McDonald’s to Shut ‘50s-Era Downey Eatery : Architecture: Landmark site had been the focal point of preservationists. Officials say a similar restaurant will be built elsewhere.

McDonald’s officials Friday announced that they have closed a popular 1950s-era restaurant in Downey that residents and fans had been fighting to preserve.

Famous for “Speedee,” its familiar winking chef, and its golden arches, the restaurant has been closed since the Jan. 17 quake.

McDonald’s officials said they plan to build a facility at elsewhere in Downey in the same architectural style as the old restaurant. The new facility is to preserve many of the elements of the old McDonald’s, including the 60-foot-high Speedee sign, company spokesman Kevin Mazzu said. However, it will have conveniences lacking in the old restaurant, including a drive-up window and indoor seating.

He said officials have not selected a site for the new restaurant and do not know when it will open.

Longtime fans and historical preservationists said they feared a permanent closure after McDonald’s workers posted signs indicating that the restaurant had closed because of earthquake damage.

Mazzu said that the extent of quake damage has not been determined, but that the restaurant had been closed to protect the safety of workers and customers.

“It had a history of structural damage,” he said. “The feeling was that the old restaurant had been declining for some time.”

Community leaders and historical buffs, who have held rallies and burger-eating campaigns to preserve the 41-year-old fast-food stand, were stunned by the McDonald’s announcement.

“Replicating history is not preserving history,” said Gregg Davidson, associate director of the Los Angeles Conservancy, which has fought to preserve the site. “They have to understand that whether it’s the White House or a Frank Lloyd Wright home, tearing it down and replicating it is not acceptable.”

Although it had fallen on hard times, the McDonald’s for many has symbolized a golden era, said City Councilwoman Joyce L. Lawrence. When she was elected to the council two years ago, Lawrence spearheaded a campaign to preserve the stand. She even wrote an ode, urging McDonald’s officials:

“Do not take our youth away!/Here we met for shakes and fries/while Downey grew ‘neath sunny skies.”