May Co Garage Emerges With New Windows

By Eric Richardson
Published: Thursday, April 16, 2009, at 07:23PM

Eric Richardson [Flickr]

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — It's a little hard to believe that the building on the corner of 9th and Hill is actually a parking garage. It just looks too nice...

The 1927 structure, built by the May Company to serve its massive store across the street, has looked a bit decrepit in recent years. Today it emerged from underneath scaffolding sporting a new set of windows and a shiny exterior.

The city issued a building permit for the garage on December 6, 1926, valuing the project at $500,000. Architects Curlett and Beelman designed the structure.

Scaffolding remains on the garage's ground floor, itself slated for a new look. The interior is also set for a renovation.

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What is Downtown's Oldest Parking Garage?
May 26, 2006

Los Angeles Times, 12/12/1926

This rendering of the proposed garage ran in the Los Angeles Times on December 12, 1926. Work was to begin within sixty days.

Eric Richardson

This 2006 photo shows the garage before renovations.

Comments

Ankur writes:

So whats going in now?

# on Apr.17.2009 AT 03:06 PM

David writes:

I walked by it today and stopped in my tracks because it looks so good. It is amazing what a cleaning and some new glass will do.
Question - Are they really new windows or were the windows always there behind the wood and now it is just new glass?

# on Apr.17.2009 AT 04:47 PM

Eric Richardson writes:

There were windows there, but they looked to be in very poor shape. My understanding is that these are new windows (in the original spaces).

# on Apr.17.2009 AT 04:57 PM

Rich Alossi writes:

Great to see this restored and cleaned. Now that's a parking garage!

It's super-creepy inside though, especially on the upper levels.

Recommendation: Shekarchi Restaurant on the ground floor is a great affordable lunch.

# on Apr.18.2009 AT 12:59 AM

Jeffrey B. Samudio writes:

Technically the window frames are the same, only broken and discolored glazing has been replaced fully utilizing every original window frame for this portion of the rehabilitation to repair and clean the structure's original and decorative terra cotta exterior.

# on Apr.18.2009 AT 04:18 PM

Daveed Kapoor writes:

great to see this place cleaned up!!

# on Apr.20.2009 AT 04:14 PM

S. Davis writes:

Unfortunately, they've painted over the May Co. Garage sign with some hideous maroonish color paint. They really could've kept that...

# on Apr.23.2009 AT 10:47 PM