Neighbourhood group sues city over illegal demolition on Sunset Boulevard.
A Hollywood neighborhood group has sued the city of Los Angeles, saying the Department of Building and Safety allowed a developer to illegally demolish a building on Sunset Boulevard whose facade was supposed to be incorporated into a new condominium and office tower.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the La Mirada Avenue Neighborhood Assn. said developer CIM Group violated the terms of various city agreements by razing a 1924 building that once housed an Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant. City officials called for a portion of the building to be preserved when they approved the project and a $9.9-million taxpayer subsidy, according to the group.
The vacant building, originally an auto dealership, was demolished in February. As part of their case, lawyers for the La Mirada group obtained emails from city officials saying that the facade was supposed to be preserved and that a demolition permit had been issued without clearance from the planning department. The group said a demolition permit was illegally issued after the structure had been razed. The association also demanded that city officials force CIM Group to give back $3.7 million already provided for the project.
Read more here.
