B’NAI B’RITH LODGE
APN: 5142018007
The 58,485 square foot, 1.34 acre property is located at 830-846 South Union Avenue & James M. Wood Boulevard
1874 - The International Order of B’nai B’rith, a Jewish service organization begun in New York in 1843, founds its Los Angeles chapter
1899 - Orange Lodge No. 224 & Semi-Tropic Lodge merged to become Lodge No. 487
1904 170 members strong, they dedicate a new hall at 521 West Pico
1918 move to a new lodge hall at 17th & Georgia
Jan 13, 1922 B’nai B’rith Messenger announces Lodge No. 487's new headquarters
846 South Union Ave designed by S. Tilden Norton
1925 S. Tilden Norton designs a sister building Mount Sinai Temple nearby at 4th & New Hampshire
Both buildings make heavy use of ceramic detailing from the Batchelder-Wilson Company
1930 B’nai B’rith Lodge No. 487 moves out
By 1938 now home to:
- Bakery Drivers 276
- Dump Truck Drivers 420
- Warehousemens 598
- Grocery Warehousemens 595
- Dairy Haulers 737
- Milk Wagon Drivers 93
- Meat and Provision Drivers 626
- Truck Drivers 208 & 403
- Hay Haulers 737
- Garage Automotive & Service Station Employees 495
- Laundry Workers 52
- Wholesale Delivery Drivers
- Salesmen 848
1945 just known as the “Teamsters Building.”
1977 Teamsters move out
1978 B’nai B’rith becomes California International University & Southland College
1989 The Lighthouse Mission Church purchases building
2018 The property & large adjacent parking lot purchased by Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc. the social service arm of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles
Immediately announce their intentions to demolish the building & offer foster youth programs and services in a new structure
2019 & 2020 Demolition permits for the parcel rejected by Dept of City Planning. Demolition permit requires discretionary review by Dept of City Planning because parcel sits inside former CRA-LA Westlake redevelopment zone
Catholic Charities of Los Angeles has never filed a project for the parcel
May 11, 2022 Dept of City Planning receives an HCM nomination for the site
May 24, 2022 Dept of City Planning sends a letter to Catholic Charities of Los Angeles stating that because property may be owned by a religious institution, City hereby provides the owner with opportunity to object to designation pursuant to Cal. Gov. Code §37361
May 27, 2022 Dept of City Planning receives a letter from the Catholic Charities of Los Angeles Inc. stating its formal objection to the proposed designation, pursuant to Cal. Gov. Code §37361
Dept of City Planning ceases processing of the proposed designation of property as an Historic-Cultural Monument
Jan 26, 2023 Writ of Mandate filed in Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles by Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.:
Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., a California nonprofit, public benefit corporation, is the charitable social service organization for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, an archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church.
Catholic Charities hereby petitions this Court for a writ of mandate pursuant to California Code of Civil Procedure section 1085 because the City of Los Angeles refuses to issue a ministerial demolition permit for a deteriorated, unusable building. As the City has no legitimate basis under the law for refusing to issue Catholic Charities a demolition permit, a writ must issue commanding the City to do so.
- 846 S Union designated as "3CS" in 2009 CRA-LA Westlake Historic Survey
- “3CS” status code - eligible for California Register as an individual property
- Parcel in the Westlake Redevelopment Plan
- Plan remains in effect until May 2030
- City is empowered to undertake implementation
- Any redevelopment would trigger CEQA
- And requires discretionary review by OHR/Planning Department for site demolition permit.
resources
CRA-LA Westlake Historic Survey (2009)
Catholic Charities Annual Report 2018-19
B'nai B'rith Lodge 846 South Union HCM Application
The Bizarre B’nai B’rith Lodge Demolition Threat - Esotouric Webinar
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