Ambassador Cam: New School, Coming in 2010

I've actually been meaning to post this for months, but never had the camera handy... so here goes, the recently revised LAUSD poster for "Central LA New Learning Center #1" -- a.k.a. the Ambassador Hotel school.

Remember when the old drawings for the school made it look virtually identical to the Ambassador? Obviously those plans are long gone, as the school is looking much more modern these days. Not that I object -- attempting to create a fake Ambassador facade is pointless; the real building is gone.

Also, as you can see, the opening date has now been pushed back to fall 2010; until recently, the goal date was fall 2009. Again, makes sense, since actual construction has yet to begin.

Meanwhile, you may have noticed the Angels Walk markers that are all over downtown have now made their way to the Mid-Wilshire area. Starting with MacArthur Park, the signs continue west on Wilshire (until at least Western). Below, the Ambassador Hotel marker -- which just missed being installed in front of the actual Ambassador by two years. (LA Observed's Kevin Roderick handles the text; Kevin, of course, wrote the "Wilshire Boulevard" book.)

Ambassador Cam, #37

Cocoanut Grove demolition, Feb. 13, 2008, 10 a.m.

The demolition continues today...

That's All, Folks!

(Photo by Tod Tamberg, by way of LA Observed.)

And so it goes. The ghosts of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jr., the Academy Awards and the hundreds and hundreds of others who once graced the stage of the Cocoanut Grove now have no place to go.

As LA Observed reports, the final tear down of the Ambassador Hotel has begun.

As you're well aware, the final challenge to the LAUSD wound down at the end of last year, paving the way for the school district to tear down the last remaining part of the hotel.

Ambassador Cam, #36

Ambassador remains, 9:45 a.m., January 22, 2008

It's possibly all over today, as the remaining pieces of the Ambassador -- mostly what's left of the Cocoanut Grove -- are demolished. We've already paid our final respects to the grand old hotel via the Ambassador Hotel wake two years ago; now it's time to let it go, I suppose.

The Ambassador's Truly Last Stand

(Pic thanks to Franklin Avenue reader Theresa Inman)

The L.A. Conservancy has given up the fight to try to save the final standing elements of the Ambassador Hotel -- including the remaining pieces of the famed Cocoanut Grove (above, seen during an Academy Awards ceremony). The L.A. Times had the details on Wednesday:

Ending perhaps its most contentious battle over a new campus, the Los Angeles Unified School District will pay $4 million to fund historic school conservation in exchange for the Los Angeles Conservancy dropping a lawsuit that sought to preserve the once-glitzy Cocoanut Grove nightclub at the former Ambassador Hotel.

"We still continue to believe that it was feasible to save the hotel," said Linda Dishman, the conservancy's executive director. "At this point, we as an organization want to move on. What's left at the Ambassador site is not really historic preservation at this point, and there's a lot of other buildings we can focus on."

The settlement will allow the school system to demolish most of the Cocoanut Grove's structure and begin building a sprawling, 4,200-student K-12 campus on the site, which it had been eyeing for a school for decades.

"It is my greatest hope that this puts the whole saga finally to an end," said Kevin Reed, the district's general counsel. He said the district would have won the lawsuit, but decided to end the case so the $566-million project could continue on schedule. The first of the schools, a K-3 building, is slated to open in 2009.

Such a move was inevitable; as you can see below (in a picture taken in October), there just wasn't much left anyway. As so this sad chapter in L.A. preservation comes to a close. The remaining portion of the Ambassador will be torn down on Jan. 22.

Cocoanut Grove Demolition Halted -- For Now

Some movement on the Cocoanut Grove (well, what's left of it) preservation front: The L.A. Times writes that the Los Angeles Unified School District has agreed to temporarily halt demolition of the famed nightclub:

The Los Angeles Conservancy sought to halt the wrecking ball until a judge had time to rule on whether the district was breaking the law by tearing the club down...

In a second, related matter, the conservancy dropped its call for an injunction to bar the district from destroying items collected from the hotel's pantry, the site of the 1968 assassination of U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.

The district said the matter was moot, as it has no plans to destroy the items, including electrical fixtures.

Demolition is halted until at least February, when a hearing will discuss the conservancy's allegations.

The L.A. Conservancy has filed suit over the decision to tear down the Cocoanut Grove -- which originally was slated to be saved, even as the rest of the Ambassador Hotel was sadly torn down.

Adds the paper:

The district also quietly destroyed the pantry but saved fixtures, sections of the structure, and the ice machine, and 3-D imagery was taken of the room.

Those moves led to the current lawsuit, in which the conservancy alleges that the district hasn't proven that its only option is to tear down and replicate the club and that it improperly handled the pantry. The district said it discovered that the pantry would crumble if it were moved in one piece and that its method of preservation was better.

Meanwhile, Hensel Phelps has been contracted to build the middle school, high school, auditorium and other structures on the 24-acre site for $566 million.

The Cocoanut Grove's Last Stand

Cocoanut Grove at its peak. Of course, by the 1970s, Sammy Davis had turned the room into the cheesy, disco-ish "Now Grove." Which is how it pretty much remained to the end.

This shouldn't come as a surprise to Franklin Avenue and Ambassador's Last Stand readers, but it's now official: Most of the last remnants of the fabled Cocoanut Grove structure -- part of the last remaining pieces of the 1921 hotel still standing after last year's demolition -- will be torn down shortly.

As I noted back in November, the L.A. Unified School District had posted signs at the Ambassador site, noting that it felt the original plan to preserve the Cocoanut Grove structure was no longer feasible:

The "Notice of Preparation, Supplement to Final Environmental Impact Report" reads: The 2004 FEIR included mitigation measures for the adaptive reuse of the Cocoanut Grove as an auditorium subject to structural materials testing. Based upon extensive testing and evaluation by the District's structural engineer, consultants and staff, the District determined that it is technically infeasible to retain and reuse all of the features that were described in the 2004 FEIR due to their age and degraded and unstable condition.

