On May 19th, the Los Angeles City Council on a unanimous (10-0) vote declared the entire structure at 4500 Los Feliz Blvd. (currently home to the Derby nightclub and Louise's Trattoria) a Historic Cultural Monument of the City of Los Angeles!
(Photo taken at City Hall after City Council unanimously votes in favor of Derby Landmark designation. From left to right, Councilman Tom LaBonge, Charley Mims of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council, Rebecca Goodman of the Save the Derby Coalition, Robert Nudleman of Hollywood Heritage, Debra Levine of the Los Feliz Towers and Jay Platt of the LA Conservancy, holding a Save the Derby "briefing binder" with cover photo of City Hall sporting a Brown Derby Hat! )
Adler Reality, a large scale developer, purchased the land at 4500 Los Feliz in 2004 with plans bulldoze the beautiful, historic 1928 structure on the site, currently. They wanted to destroy the last Brown Derby restaurant from Hollywood's Golden Age, in order to build a massive 5-story complex (including 80+ luxury condos and retail shops) called "Hillhurst Square." But the community spoke out!
(Town Hall Meeting on Nov 10, 2005 draws 500+ standing room only crowd. It made 3 network TV channels on the same night, it made the LA Times and it even made the comics!)
The Derby is clearly a Landmark in our hearts. It is an iconic reminder of what we love most about our City. Now, finally, it is a Landmark on paper, with the the recognition and preservation it deserves. Derby hats off to everyone who participated in this effort. It takes a village to save a building! Special Derby thanks to:
Marcello Vavalla, Jay Platt and the LA Conservancy for their extraordinary work in preparing the historic nomination;
Robert Nudelman, Marc Wanamaker and Hollywood Heritage for amazing archival photos, historical information and preservation support;
The Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council for their community outreach, the Town Hall meeting and remarkable civic dedication to representing the Los Feliz neighborhood at City Hall.
Councilman Tom LaBonge (4th District) for his consistent support and preservation leadership. In 1992, he pronounced it "Derby Day" in L.A., at the Town Hall meeting he rallied for Derby Day every day, and most important he supported Derby Day when it mattered most - - when the City Council voted to make the Derby a Landmark!
The Last Original Brown Derby Restaurant from Hollywood's Golden Age is still intact. It is alive and well at the corner of Hillhurst and Los Feliz. It is our City's newest landmark and we should feel pround that a grand structure, right in our neighborhood, can stand for future generations to enjoy.
With Derby thanks and gratitude,
Rebecca Goodman
Founding Member, Save the Derby Coalition
P.S. Stay tuned for what's next in the preservation of the Brown Derby and other cherished buildings in our City!
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