StructureHub

A few months ago, I wrote about the Century Plaza Hotel’s new owner, his plan to demolish it to make way for twin 600-foot towers, and a rising movement to stop him.  The movement appears to be succeeding, since it is becoming less and less likely that the 19-story hotel, designed by Minoru Yamasaki and built in 1966, will encounter a heavy, swinging, demolition ball.

Notwithstanding (in my opinion) the hotel mediocre merits, both historically and architecturally, a preservation movement has gained enough steam and supportive words from local leaders that, while Century City will certainly change in some fashion, it will not entirely lose its “crown jewel.”

This is not a negative development, really, but I can’t help but wonder if the building’s owner, Michael Rosenfeld’s Next Century Associates, never truly expected to demolish it to make way for his grandiose vision of a mixed-use development.  Perhaps he was bluffing, knowing that opponents would inevitably materialize to lobby for its preservation and consequently assist him in getting public funding for his private development plan, so long as the building was preserved.

A hint that this (plausible but unconfirmable) theory is working:  Councilman Paul Koretz’ prediction that “we can work together with everyone to save the hotel and at the same time find some things to do to make that property more profitable for the owners.”

Image courtesy of canelita306.