Now, the L.A. Times reports that the LAUSD board voted 7-0 to approve the changes -- and tear down what's left of the old Cocoanut Grove. Demolition begins next month; the paper notes that the new school should be completed by 2010:

In a state-mandated environmental impact report, the district acknowledged that the property was historically significant. To mitigate the impact of tearing most of it down, L.A. Unified said it would preserve the pantry where Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968 and keep the Cocoanut Grove, turning it into a high school auditorium.

In public statements and during court proceedings, the district said it would cut out the pantry and preserve it whole. Officials said those plans were based on a review of blueprints and visual inspection of the site.

But under current plans, only the east wall, the circular entry and a portion of the glass west wall of the nightclub and historic Paul Williams cafeteria will not be destroyed, along with some interior features that were removed and will be incorporated into the design. As for the pantry, L.A. Unified decided in 2005 that the district would collect 29 items from it -- mostly doors, electrical items and an ice machine -- put them in storage, and tear down the rest of it.

According to a supplemental environmental impact report approved by the board Tuesday, testing found that the concrete connections were inadequate and the cement content and strength of the concrete were too low in most of the Cocoanut Grove.

Shoring the walls would take up so much space that ceilings would be low and hallways too narrow for the area to be functional, said Jim Cowell, the outgoing head of new construction for the district. Instead, the district will tear down the concrete walls and build new ones in the same place, move the stage and slope the floor, so the nightclub can work as an auditorium. The east wing was stronger than the rest of the building, so the structural elements there will be maintained.

Another nail in the coffin, I suppose, but since the Ambassador has already been buried, all I can do is once again sigh.

What Could Have Been (And Thankfully Wasn't): The Doomed Ambassador International Project

"Ambassador International"

Talk about a fascinating find: Franklin Avenue reader Steven dug up these old drawings from 1957 of an ill-fated plan to completely re-develop the Ambassador Hotel site. (Above, a drawing of the proposed site. That's Wilshire Blvd. in front, and yes, the hotel here has been complete rebuilt and turned 90 degrees.)

Fifty years before bulldozers finally tore down the Ambassador for good, plans were already in the works to do the same thing, but replace it with a new, streamlined Ambassador Hotel surrounded by high-rises.

Yup, it looks like the Ambassador narrowly avoided its fate several times before disappearing last year. The so-called "Ambassador International" project, with its several high rises, also reminds one of Donald Trump's failed plans to build the world's tallest building there.


A night shot of the proposed development.

Steve writes in:

I've been following the dismantling of the Ambassador on your site with great sadness. I worked next door at what was then Tishman Plaza at 3440 Wilshire beginning in 1971. The monthly parking fee there was a bit too steep (when you're starting at $85 a week), but I found a lot just east of the Ambassador, off Catalina where 7th St. dead-ends at the grounds, where parking was only $8 a month. So, every morning, I crossed the grounds and went through the hotel lobby and the little arcade of shops, and out the main entrance to get to my office. That and the walk back
through in the evening were my favorites parts of the day. That parking lot can still be seen (as can the intact hotel itself, bungalows and all) on Google Earth. I rather hope they never get around to updating those images.

Yes, I know; all terribly exciting. But my main purpose here is to share some renderings from 1957 of a project called Ambassador International, which, mercifully, never got off the ground. They serve to illustrate that the LAUSD project which ultimately led to its demise was not the
first threat the Ambassador faced, and I thought you might find them interesting..

Beyond interesting, Steven, and thanks for sharing with us.

Now, here are the renderings of how the Ambassador International would have been built, in three phases:


Phase one: A new hotel lobby is built, as well as a new chunk of hotel off the existing Ambassador's north wing. An office building replaces the northeast bungalows.


Phase two: More office buildings, including one that takes over a chunk of the south east wing. The new hotel arm off the old hotel's north wing gets larger.


Phase three: Even more office buildings, while the old Ambassador is destroyed (and the new one completed).

AMBASSADOR UPDATE: The Cocoanut Grove to be Demolished As Well

So much for even the L.A. Unified School District's token attempt at preservation at the Ambassador site.

As you know, most of the Ambassador was torn down earlier this year, as the LAUSD plans to build a new school complex where the historic hotel once stood. But as a tiny consolation prize, the school district agreed to save the famed Cocoanut Grove and refashion it into the school's auditorium.

More recently, rumors started to swirl that plans to salvage the Cocoanut Grove was lip service. And anyone who's passed by the Ambassador site can see (above) that the old nightclub has already been mostly gutted.

Now, Franklin Avenue reader Kevin emails us about signs that have popped up in front of the Ambassador site:

Mike & Maria,

I was driving by the Ambassador tonight & saw a few of these attached to the fence.

It looks like there will be very little, if anything, reused of the Cocoanut Grove.

It does seem that there is the opportunity to give written comment on LAUSD's desire not to have to revise the EIR.

The "Notice of Preparation, Supplement to Final Environmental Impact Report" reads: The 2004 FEIR included mitigation measures for the adaptive reuse of the Cocoanut Grove as an auditorium subject to structural materials testing. Based upon extensive testing and evaluation by the District's structural engineer, consultants and staff, the District determined that it is technically infeasible to retain and reuse all of the features that were described in the 2004 FEIR due to their age and degraded and unstable condition. In view of the potential changes in the retention and reuse of the Cocoanut Grove, LAUSD is preparing a Supplement to the 2004 FEIR to document these changes.

Written comments and responses are being accepted through Dec. 15, via fax (213-893-7412), email (ceqa-comments@laschools.org), or regular mail (Barbara Wu, LAUSD Office of Environmental Health and Safety, 1055 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, 90017).

