Historic Hospital Site Center Of Development Controversy

The L.A. hospital needs to sell; developers want to build housing; preservationists want it saved; former residents want affordable housing to make up in part for earlier urban renewal on the site.

1 minute read

January 18, 2006, 10:00 AM PST

By David Gest


"Barlow Respiratory Hospital has a storied past. One of Los Angeles' oldest hospitals, with a charitable legacy of serving low-income patients, the 103-year-old facility on the western edge of Dodger Stadium also is designated by the city as a historic landmark."

But "the possible sale sets the stage for battles among developers wanting to build condominiums, preservationists hoping to save the landmark structures, activists desiring more low-income housing and park advocates seeking more open space."

"The property has about 40 buildings dating as far back as 1903, some of them crumbling and unused. The buildings were mostly built through the first half of the 20th century to provide a haven for tuberculosis patients who couldn't afford the lengthy treatments common at the time. The structures are several different styles of architecture, including Craftsman wood frame and Spanish Revival masonry construction."

Monday, January 16, 2006 in The Los Angeles Times

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