is,” said Gregg Davidson, associate director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, a nonprofit historic preservation group. “This McDonald’s is a symbol to the world of American ingenuity and industry.”

The rally will take place in front of the 40-year-old restaurant at Lakewood Boulevard and Florence Avenue.