I know what most of you are probably thinking: Yeah, well, if the building is unsound, then of course it should be torn down. But for those of us already stung by the decision to knock the Ambassador down, this just adds more salt to that wound.

The Virtual Ambassador Hotel

In marketing the new Emilio Estevez-helmed "Bobby" -- about Robert Kennedy's final moments -- the producers have wisely realized that the Ambassador Hotel is one of the film's major characters.

Sadly, it's the Ambassador's final role. The hotel, which has appeared in countless films, was demolished right after "Bobby" finished shooting -- making Estevez the last filmmaker to roam the classic hotel's halls.

The Weinstein Co., which is releasing the film, has added a cool Ambassador-themed section to the "Bobby" website, located at ambassador.bobby-the-movie.com. The site includes a computer-generated 360-degree view of the Ambassador lobby, as well as a guestbook and New York Times front pages leading up to the death of Bobby Kennedy.

The filmmakers have also launched a Flickr group (at www.flickr.com/groups/bobbythemovie), where people can upload shots they may have of the Ambassador.

Above, a screen grab of the computer-depicted Ambassador lobby, including the famous water fountain. Below, here's a real-life shot of the lobby water fountain I took in 2003:


And the water fountain, as it sadly searched for a new home at last year's Ambassador auction:

Ambassador Site Breaks Ground

It's been nearly a year since the Ambassador Hotel was demolished. Now, groundbreaking on the new school complex that will be built on the historic hotel's remains finally took place Monday. (Above, the latest rendering of what the high school will look like.)

The L.A. Times writes:

The price tag, estimated at $309 million, has jumped more than 14% in recent months after the discovery of potentially explosive methane gas deposits beneath the site that will require an elaborate mitigation plan. And, unless staggering increases in construction costs that have persisted in Los Angeles abate, the final cost of the school could climb higher, district officials said.

Guests at Monday's ceremony, however, were not talking about money. It was a day of celebration and photo ops replete with golden shovels for tossing dirt. Speakers, including Councilmen Herb Wesson and Jose Huizar, repeatedly praised recently departed Supt. Roy Romer and school board members for shepherding the project forward despite preservation groups who fought to save the historic hotel.

"There could be no better memorial to my father than a living memorial that educates the children of this city," said an emotional Max Kennedy, speaking from a plateau of tightly packed dirt on the 24-acre construction site, overlooking the remains of buildings where Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1968.

Not much is left of the original hotel. And rumors are swirling that the LAUSD has canceled plans to preserve portions of the Cocoanut Grove and other remaining parts -- that the structures are beyond rehab.

But the LAUSD's most recent Ambassador Progress Report says preservation plans (well, of what little is left) are on going.

That includes:

-- Incorporating the Embassy Ballroom Ceiling (above, left) into the school's library

-- "The historic Cocoanut Grove will be renovated with a complete structural retrofit and modern electrical, HVAC and technological systems to covert it for use as a new auditorium... Additionally, the lower level shopping arcade, including the Paul R. Williams-designed coffee shop, will be used as faculty and student lounges and cafeterias."

-- The Ambassador Hotel pylon sign (above, right) -- uncovered in the demolition after decades of existing under a coffin of concrete -- may be restored. "The District is working with expert advisors and the Historic Monitor to determine a feasible strategy for the preservation of this feature, including considerations for its use as a feature in the public park."

There you have it. Not much. A sad day for those of us who had held on to hope (well, until a year ago) that the hotel could be saved. But the Ambassador ship has now sailed. Let's now hope that the LAUSD can build this new educational center quickly and with no more cost overruns.

Ambassador Cam, #35

Ambassador Hotel, Oct. 30, 2006; 10 a.m.

With Emilio Estevez's "Bobby about to hit theatres, I thought we'd check in on the progress at the former Ambassador site. The tractors are busy pushing dirt around, and more work (or is it destruction?) is taking place on the remaining Cocoanut Grove structure.


The east side of the old hotel


And the west side of the old hotel



Yup, the school won't be done until 2009 -- which seems like a terribly long time, until you realize it's almost 2007!

Meanwhile, former L.A. resident Robert Peate -- who's now up in Portland -- writes Franklin Avenue to share word that Oprah wants to use some of his cool Ambassador shots (which can be found here:

Today I was contacted by the Oprah Winfrey Show, which is running a show next week on Emilio Estevez’ movie *Bobby*, and asked if I would be willing to let them use my shots of the Ambassador Hotel for credit. I said yes. If they do use any, they will let me know the airdate, and I will let you know.

Estevez scrambled and was able to shoot parts of "Bobby" at the Ambassador (which, as you all know, is where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated) right before the hotel was tragically torn down.

Ambassador Cam, #34

Ambassador Hotel, 9:45 am, Sept. 13, 2006

The tractors are busy at the Ambassador site, clearing out the grassy field that was once in front of the building.

Finally, Action at the Ambassador?

The Ambassador Hotel site hasn't changed much in several months (it still looks the same as above, which was shot back in April).

But it looks like there's finally some activity on the site for the first time in several months.

Reader James writes in:

I've really enjoyed your Ambassador Hotel blog. I live about 10 feet from the hotel property, so I've been very interested in what's happening there, and your site has been a source of much useful info.

Thought you might be interested to know: after a couple months of silence, the bulldozers have been back to work there for the past three days (they showed up on Saturday morning, and continued on Monday and Tuesday). They're not doing anything to the building itself (what's left of it), but they're hard at work digging up portions of the property behind the building.

Does this renewed activity signal anything important? (for example, are they gearing up to start working on the school?) Useful intel has been hard to find.

Meanwhile, I just discovered that the fine folks at TheAmbassadorHotel.com have posted Diane Keaton's speech from the Ambassador Wake online at You Tube -- check it out here.

