A little while back I made a small post (mainly because my picture wasn't all that good) of Johnie's Broiler in Downey, CA. The building was one of the last surviving, if not the last surviving, examples of old Drive-In Restaurants in Southern California. But as reported by Curbed LA and Roadside Peek (pictures of the demolition and history can be seen here), the building was being demolished at 3:30 in the morning without permits and the owner claims to have no knowledge of the demolition. I was out there only about a few months back on the way to a job in Orange County and it was a bustling car dealership so it's impossible to remove all the cars in the lot and then feign ignorance. It's sad to see it go but they stopped them before the sign was bulldozed which is better than nothing.
4 comments:
I drove by Johnie's today. It's terrible what they've done to the beautiful old building. All that is left are the sign and a small area near the front door.
The owner is feigning ignorance? That's bull. He's been trying to destroy the place for years. There was talk of protecting Johnie's as a landmark, so he tried to knock it down before he was stuck with it.
Someone hired the demolition crew. Drag them in and question them. Chances are you will soon hear the truth.
It's horrible that they are doing this when there are only so many places left like this. There is a hotel in Burbank, CA - The Olive Manor, that was a really underrated building that no one has ever bothered to write about (i will be doing a post soon) and I just drove by it today and they were doing a horrible rennovation to it, taking all the character out of it. We are the only place (i know we are big country and everything) that cares so little about out history and only makes things in the name of immediate progress while making things cheap and temporary. There are a lot of places with land that or areas that need development without tearing down our history.
I do think the shit has hit the fan with this though.
The day of the demolition, around 8pm or so I drove by and saw a group of people huddling in front of the wreckage. They were holding a candlelight vigil for the building. I was heartbroken. I remember eating there when it was still a restaurant with my family. That place had one of the most rare styles of architecture and had so many memories fluttering around in those walls. There is a town meeting in Downey going on tonight to see what they are going to do about this and about the owner. The owner basically said that the only thing he'll have to worry about is getting a fine for the demolition, which would be cheaper than actually keeping the place. In my opinion, he deserves a good punch in the face along with his fine.
It just shows the lack of inventiveness people have. It would easily be profitable and to their benefit to preserve it. Make it a tourist destination, bring back the drive-in style restaurant or try something new and exciting using the existing structure and breathing new life into it. How it's not obvious, as people have been fighting for it to be preserved for years now, that people would enjoy seeing this place as the icon it is - or a new one. An updated menu, I mean, there isn't much in Downey and it would have helped the community if some thought were put into it. It seems as though people have a limited scope of what can be done and it's just sad. Whether he gets fined or made an example of, it's gone.
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