MTA Plan to Replace Famed Stars Draws Fire

Cynics might dismiss the Walk of Fame along Hollywood Boulevard as a kitschy tourism stunt from a bygone era. But those 2,094 sidewalk stars retain enough symbolism that a proposal to demolish and replace 122 of them during sidewalk repairs is stirring a squabble about preserving Hollywood’s history.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is building a subway below the walk, is seeking city permission to demolish their original star-shaped settings and produce new terrazzo panels for, among others, Mickey Rooney, Bob Hope and Martha Raye. Under the plan, the brass lettering of the artists’ names would be saved and reinstalled, as would their industry medallions--the circular emblems showing movie cameras, records and televisions.

That method, the MTA contends, would save $159,000 compared to the way a different batch of 320 stars have already been removed and preserved in their entirety.

“We are looking for any savings anyplace that we can, as a responsible agency, to extend our budget,” said James Sowell, the MTA’s manager of environmental compliance.

However, some preservationists strongly opposed that idea Wednesday during a hearing by the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission.

New terrazzo of pink stars and black surrounding squares would not match the historical flavor of the boulevard, they complained. And isn’t there something to be said, they added, for having the original stars of Danny Kaye, Maureen O’Sullivan, Johnny Weissmuller, D.W. Griffith, Duke Ellington, the Smothers Brothers and Jose Feliciano?

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The old speckled terrazzo--a polished mixture of marble and concrete--gets a patina with age, according to Linda Dishman, executive director of the Los Angeles Conservancy.

“They do get older, but they change in a good way too,” she said. She suggested that the MTA, which receives federal funds for the subway project, would violate federal rules if the transit agency does not preserve the 122 stars the same way it did the 320 others.

The commission, which reviews changes to city-designated landmarks like the walk, postponed a decision for at least two weeks. Its members said they want to visit Hollywood Boulevard and hear an expected recommendation from Mayor Richard Riordan, who also is MTA chairman.

Meanwhile, the controversy has created some unusual alliances. Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg, a strong critic of how subway tunneling has damaged Hollywood streets, agrees with the MTA on this issue, as does the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, which administers the walk.

Opponents include the conservancy, the Hollywood Heritage organization and the staff architect of the Cultural Heritage Commission, Jay Oren.

Two years ago, the 320 panels were sliced from sidewalks mainly near the proposed Vine Street and Highland Avenue subway stations. Reinstallation work is expected to begin by October at Vine, according to the MTA.

The current controversial plan for demolition would affect eight groupings of stars over five blocks, extending west from Vine to Whitley Avenue. They include some of the original 1,558 that were installed en masse in 1960 when the walk was founded in hopes of revitalizing tourism in the fading district.

Today, Hollywood is still attempting a comeback to its glory days. Yet the walk remains a powerful--if sometimes buckled and smudged--attraction. This week, two new stars were being unveiled, for Patrick Swayze on Monday and Cicely Tyson today.

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Proponents of the MTA proposal point out that new terrazzo always has been used when anolder star panel is cracked and must be repaired. That was the case with the star for Elvis Presley, whose plaque was replaced in December but already is cracked again, possibly because of subway construction. Plus, new terrazzo stars replace older, blank ones whenever a new nameplate is installed and dedicated.

Although the MTA has not formally accepted blame for Hollywood Boulevard sidewalk problems, the agency’s repairs are viewed by local businesses as a way to shine up the Walk of Fame with new materials.

“If they are going to do the repairs, why not give us a new standard, bright appearance?” asked Leron Gubler, Chamber of Commerce executive director.

But Robert Nudelman, a board member of Hollywood Heritage, criticized the way the MTA would repair only portions of some blocks, creating a patchwork appearance. Nudelman also said current workmanship is inferior.

“For whatever reason, the quality is not what was there 39 years ago,” he said, “and you’ll notice that stars from a year or two ago look far worse than those from the original batch.”