Ambassador Cam, #33

Ambassador Hotel site; April 18, 2006; 7:02 p.m.

Things have been relatively quiet over the last month at the Ambassador Hotel site. As you can see, the hollowed shell of the Cocoanut Grove still remains, some of it now covered up by siding. We'll continue to periodically check in on the impending school construction.

Ambassador Pantry in Limbo

The LAUSD still isn't sure what to do with artifacts collected from the Ambassador Hotel's now-demolished pantry, where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in 1968. The Kennedy family wants the pieces to be destroyed. The pantry itself was supposed to be preserved -- but was too damaged, supposedly, to be saved. And for now, remnants of the crime scene sit in containers.

The LA Times picks up on the story:

The two unmarked metal bins sitting in a storage lot in Los Angeles' garment district hold artifacts from one of the most shocking events in modern American history: equipment and fixtures from the pantry where Robert F. Kennedy was fatally wounded June 5, 1968.

The 29 items from the now-demolished Ambassador Hotel, including chandelier lights, wainscoting and the ice machine behind which assassin Sirhan Sirhan may have hid, face an uncertain fate.

Are they really the stuff of history? Do they enhance national memory? And what is to be done with them as school officials prepare to build a campus on the former hotel site?

As with anything connected to assassinations and the Kennedys, answers do not come easily.

Some preservationists contend the collection should be used in a re-creation of the pantry at the school. Some historians want the artifacts given to a museum or library for permanent safekeeping. The Kennedy family wants all of them destroyed and kept out of the hands of ghoulish collectors.

By the way, if you haven't checked out Robert Peate's heartbreaking collection of shots from the Ambassador's last days, do so. It's at his site, www,nlphotos.com. Here's one from Jan. 31, taken from next door, at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles offices:

Classic Ambassador

Reader and frequent The Ambassador's Last Stand contributor Tess has been researching the late, grand hotel at the library, where she's found more than 100 photos of the Ambassador through the years.

She shares a few:


A "Music Week Parade" takes place on the Ambassador's front lawn, in 1941. Tess notes: You can see that the facade of the Cocoanut Grove is quite different than the one you and I were used to..

Indeed, those arches in the front of the Cocoanut Grove have only become visible recently as the former hotspot as been almost completely gutted.


Aerial view of the Ambassador, credited to 1924.

One Last RFK Tribute at the Ambassador

One of the cool things about launching The Ambassador's Last Stand has been hearing from people across the country who have fond or personal memories of the hotel -- even, for some, after it had already been shut down.

I recently received a letter and some pictures from Brent Lyons of Illinois, who visited L.A. in June 1998 upon the 30th anniversary of Bobby Kennedy's assassination.

He writes:

On the morning of June 5, 1998, I purchased two sets of white flowers. I decided to try to put the flowers on the property of the Ambassador Hotel. So from Wilshire Boulevard, I walked up the drive to the parking lot and asked the parking lot attendant, who was at his booth, if I could g on the Ambassador grounds and put my flowers down. To my amazement, the parking lot attendant said to me nicely, "Go ahead."

I walked from the parking lot area to the front of the Cocoanut Grove entrance. I then put one set of white flowers on the lawn and took pictures... I noticed that the front doors of the Cocoanut Grove were open, and I decided to go inside. (You will notice, in my pictures, that there were vans and people were unloading them for making films at the Ambassador. I laid down the second set of white flowers on the floor in the Cocoanut Grove.

I felt lucky enough for this experience, and left the Ambassador grounds without a hassle.

Thanks Brent -- and for everyone else, please keep sending in your memories.

Ambassador Hotel, 1936

Spotted on eBay, this cool ad promoting the late hotel. The text reads:

Unsolicited Tribute from a Great American Author
"The Ambassador, with its own gay streets of shops, a theatre and restaurants and the world-famous 'Cocoanut Grove" is believed by some to be only another magnificant hotel, but it's much more... it is a three-ring circus of indoor and outdoor amusements in a layout filled with happy conceptions."
-- Gouverneur Morris

Ambassador Cam #32

Turns out the original Ambassador Hotel sign, which graced the hotel's automobile entrance upon its 1921 opening, has been trapped inside the hotel's own hideous, 1970s-era concrete silo. Chipping away at that old exterior, workers found the long-buried original sign inside;


You can easily make out the letters that spell "Ambassador Hotel."


How the entrance sign looked in the Ambassador's early days. (The words "Ambassador Hotel" have not yet been added to the post in this classic postcard image.)


One more pic from Friday.

(Thanks to reader Kathy for the shots -- by the time I got to the Ambassador on Friday, it was too dark to get decent pics.)

"Don't Let This Happen to Your Historic Building"

Photographer Robert Peate, who submitted several shots to The Ambassador's Last Stand, has complied 17 of his favorite images (out of over 800) he took of the grand hotel's final days.

Check it out at nlphotos.com. Robert explains his mission:

For the past four years I have worked near the site of the famous Ambassador Hotel, beloved Los Angeles landmark. In 2001 the Los Angeles Unified School District bought the site to build a new school, with the plan to demolish the entire historic structure. This prompted a lawsuit by the Los Angeles Conservancy, which was settled in 2005, clearing the way for the demolition of most, but not all, of the structure.

When I learned of the settlement, I began photographing the demolition for posterity. These images will be donated to the Conservancy for use in future preservation efforts. “Don’t let this happen to your historic building,” will be the message. What follow are my favorite of hundreds of images I took for this project, The Death of the Ambassador.

I met Robert and his wife Robin at the Ambassador Wake earlier this month -- both really good people.

