Development—some would call it gentrification—has hit the city of Los Angeles with a renewed fervor in 2019. A planned apartment tower coming to Hollywood Boulevard could potentially mean the end of one of LA’s favorite concert venues, The Fonda Theatre.
Originally opened in 1927, the 1,200-capacity space has hosted luminaries ranging from Clark Gable to Kanye West to Thom Yorke.
A group calling itself Friends of The Fonda is shedding light on the situation, launching an initiative to mobilize supporters ahead of an August 13 city council meeting.
Future Islands performing at the Fonda Theatre in 2014 / photo by Alix Spence
“Musicians have a lot of equipment. They often transport it in vehicles that are too big to back up or to turn around behind the Fonda,” reads an online statement by Friends of The Fonda. “The proposed apartment tower for that lot will endanger the long standing access to (city street) Gower, since it will cover the whole property, lot line to lot line. Without a passageway through this property, The Fonda will be landlocked. It will become an endangered species, casting a shadow on the Boulevard.”
FotF offer a solution: “An easement—a passageway through the new development’s parking garage. Contracts like this are common where new developments and historic buildings are neighbors.”
The group has launched an online petition and they’re encouraging an email writing campaign. There’s also a link directing supporters to the August 13 city council meeting where the development will be discussed. Feel free to get involved.
