Preservation of Gas Station Won't Stand in the Way of New Housing

"A Los Angeles City Council committee voted Tuesday to abandon a disputed bid to enshrine a former gas station on Silver Lake Boulevard as a historic monument after the building owner pledged to relocate the aging structure," reports Emily Alpert Reyes.

The committee action clears the way for a housing project on the site, and the 1941 former gas station will be moved and "converted into a concession stand along the Los Angeles River," according to Reyes.

The debate over the future of the site pitted preservationists, represented by groups like Hollywood Heritage and the Silver Lake Heritage Trust, against housing supporters and the architect and building owner of the project, William Hefner.

Eventually, Hefner partnered with the local group River LA to create a plan for the building that includes a retro cafe along the L.A. River Bike Path. Renderings of that project are included in the article. The project must still be approved by the full City Council.