Ambassador Cam, #31: Cocoanut Grooves No More

(Pic by LAist's Carolyn Kellogg)

Like I mentioned in my previous Ambassador Cam post, the LAUSD sure has a funny way of "preserving" the Ambassador Hotel's Cocoanut Grove (which, we've mentioned before was bastardized so much in the 1970s that I'm not sure it's worth saving anyway). As you can see in this shot and the previous one, the Cocoanut Grove has been completely gutted and stripped. Not much left besides the four walls -- well, make that two walls, as the front and back sides have been torn off (yes, you can see right through).

LA Observed first reported on Friday that even the Cocoanut Grove's distinguishing characteristic -- its front entrance -- was demolished:

Staffers at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles—in the office building at 3424 Wilshire—just heard a loud crash outside. They ran to the window and saw that a crane had torn the front off the old Cocoanut Grove, the last part of the Ambassador Hotel still standing. An email concludes: "Gee, not much left to preserve now."

I decided to call the LAUSD Friday to ask them about it -- and they're still sticking to the company line, that the Cocoanut Grove (as well as the Paul Williams-designed coffee shop underneath) is being preseved.

LAUSD spokeswoman Shannon Johnson told me : "The entire structure is still standing. We're not tearing it down. It will be a part of the school's new auditorium."

Uh, Shannon, you might want to drive down Wilshire and take a look for yourself. Johnson tells us that the demolition will continue through mid-March.


(Another shot by Carolyn)


Mike's dark pic (sorry, it was nighttime) of the Ambassador Hotel remains, 2/10/06, 6:55 p.m.

Ambassador Cam, #30

The Ambassador Hotel, 2/6/06, 10 a.m.

C'mon, LAUSD, let's be honest here: The idea that the Cocoanut Grove has been spared the wrecking ball is an exaggeration. As you can see here, the insides of the Grove have been stripped clean. Actually, you can see right through the building. Not much left except the walls -- and even most of those are gone.

Granted, one wonders why they even bothered saving the Cocoanut Grove after knocking down most of the rest of the Ambassador. The once-glamorous ballroom had already been bastardized in the 1970s, when the so-called "Now Grove" took away the palm tree ambience and replaced it with a nightmare disco feel (in one last-ditch attempt to revive the aging venue).


A closer view

The Ambassador Wake: The Aftermath

UPDATED



Thanks to all of you who made it out to the Gaylord Apartments and HMS Bounty last night! I got to meet several of you for the first time and reconnect with others of you. (Special thanks to Pat Saperstein for loaning me her camera -- can't believe I left mine at home!)

I arrived at the Gaylord/HMS Bounty at around 7:15, and the line was already down the red carpet. (Yes, red carpet -- indeed, this was a much more stylized event than what I had originally planned with my wake.) The crowd in the Gaylord lobby was thick but manageable -- most of the people were outside, near the open bar, natch.

Out on the patio I ran into Joseph Mailander and Lynn, as well as KFI's Justin Levine... and several other people who recognized me from Franklin Avenue and The Ambassador's Last Stand. Moving to the HMS, I met 5th and Spring's Celia for the first time, and Trained Monkey's Jim for the second time. I think they recently started dating -- guys, true? (Update: Yes!) Later popped in LAist's Carolyn, who recounted her terrible mugging experience a few weeks ago right around the corner. Also, met LARitz's Jessica Ritz -- whose father, I later found out, co-wrote Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing"!

Also, thanks to Blogging.la and Wildbell's Will Campbell for figuring out how to use the flash on Pat's camera; and his wife Susan, who took several pics for The Ambassador's Last Stand via her job's vantage point across the street. Also met Losanjealous' Ryan, and Josh from Curbed LA.

Can't forget Shannon from Sha in LA, and her pal Eric Lynxwiler, the co-author of the fantastic "Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse of Los Angeles." The book's other co-author, LA Observed's Kevin Roderick, was there, as was Los Angeles mag's Mary Melton (who wrote about our Birthday Race in 2003, you may recall). And LAVoice's Mack Reed, who wrote up the best coverage of anyone. A tidbit:

The loveliest tribute came from Carlyn Frank Benjamin - daughter of one of the Ambassador's first caretakers, and a 16-year resident of the hotel from the time it opened in 1921: "I'd always hoped the old girl would put on some new clothes and some comfortable shoes and some rose-scented moisturizing lotion, and that she could have had a new lease on life. ..."

And then she conjured the image of the Ambassador's ghosts rising up, filtering up through the debris and inspiring the LAUSD students who will occupy the school soon to be built on the site.

If that can happen, the death of the Ambassador won't have been a huge waste.

Besides getting to speak before Diane Keaton (who I stood next to on the stage), the highlight was meeting Mrs. Benjamin (the subject of Thursday's LATimes cover story about the Ambassador). Don't let her age fool you -- she was one of the liveliest attendees at the event. Not only did she give the best speech, but she and her sister (who also lived at the Ambassador in her youth) remember the hotel like it was yesterday. (Her husband was also an agent back in the day, and she told me she got to know Army Archerd very well. I told her Army was now blogging as well!)

Most amazingly, Mrs. Benjamin reads the blog! And knows all about me and Maria! I can't even get some of my friends to check it out, yet here's a woman who not only outlived the Ambassador but is still going strong! She was an inspiration. Here's a pic of me with her:


Me with Carlyn Frank Benjamin, who grew up at the Ambassador

Some other shots:


Diane Keaton speaks


Longtime Ambassador P.R. manager Margaret Burk, who wrote a fantastic history on the hotel, "Are The Stars Out Tonight?"


5th and Spring's Celia, her friend Kathy and Trained Monkey's Jim


LAist's Carolyn Kellogg


Martini Republic's Joseph with wife Lynn and KFI's Justin Levine


Sha in LA's Shannon, with "Wilshire Boulevard" co-author Eric Lynxwiler


LAVoice's Mack Reed, Los Angeles mag's Mary Melton and LAObserved's Kevin Roderick


Losanjealous' Ryan, with Will and Susan Campbell


Robert Peate, who also sent us a lot of great shots over the past few months, and his wife Robin


In the HMS Bounty


Crowd in the Gaylord lobby listen to speakers


More HMS Bounty crowd


Red carpet

Other recaps:

Caroline On Crack wishes it was more of a wake, less of a party but notes the impressive turnout.

