Old State Building Finally About to Go?

By Eric Richardson
Published: Friday, February 16, 2007, at 12:47PM

Progress at the Old State Building? Eric Richardson [Flickr]

DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES — I feel like my photo standards have gone up since I bought my new camera, so I almost feel like I have to apologize for a picture like this one. It’s a crappy angle for the shot. I was late and just snapped as I passed by.

All that said, it looks like there may finally be progress on getting rid of Downtown’s ugliest building: the old State Building at 1st and Broadway. There’s a construction fence up around the entire block. Eventually the site will be a new Federal courthouse, but that’s been tied up over money. I just want them to tear the old monstrosity down and then worry about what comes next.

Back in April of 2005 I wrote up a history of the two old State Buildings and included quotes from an LA Times piece that called this structure “strictly functional” and “severely plain.” That was the best they could say about the building when it opened in 1960.



Comments

1
Rico A writes:

Finally! This is one of the crappiest (if not the absolute crappiest) buildings in DTLA right now. Not only does the architecture stink, but it stinks of human waste as well, especially on the First Street side.

# on Feb.16.2007 AT 02:01 PM
2
Joel C writes:

Yes, it is a dark smelly shell of a building that was ugly even when it was occupied. I’d rather see the block used for surface parking than continue to hold that decaying building.

# on Feb.16.2007 AT 11:03 PM
3
Martin writes:

I like the parking structure! A better photo can be found here: http://www.you-are-here.com/broadway/stateoffice.html …last week i took some more nice photos - who knows if it’s knocked down next year.

# on Feb.17.2007 AT 07:36 PM
4
Dr. Lao writes:

This thing was really ugly. Even the mosaic mural running along 1st St. was ugly. The same will be said in the next 30 years for the Cathedral up the street. Oh wait! They’re all ready saying that about it now!

# on Feb.21.2007 AT 02:55 PM
5
bill m writes:

Yesterday I noticed that the siding on the upper part of the building has been removed.

# on Feb.24.2007 AT 07:54 AM
6
Bryan writes:

Echoing Rico A’s comments, I won’t be surprised if they have to declare that block a Superfund site to properly get rid of the years of urine that have built up. I (used to) walk up and down the First Street sidewalk between the Metro station and the L.A. Times building on a daily basis, and it never could be described as ‘pleasant.’

# on Feb.28.2007 AT 06:46 PM

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