Preservationists PO'd with Planned Demolition of Sunset Blvd. Tower Records

Preservationists in Los Angeles are mad these days. The city has plans to tear down the Tower Records at 8801 W. Sunset Blvd. where for years the building has been the home to band performances and album signings. Elton John has been there. Duran Duran has visited along with Mariah Carey and David Cassidy - the list goes on.

The building, once yellow, is now painted blue - and to many, it's just an eyesore screaming for some help. The actual store closed in 2006 as a result of low sales and shut its doors just before the parent company of Tower declared bankruptcy and closed the entire chain.

But pop culture enthusiasts are asking the city to look a little closer at where the building has been and what it has symbolized since its construction in 1971 and call it a historical landmark. In addition, residents living in the nearby neighborhood are concerned that a new development could be higher and much larger than the current building.

What stands to replace the former Tower store is a three-story office, retail and health club building. There would be subterranean and rooftop parking.

Preservationists would like to convert the building into a rock 'n' roll museum and went through the application process to have the building declared a historical landmark. Now, the issue is currently up in the air with the preservationists claiming the city supplied incorrect information for the application allowing a speedier approval of the developer's application.

If the developer's plans are approved by the city, it would be a loss considering mixed-use development is going up everywhere. How many more office/retail combinations does a community need?

The answer lies in what the city's planning department intends to do and whether they will allow the preservationists' applications to be processed. Certainly, the city and developer can find another location on the Sunset strip or elsewhere to build another nondescript mixed-use project.

As more and more cities jump on the urban development bandwagon, there will eventually be a backlash to that type of development, which is why it is important the city take into account the preservationists' plan for the building.

The Sunset strip has always been known for having an eclectic mix of businesses. A museum would be more in keeping with the culture of the strip than another office building. It seems that with the influx of mixed-use development, the projects have become cookie-cutter more than anything, which goes entirely against the idea and principles of urban development to begin with.

If an office/retail building goes up, it's clear that the motive will have been for money more than anything else.