A century-old building with a rich Hollywood history was named a monument. Then it went up in flames

CBS News ^ | August 4, 2024 | Marissa Wenzke

[Fiji Hill]

The Pacific Dining Car was a popular place to go for birthdays, anniversaries and other special occasions, or even if you just wanted to eat a good steak in an era in which steakhouses are vanishing. Although the restaurant survived the Great Depression, it could not survive the covid lockdown--restaurants specializing in fine dining can't very easily convert to take-out.

[metmom]

Sad to say, odds are it was intentional as too many fires are.

[Joe 6-pack]

Somebody forgot to turn the stove off when they closed the restaurant.

[Libloather]

[Gay State Conservative]

Stand by for the insurance claim.

[knarf]

[SpaceBar]

One less monument to Hollywood.

[Larry Lucido]

A restaurant owner named Cook? That’s like a library cop named Bookman.

[Liz]

Elegance inside.

[Ezekiel]

Just last year, its vacant building officially became a ...

homeless encampment?

[SauronOfMordor]

The city forcing that establishment to remain as-is made it unprofitable, and meant there was only one solution

[Fiji Hill]

One less monument to Hollywood.

The old Hollywood--before it got woke.

[Vaduz]

Indeed when class was still in style.

[Liz]

[GailA]

That is just under my week’s grocery bill. Which is that high due to Nose strips, Nexium, generic Tylenol on sale, and Fixident. Milk and kiddie cereal, hub addiction, I cut his M&M off when they hit $10 for the party size. COFFEE IS A NECESSITY. Bought when it’s on sale. Now it is not going on sale. Dog food for 2 small dogs.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Designating private property to be a monument is a takings and the property owner should be justly compensated.

But noooOOOoooOOOooo.

[Getready]

Check out menu items cost for most steak houses nowadays...sometimes even more...actually the place was running down before closure...the outside of restaurant became very shabby...probably could have been rehabbed but the neighborhood became “third world”... and L.A buildings and restaurant health codes would have probably required demolition. .The previous downfall of the restaurant was before downtown L.A. became a hipster hangout...

[Orosius]

Popular with LAPD brass too. James Ellroy was a regular there in the 90’s. Ironic seeing he’s a vegetarian.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Was this the diner depicted in “L.A. Confidential’ where Ed Exley thought the real Lana Turner was a fake Lana Turner?

[Axenolith]

“Monument” and “Historical” designations lock properties up under code restrictions that raise alteration or use changes costs greatly. Marysville Hotel in city of same name (CA) just suffered this fate a few weeks ago.

It would be simple just to INCENTIVISE keeping the structure, but you don’t get nearly as many bureaucrat billable hours as you do nanny stating it to death and the owners apparently see high temperature renovations as the cheapest way to regain use of their property...