Demolition Halted on Venice Post Office Ramp

Update: A city inspector has halted the demolition of the front ramp to the historic Venice Post Office that began earlier this week.

This was sent in an email to the Venice Stakeholders Association from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety:

Our Inspector stopped the job since the work done was not covered under the active permits. The contractor jumped the gun on work that is currently in plan check for review.  According to the permittee, the work proposed replaces current ramps and stairs that are not disabled access compliant.  We will monitor the job closely to make sure that only permitted work is preformed.
-- 
Bob Steinbach, Chief Inspection Bureau Department of Building and Safety

A wide range of community members have protested the plans to close the 1939 Venice Post Office and its historic mural known as the "Story of Venice," or the "First Thirty Years of Venice's History," that is one of two remaining murals by artist Edward Biberman.

Linda Lucks, president of the Venice Neighborhood Council, said the ramp is not part of the original building and was added to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The art deco post office was built during the Great Depression under the federal Works Project Administration and is the last WPA building remaining in downtown Venice.

The United States Postal Service has relocated services from Windward Circle to the Postal Annex on Grand Avenue and is selling the Windward property to producer Joel Silver.

L.A. City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl has  of not complying with local planning, zoning requirements and building codes in violation of the Code of Federal Regulations at the new post office site. He sent a letter in April to the United States Postal Service demanding an immediate investigation and audit and demanded that the Postmaster General cease activites to relocate retail services to the Venice Carrier Annex.

Silver, the Hollywood filmmaker of dozens of movies including the Lethal Weapon franchise, Die Hard and its sequel, The Matrix franchise and both Predator films has said he will relocate his production companies there but save the historic mural inside the post office and provide a public screening room.

Silver said he would relocate both of his production companies, Silver Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment, to the Venice Post Office building.

Lucks said Silver told the Venice Neighborhood Council he intends to keep the board informed on his plans for the historic building and for the mural.

"It's my understanding that Silver plans to restore the building and the mural," Lucks said.

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