Variety Arts Theater (Friday Morning Club) — Los Angeles, CA

Project Manager
Historic Preservation Consultant
20% Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit

VARIETY ARTS THEATER
940 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA

The Variety Arts Theater, completed in 1924 as the Friday Morning Club, is a unique mixed use theatrical venue in downtown Los Angeles. It is a rare instance where the building remains almost entirely intact, inside and out due to the longevity of the original use which survived until 2010.

Designed by Los Angeles architect Alison and Alison, the Variety Arts is a notable example of the Renaissance Revival style. Virtually all of the original interior spaces, ornamentation and features remain in place, giving the interior a remarkable degree of overall integrity and authenticity.

Historic Consultants has worked with the current owner to manage the development process, including leasing the building to prospective tenants, and overseeing the selection of architects and contractors to develop a rehabilitation scheme with minimal impact on the building. This includes the integration of a completely new HVAC system into the building as discretely as possible, and coordinating the intended work into a Historic Tax credits application. The overall goal is to upgrade the building systems, adapt the main theatre space for mixed use, and find a new tenant that will maintain the theatrical uses.

PROJECT ROLE:
Historic Tax Credits Application
Construction Management
Brokerage/Financing