Sha in LA hates to admit it, but perhaps Adaptive Reuse just wasn't possible with the Ambassador. She has a great rundown of who was there, and some cool pics here.

Joseph at Martini Republic doesn't quite get the hullabaloo surrounding the Ambassador's demise.

Jim at Trained Monkey also briefly checks in and lists some of the blogger attendees.

LA Observed also mentions a few highlights in its Friday roundup.

Carolyn at LAist has some last words for the Ambassador -- and is relieved that Hilary Duff didn't show up.

Jorge and Claudy took some great shots, and note that one-time "Melrose Place" and "Growing Pains" star Jamie Luner was there.

Celia from 5th and Spring tells a bittersweet story of meeting a onetime Cocoanut Grove musician with some great stories to tell -- but sadly, none of his former bandmates to reminisce with.

Thanks to the L.A. Conservancy and Ken Bernstein as well. Were you there? Did I meet you? Let me know!

Pay Your Last Respects Tonight

I'll see you at tonight's Ambassador Hotel Wake!



By the way, most of the festivities will actually take place at the Gaylord apartments lobby, with spillover heading to the HMS Bounty. Look for the tables that say "Bloggers Corner, sponsored by The Ambassador's Last Stand" to find some familiar faces -- or at least some familiar names from the L.A. blogsophere!

Meanwhile, the front page of today's L.A. Times has a nice story by Bob Pool on Carlyn Frank Benjamin, who grew up at the Ambassador:

Benjamin lived at the Ambassador between 1921, when it opened, and 1938. Her father, Ben Frank, managed the hotel and her grandfather, Abe Frank, was the hotel company's vice president and the person she credits with creating the palm-decorated Cocoanut Grove. She likes to point out that she and the hotel were born five months apart.

"The Ambassador and I are the same age. Except I'm still here," the 84-year-old Brentwood resident said Tuesday as she gazed sadly at the remains of what many consider the symbol of Los Angeles' golden era.

Tonight, Benjamin will be among hundreds who are expected to gather across Wilshire Boulevard from the hotel site for a wake that will commemorate its role in defining Los Angeles' popular culture.

But when the stories are swapped, none are likely to be as vivid as Benjamin's.

As a young child, she roamed the grounds, building castles in the hotel golf course's sand traps.

The pastry chefs whipped up a giant chocolate cake for her third birthday and Josephine, the hotel organ grinder's trained monkey, showed up to entertain her and her friends.

As she grew older, Benjamin learned to swim in the hotel's pool, practiced marksmanship on its rifle range and explored every nook and cranny of the 500-room resort.

She cajoled staff members into saving so many hotel newspapers for 3rd Street Elementary School's annual paper drive that her class won the collection contest every year. After school each day, she had snacks in the Ambassador's Fountain Room cafe. In the lobby, she regularly encountered royalty and celebrities.

She met pilot Charles Lindbergh there shortly after his pioneering 1927 transatlantic flight. She considered Hollywood movie impresario Sid Grauman, who was a hotel resident, an unofficial uncle.

Gossip columnist Walter Winchell lived next door and his young daughter was a friend of Benjamin and her younger sister, Jackie Schwartz, now a Santa Ana resident.

"The elevator operator would let me practice running it when no guests were in it. I'd go from the basement to the sixth floor — we'd bounce around until I got it level at each floor," Benjamin said.

Shameless self-promotion moment... Pool quotes me toward the end of the story:

Also involved is Michael Schneider, a 32-year-old Variety writer who chronicled the Ambassador's final days on a website that attracted worldwide attention. "The hotel symbolizes the glamorous old Hollywood and Los Angeles that my generation never got to experience firsthand," Schneider said.

Hope to see you all tonight!

Tomorrow's The Ambassador Hotel Wake!

An old postcard shows the Ambassador's Wilshire entrance, back when it included a statue and fountain. The postcard says, "Where the flying fishes play. Ornamental fountain at Wilshire Entrance to the Los Angeles AMBASSADOR." (Thanks to Mary Ellen!)

I've heard from many of you planning on attending Thursday's Ambassador Hotel send-off being thrown by the L.A. Conservancy, with some help by us here at Franklin Avenue/The Ambassador's Last Stand. Don't forget to RSVP, if you haven't already!

Some details: The festivities start at 7, with speeches, etc. at around 8:15. If you're looking for some fellow bloggers/blog readers/Franklin Avenue folk (well, that's me -- Blogger Baby and Maria can't make it, unfortunately), look for the specially marked tables. (It will say something like "Blogger's Corner, sponsored by The Ambassador's Last Stand). That way you can hang with some like-minded folk and we can toast the Ambassador together.

See you Thursday!

Ambassador Cam, #29

A belated (sorry, been busy) shot of the now fallen Ambassador Hotel sign:



(Thanks to reader Kathy.)

Ambassador Update: The Sign is Gone

Sure, it was cheesy. And a relic of the hotel's last-ditch effort to revive itself. Just check out that font -- how dated! But still, the Ambassador Hotel sign graced its Wilshire Blvd. entrance for decades... and its disappearance is another reminder that the historic building is gone.

From reader Kathy:

I drove down Wilshire this am (Thursday Jan. 26) and was shocked to see an empty cement pole in front by the sidewalk. I parked, took my camera, walked over and saw that beautiful Ambassador sign on the ground, in the drive way!

