Panel to Consider Historic Status for Apartments

Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Feuer asked the Cultural Heritage Commission on Wednesday to consider seeking historic status for the Chase Knolls Garden apartments, which could prevent the complex from being razed for luxury residences.

Feuer contends that the development may have historic value because it offers a good example of garden apartments built after World War II, said his chief of staff, Jane Blumenfeld. The apartments provided an affordable alternative to single-family homes for a growing postwar population, she said.

Kenneth Bernstein, director of preservation issues at the nonprofit Los Angeles Conservancy, said Chase Knolls is significant in terms of the San Fernando Valley’s development, calling it “important in its overall attractive site plan. It’s one of the best multifamily complexes of its era in Los Angeles.”

Developer Legacy Partners of San Francisco purchased the Riverside Drive property in January and planned to demolish the complex and build luxury apartments.

If the Cultural Heritage Commission recommends designating the 260-apartment complex as a historic-cultural monument and the City Council approves the recommendation, Legacy’s plans will have to be reviewed by the commission, Bernstein said.