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Park Labrea News/Beverly Press
65th Anniversary
39 April 28, 2011
has been designated a cultural historic monument by the City of Los Angeles. Originally a like the May Company building.” movie theatre, the venue has now been converted into a nightclub and concert venue. Lyn Cohen, the president of the Miracle Mile Civic Coalition, said her group is directly Vavala said one of the historically significant buildings that is no longer on the Miracle involved in improvement projects on the Miracle Mile, and recently replaced the historic Mile housed the Coulter’s Department store at Wilshire and Hauser Boulevards. Completed Miracle Mile sign near La Brea Avenue, which was knocked over by a car several years ago. in 1938, the building was “a monument to streamline moderne architecture,” according to Cohen also said the group is looking into organizing the restaurants in the area, and creating a Vavala. The building was demolished in the 1980s and the lot sat vacant until housing was “Miracle Mile Restaurant Row.” completed at the site in the 2000s. “The Civic Coalition is interested in continuing the revitalization of the Miracle Mile, and Another major department store came to the area in 1939, when the May Co. was com- looking at the area as a home town,” Cohen added. “It’s about building on the concept of pleted at 6067 Wilshire Blvd., at the corner with Fairfax Avenue. The store featured a repli- Museum Row, and the museums working together, and contemporary concepts like creatca of a 1930’s era perfume bottle, and it remains one of the most recognizable buildings on ing a restaurant row. We want to preserve the area and work on mutually beneficial things, the Miracle Mile. The Los Angeles County Museum of Art purchased the building in the establish a network of community late 1990s and converted it into museum space known as LACMA West. members to work on the image of Vavala said the Miracle Mile began its transformation into the business center it is today the Miracle Mile and educate the in the 1950s and ’60s. The department stores closed, and more office towers started spring- community about what is going ing up. Also in the 1960s, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art opened in the Miracle on here.” Mile, followed by the George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. Vavala said the Los Angeles Conservancy continues to study buildings and fight for the preservation of the Miracle Mile as a historic center of Los Angeles. The area has undergone a new renaissance over the past decade, as new housing developments have been completed, many utilizing the familiar art deco facades that originally made the area famous. “The Miracle Mile has a large number of historic sites and important architecture, and it would be great to have these buildings remain for future generations,” Vavala added. “We photo by Edwin Folven A statue of the visionary Miracle Mile want to see the historic photo by Edwin Folven developer A.W. Ross is located at structures revitalized, and the The Wilshire Center Building was one of the first art deco landmarks on the Miracle Mile, and was key might be adaptive reuse, home to the Desmond’s and Silverwoods department stores. Wilshire and Curson Avenue.