I felt so bad that I couldn't even take a photo of it. I'm glad I got lots of photos while it was still in place--at the top smiling out on Wilshire Blvd. where it belongs. Where do you suppose they'll store it? I think even CoCo (Coconut Grove) looks sad.:(

I know, second Ambassador post of the day. Meanwhile, have you RSVP'ed for the Ambassador Wake yet? See you next Thursday!

Ambassador Cam, #28

Some cool new shots from Franklin Avenue reader Wojtek, who took these on Tuesday:














Meanwhile, Thursday's LA Daily News reported on the uncertain future of the Ambassador pantry. The walls themselves are gone, but the equipment from the scene of RFK's assassination have been preserved, despitethe Kennedy family's objection. Now, what to do with it?

Against the wishes of the Kennedy family, the pantry equipment from the mostly demolished Ambassador Hotel is being packed up instead of destroyed. Now school officials, who bought the vacant hotel in 2001 to make way for new classrooms, are saddled with the question of what to do with the remnants of the tragic spot in American history.

The Kennedys fear that the fixtures - including a food-warming table, an ice machine, wainscoting and ceiling lights - could end for sale online as morbid souvenirs. Several pieces that are purported to be from the landmark hotel are already being offered over the Internet.

A Los Angeles Unified School District advisory panel concluded the pantry had no historical significance and urged the school system to get rid of it. But the district is legally bound to preserve the items under the demolition plan approved by the school board, said district spokeswoman Shannon Johnson-Haber.

According to Paul Schrade, a Kennedy family friend who was wounded in the June 1968 assassination, Superintendent Roy Romer promised one of the senator's sons that the district would dispose of the pantry.

"The agreement was to get rid of all of it," said Schrade, who said he attended a meeting where Romer gave that assurance to Maxwell Kennedy, the assassinated senator's son. Kennedy fears that if the items are not destroyed, "this winds up on eBay," Schrade added.

Glenn Gritzer, the former school official who worked most closely on the Ambassador project as a special assistant to Romer, said the superintendent was expressing a personal desire, not a guarantee.

Because of legal restrictions, "the superintendent can't just wake up one morning and say, 'Boom, it's gone,"' Gritzner said.

Memories of the Ambassador, Part One

Franklin Avenue reader Don Stewart sent us this shot of the Ambassador, which he took some time last year. Thanks to everyone who's sending us pics of the now-demolished building -- keep 'em coming! And don't forget to RSVP for the Feb. 2 Ambassador Hotel wake!

An update on the Wake: I've been informed that the majority of the party -- including, yes, the open bar -- will actually be at the Gaylord Apartments (which is the same location -- The HMS Bounty is connected to the Gaylord's lobby). The crowd will likely spill into the HMS Bounty. But drinks aren't free there -- so don't try to pull a fast one on my man Ramon!

In other Ambassador news, the LAUSD is looking for artists to depict the history of the once-grand hotel, according to the Downtown News:

With the demolition of the Ambassador Hotel wrapping up last week, the Los Angeles Unified School District has started the process of selecting artwork to grace the new schools complex that will occupy the site. The district wants original pieces that depict the history of the Ambassador Hotel within the context of Los Angeles from 1921 to 1968.

Corinne Weitzman, an art consultant hired by the school district, said plans are being worked out as to how many pieces will be on the new campus. "It really depends on the response we get and the proposals that come in," she said.

Ambassador Cam, #27

The Ambassador Hotel's remains, including the Cocoanut Grove, 1/18/06



Thanks to reader Robert Peate, who passed along these new shots. (Which are obviously facing east -- well, sort of southeast -- as you can see the downtown skyline in the background.)

Hope to see you at the Ambassador Hotel wake on Feb. 2 -- be sure to RSVP soon!

The Ambassador Wake, Take 2

Spread the word... here's the info for the Ambassador farewell party on Feb. 2. It's a slightly more formal event than the one I'd been organizing -- in other words, you've got to RSVP. But on the flip side, there's a hosted bar -- which should appeal to the inner journalist in all of you. Hope to see you there...

WHAT: Toast the life and death of the legendary Ambassador Hotel

WHEN: Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.

WHERE: The HMS Bounty

WHO: You -- RSVP at 310-858-2224 (as soon as possible -- there's only room for so many people at the HMS Bounty)

You Are Cordially Invited to The Ambassador Hotel's Wake

UPDATE: New plans! Next Tuesday's wake has been canceled. Instead, Ken Bernstein of the L.A. Conservancy contacted me this afternoon to let me know that the organization was planning its own Ambassador hotel tribute -- also at the HMS Bounty -- the week after ours. As a result, we're going to merge events. Information to come... hang tight!



The Ambassador Hotel, 1921-2005

Come join Franklin Avenue and The Ambassador's Last Stand as we have a few drinks in the memory of the late, lamented Ambassador!

WHAT: Franklin Avenue and The Ambassador's Last Stand present The Ambassador Hotel's Wake

WHEN: INFO TO COME

WHERE: The HMS Bounty
3357 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90010
(across from the Ambassador site)



WHY: To celebrate Los Angeles history and the demise of a key historical building. And to meet other bloggers, blog readers, L.A. enthusiasts and freaks.

The HMS Bounty has plenty of its own history. Operating under its present name since 1962, the HMS Bounty remains a favorite neighborhood watering hole. According to its website, it's rumored Sirhan Sirhan ate at the Bounty shortly before the assassination of Robert Kennedy.

If you're interested, please email us at mikemaria@sbcglobal.net

A Fitting (?) Farewell

The same day the Ambassador Hotel bit the dust, my former colleague Travis -- now living up in Canada -- found an apropos soft-core flick sitting on his TiVo (which, he promises, innocently found its way to the DVR's hard drive):

I was perusing my TiVo, which had mysteriously recorded for me a screening of “Deviant Vixens 2,” probably because of my love of nature documentaries. “Vixens,” however, is not about foxes at all!

