Former City Jail Wins Landmark Status : Preservation: Action gives Lincoln Heights building some protection against demolition. It lies in one of two proposed paths for light-rail line.

Previous occupants probably want to forget their days and nights in the old building, but a city commission on Wednesday declared the former Los Angeles City Jail in Lincoln Heights to be a landmark for its role in the local history of crime and justice.

The unanimous vote by the Cultural Heritage Commission would give the former jail some protection against demolition in the proposed construction of a light-rail line through the neighborhood. Tearing down the jail would be required in one of two possible routes being studied for the line between Downtown Los Angeles, Glendale and Burbank, but a decision has not been made, transportation officials said.

The original wing of the city-owned complex, on North Avenue 19 next to the Los Angeles River, was built in 1931 and an extension was added in 1949.

After decades of holding up to 3,000 inmates, the facility was converted to other uses in 1965 and is now the home of the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts, which presents theatrical productions in English and Spanish, and of the L.A. Youth Athletic Club, which trains young boxers.

“I think we have to look at buildings not only for the past, but also for the future,” said Michael Diaz, a member of the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood and Preservation Assn., which sought the landmark status. “Aside from its historical aspects, this building has proven to help the community socially in its adaptive reuse with the theater and the gym.”

Cultural Heritage commissioners also said they were impressed by the Art Deco architecture of the 1931 structure, even though parts of the five-story building are badly decayed. One floor of jail cells was left intact and is used for filming of movies and television shows. Although the jail once was considered a model of an enlightened correctional facility, Hollywood location scouts today love its gloomy atmosphere.

Landmark designation requires City Council approval, which is expected because area councilman Mike Hernandez supports the move. Other supporters, who fear the proposed rail line’s impact, include the Los Angeles Conservancy and the Los Angeles Police Historical Society

Status as what is formally called a historic-cultural monument does not guarantee protection against demolition, although it can delay the wrecking ball and force further studies.

Peter De Haan, project manager for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s proposed Glendale-Burbank line, said Wednesday that one possible route would go through the jail site and the other would require ripping down light industrial buildings across the street. A decision is expected in early 1994, he said, adding that rail line construction awaits funding decisions and would not begin before 1996.

The Bilingual Foundation of the Arts is looking for larger quarters elsewhere, although it wants to keep the jail space for its children’s theater, said producing director Carmen Zapata. She said she was taking no position on whether the building should be made a landmark.