Site of RFK's slaying saved, for now

[KiwiCoromandel]

LOS ANGELES -- The hotel where Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 is safe from the wrecking ball, at least until a lawsuit aimed at preserving it can be resolved.

The Los Angeles Unified School District agreed Thursday not to alter any part of the Ambassador Hotel until the lawsuit is settled, said Jeffrey Dintzer, an attorney for Los Angeles Conservancy, a historic preservation organization.

The long-closed hotel was once a celebrity hotspot whose guests included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Rudolph Valentino and Albert Einstein.

The district purchased the Ambassador out of U.S. Bankruptcy Court in 2001 and wants to build three schools there. It says a $318 million campus for about 4,000 students will relieve the district's crowded schools.

But preservationists consider the hotel a historic gem. Five of Kennedy's nine surviving children have urged the district to demolish the hotel, saying the entire 23-acre site should be renovated into an education complex.

Source:Boston.com:News

[rainbowdemon]

My opinion? Tear it down and build the school. Educating the potential leaders of the future is way more important than the memory of a politician that was assasinated there more than 30 years ago.

[Redneck4sure]

Bulldoze the mofo.

[DudeAsInCool]

The hotel is not far from me. It's not just the hotel where Bobby Kennedy was shot it's a link to Hollywood's Golden era and I feel that it should be saved as much as possible

[Redneck4sure]

If the do-gooders wanted to save the building they should have bought it. They should at least pay what the property sold for plus an amount equal to the amount that was spent on deciding to buy that property, title searches, surveys and such. If they can't raise the money then get out of the way. They should have no right to tell someone else what they should do with their property.

I've seen it happen around here too. Some company will buy a vacant property for millions but when they go to build something, the do-gooders come out of the woodwork and insist that they renovate it and preserve it. They never offer to buy it though. They are very good at telling other people what to do with their property and how to spend (waste) their money.

[Ken]

I agree with Redneck.

[DudeAsInCool]

If the do-gooders wanted to save the building they should have bought it.

As someone who believes in historical preservation, I would like to see it saved as much as possible. The building was up for grabs for awhile - Trump almost bought it. The school district has has been working on a plan for a number of years - they just are not very organized. Frankly, it makes no sense just to tear something down, if the existing structure can fit into the new plans. Not sure why support of such a plan, makes me a do-gooder--I just dont like crappy new buildings, or destroying something that is already worthwhile and useable.

On a side note, Bobby Shriver recently ran for a local office in the area...not sure whether or not the district would have included where the Ambassador sits.

[Redneck4sure]

Not sure why support of such a plan, makes me a do-gooder--I just dont like crappy new buildings, or destroying something that is already worthwhile and useable.

Look Dude Do-Gooder, I am sorry you don't like crappy new buildings but the owner of the property does. I am sure they looked at the structure, cost of making changes, suitability for use and reached a conclusion to tear it down. If they figured for 10 million they could use it and for 20 million they could build another building the same size then they probably would have kept it. Even if they decided to waste 10 million, that is their decision IMO.

I have a storage building on my property. I have decided I can save about 60% of the original structure and expand it the way I want. I will tear 40% down. That is what my cost analysis of the project determined to be the best solution to achieve the desired results. I don't need someone to tell me that I should save it all and build on to it differently or that I should tear it all down and start anew.

Dude Do-Gooder....I love that name.

[DudeAsInCool]

Look Dude Do-Gooder, I am sorry you don't like crappy new buildings but the owner of the property does.

Wrong again, PainInTheNeck4Sure. The school district does want to incorporate parts of the old structure--it's your conservative friends The Kennedy's, who want it torn down :fight:

Here's a look at the building in its hey-day:

http://www.hollywoodusa.co.uk/ambassador-hotel.htm

[Kooperman]

There's probably still B. Kennedy assassination evidence there, as half-assed as the investigation was.

[DudeAsInCool]

There's probably still B. Kennedy assassination evidence there, as half-assed as the investigation was.

I'm sure there is - and you can bet Sirhan Sirhan didnt do it alone..

[Redneck4sure]

Dude Do-Gooder, I'm about to come over there and you ain't gonna like it when I do.

[DudeAsInCool]

Dude Do-Gooder, I'm about to come over there and you ain't gonna like it when I do.

[slum_goddess]

i dig their old names...DudeAsInToesucker and PainInTheFuckinAss4sureWithGunsAndShit.

[DudeAsInCool]

i dig their old names...PainInTheFuckinAss4sureWithGunsAndShit.

That one's a keeper

[Redneck4sure]

You're laughing now but when I get there and your property value drops 40% in 15 minutes the smile will disappear from your face. :reallymad:

[slum_goddess]

when you get where? here? (i hope)? and the usual triple-dare goes here, nyah :P

[Redneck4sure]

Realtors love me. I can drive slowly through a neighborhood and For Sale signs spring up within 20 minutes.