Thursday, August 17, 2000 10:27 PM
The Los Angeles Press Club Board of Directors has approved a deal to sign a four-year renewable lease with Gilmore Associates to open the first real headquarters for the club since the old headquarters was sold years ago. The vote to select the San Fernando Building at 400 South Main Street sparked a lively debate among members because it is in a redevelopment area that was, until very recently, considered a part of Skid Row.
The new headquarters is a lofty storefront along Main Street with 23-foot ceilings and an overarching skylight, all original from the bulding’s 1906 construction. The once-elegant Renaissance Revival-style San Fernando Building was built by Col. James B. Lankershim, but it sat derelict for years. Recently, it was purchased and historically renovated by Gilmore Associates as part of a five-building revitalization area known as the Old Bank District. The San Fernando Building sits just one-half block south of the Ronald Reagan State Office Building, which houses the California 2nd District Court of Appeals, the Los Angeles offices of Gov. Gray Davis and other major state functions. The new club is also three blocks southwest of Little Tokyo and one block from the bustling Toy District retail area.
