Historic Village manor may be demolished

Of 34 buildings built in Westwood Village in 1929, only 12
remain standing. Soon, the number might decrease to 11.

Glendon Manor, located on Glendon Avenue, is the last remaining
residential building that was built when the area was established
in 1929.

Now the manor’s fate rests in the hands of the Los Angeles
City Planning Commission, which will make a decision today to
approve or disapprove a high-scale residential project, Palazzo
Westwood. If approved, the $100 million development project
proposed by multi-millionaire real estate agent Alan Casden would
lead to the demolition of Glendon Manor.

Casden owns and heads Casden Properties, a Beverly Hills real
estate development firm that owns approximately 90,000 apartments
and has amassed over $800 million.

Plans for Palazzo Westwood include the building of 350 upscale
apartments and 115,000 square feet of basement-level retail space
on the corner of Tiverton and Weyburn avenues in Westwood.

From the outset, this residential and commercial development
project might provide an economic boost for Westwood
Village’s struggling businesses and retail stores.

But Westwood community activist groups, including Save Westwood
Village, oppose the project because it violates 17 revisions and
amendments of the Westwood Village Specific Plan, which dictates
what kinds of structures can be built in the area.

Construction of the development, opponents say, would impede
traffic, decrease parking spaces, and could close down Glendon
Avenue for up to three years.

But for many people, the biggest impact for Westwood Village
would be the destruction of Glendon Manor.

Mike Metcalf, co-president of Save Westwood Village, said Casden
does not care about preserving Westwood’s historical gem.

In 1998, after much debate, the California Historical Resources
Commission declared the manor eligible to be an official historical
building. But Glendon Manor is not a historical landmark because
its owner at the time objected.

The manor’s last resident was evicted in March 2002, and
since then, the building has been vacant and boarded up.

The originally white building has become discolored and paint is
peeling off its walls. When pedestrians walk by the manor, they
often don’t think to look twice.

In an effort to save the building, award-winning
preservationists Allen Gross and Araz Harutunian tried to buy the
manor from Casden in 2002, but he refused to sell it. Prior to
their offer for Glendon Manor, Gross and Harutunian had
successfully restored the previously run-down Los Altos apartments
on Wilshire Boulevard.

Metcalf said Casden is making Glendon Manor an eyesore on
purpose to boost Village residents’ support for Palazzo
Westwood.

Metcalf said Village residents, especially students, would
benefit from the restoration of the manor, as it would provide
affordable housing.

Metcalf is not the only person who would be disappointed to see
the building demolished.

One resident, Tommi Lenárd, the last evicted resident of
Glendon Manor, lived in the manor for 23 years.

Lenárd passed away on Jan. 24 and Natam Laurent,
Lenárd’s granddaughter, recalled memories of visiting
her grandfather after school and spending time with him in the
Village.

“I visited him all the time. Every memory I have of him is
(at Glendon Manor),” Laurent said.

Living in Glendon Manor helped her grandfather cope with the
death of his only son, Gino Leonard, who was killed at the age of
20 in an automobile accident, Laurent said.

“He moved to Westwood Village to be closer to young
people. Westwood helped him cope with his loss. Whenever he was
sad, he would walk around the Village to be with young
people,” Laurent said.

Laurent also said Lenárd had a front apartment so he had a
great view of the Village.

She remembers her grandfather’s windows always being open,
even when he slept.

“He’d sleep with the windows open so he could hear
the sounds of the Village,” Laurent said.

Lenárd’s daughter, Judy Leonard, also has vivid
memories of her father’s apartment.

“It was always open to the sun,” Leonard said.
“(His room) was always full of the Westwood
environment.”

When Lenárd was evicted in March 2002, Laurent said he took
it very hard.

“(My grandfather) was sad when he had to move. He really
wanted to stay,” Laurent said.

Lenárd moved to other apartments, but Laurent said it just
wasn’t the same.

“None of his other apartments compared to Glendon
Manor,” Laurent said.

Laurent said she feels that if the manor is torn down, memories
of her grandfather will be gone too.

“To see it gone would be history gone. It would be
memories of old, gone,” Laurent said.