One of the perks of Canadian TV is that there’s a much more relaxed attitude towards sexuality on the boob tube. And in fact, this “Vixen” movie is a bit of a sex romp. (Hi, Mom!)

But what I found interesting about it — and other than this, the film’s awful in every respect, trust me — is that it was filmed in 2002 on the grounds of the Ambassador Hotel!

The plot, such as it is, revolves around “Hotel Amore,” which was the playground of celebrities married and less married. The crew appears not to have gotten inside, but the building and grounds are filmed from all sorts of different angles, and the Coconut Grove is easy to spot. The long driveway with palm trees is also present, as is a little graffiti and various barred-off courtyards.

Is someone at CityTV a cineaste tearfully mourning the passing of a Hollywood icon? Was the last film made at the historic Ambassador a talentless yet strikingly appropriate blue movie? I don’t know. But I do know that TiVo’s ability to identify programs I like to watch just became a little scary.

Thankfully, this little piece of Skinemax cinema wasn't the final pic shot at the Ambassador -- Emilio Estevez's "RFK" was -- but it goes to show how extensively the hotel was used as a location in the final years of its life.

BREAKING NEWS: The Ambassador Is Gone (Updated with Pictures)

The Cocoanut Grove is all that remains of the Ambassador Hotel. Jan. 16, 2005 -- 1:30 p.m.


The same view from Wilshire Boulevard in September, as demolition had just begun.

Just came from the Ambassador Hotel site, and documented the final demise of the once mighty structure. It's all gone. All that's left is a heap of rubble, and the Cocoanut Grove building (which will be incorporated into the new school on the site).

Some shots from Catalina and 7th, as I face west:





The same view, as taken in 2002 by the folks behind TheAmbassadorHotel.com:



RIP, The Ambassador Hotel and your many, many ghosts. Stay tuned for details on an Ambassador wake we hope to throw, perhaps at the HMS Bounty next week.

Ambassador Cam, #26

Believe it or not, that's all that's left of the once proud Ambassador Hotel. Pic comes from Jennifer Sharpe, who passes along this note:

After having dreamt about the Ambassador Hotel last night, i drove over there and shot this photo of the last remaining piece of it this morning. it looks like an ancient ruin, part of a fallen civilization. i just discovered your weblog and wanted to pass along this photo as a token of my wistful solidarity.

Thanks to Jennifer, who took this pic Sunday morning -- the remaining strip of hotel even smaller than when I last checked on Friday.

The final days of the Ambassador has brought out photographers, pro and amateur alike, and I've seen several of them snapping shots as I took my own "Ambassador Cam" pics. This anonymous comment at The Ambassador's Last Stand also stopped by the site today, and reports what we've suspected: That this is the week the last portion of the hotel (excepting the Cocoanut Grove) disappears:

I was taking photos at the Ambassador Hotel today (Sunday 1/15) and an administrator drove up. He said that the remaining portion of the hotel will be down "in two days". I don't know if the two days are Monday and Tuesday of the coming week or Tuesday and Wednesday, since Monday is a holiday. But the hotel's remaining structure (other than the area of the Cocoanut Grove which is being preserved) will probably be gone by Thursday!

Several photographers were present today, and the weather was fine for photography. The view of the south facade of the hotel was shocking, to say the least, as the last time I saw it at Christmas, the south facade was still intact.
The only remaining structure is a small piece of the main building separated from the Cocoanut Grove portion and standing precariously on it's own.

I think we may have to throw an Ambassador wake at the HMS Bounty in the coming weeks. Anyone else game?

The Ambassador's Last Stand, As Seen From Above

Thanks to Darleene, who found this great shot of the Ambassador Hotel taken by blogger Doc Searls, who flew above much of L.A. recently and chronicled much of it. (Also via Blogging.la.)

This is a shot of the hotel from the back; Wilshire is at the top of the pic; the bungalows used to be on the right. As you've seen from our ground shots, most of the hotel is already gone -- this just gives it another perspective from the sky.

Quite a contrast to this Windows Live Local pic from a few years ago, taken from the same angle, with Wilshire at the top of the photo:

Ambassador Cam, #25

The demolition accelerated this week, as construction crews focused on the last remaining section of the hotel -- the middle part. By Friday, even that was mostly gone. I now expect the structure to be completely gone (with the exception of the Cocoanut Grove, which is being rehabbed) by end of next week.

Some views from Wilshire:


Jan. 12, 2006


Jan. 11, 2006


Jan. 9, 2006

And some shots taken from Catalina street on Jan. 11:


Not much more to see here...


Closer view... not much left but a few walls and a lot of asbestos!


Where the hotel lobby and the Cocoanut Grove connected.


Entrance to the demolition site for the "Central Los Angeles New Learning Center." I do hope they decide to call the facilities Ambassador High. (Although I suppose there's a good argument that it should be RFK High.)

Ambassador Cam, #24

The south wing of the Ambassador Hotel is now gone, i saw while driving by this morning. Meanwhile, Susan Campbell, who works across the street, took these shots on Friday of the demolition.

Ambassador Cam, #23

Ambassador Hotel, 1/6/06, 10:25 a.m.

Soon, the Cocoanut Grove is all that will be left. Meanwhile, a reader writes in and wonders what has happened to the Paul Williams-designed coffee shop (below). As part of the LAUSD's original plan, the coffee shop was originally slated to be saved as the new high school's break room.



But given how fluid the Ambassador high school plans seem to be (such as the recent decision to scrap the previously announced design, which looked like the hotel), who knows. I'll see if I can get an answer from the LAUSD as well, but feel free to chime in if you know.

Meanwhile, we'll have more pics for you later today from Susan Campbell's camera. Susan works in one of the tall buildings next to the Am