Your civic duty- SAVE Capitol Studios!!!!!!

[@?,*???&?]

This came today from Maureen at NARAS:




Dear Los Angeles Chapter Members,

Recently, many of you offered your help when you learned that Hollywood?s Capitol Records Tower and Studios are threatened by the new construction of a neighboring 16-story building and parking garage. Tests have indicated that the construction would have a detrimental sonic impact on both Capitol?s underground echo chambers and on the historic studios themselves and might even force the closure of Capitol Studios. Now, thanks to the vocal support of many in the recording community, EMI/Capitol and the building?s developer have agreed to mitigation efforts on the construction and operation of the parking garage. However, help is still needed. If any of you are available to support Capitol Studios by attending a Planning Council meeting on Tuesday June 10th, it would be much appreciated.

According to an EMI spokesperson, ?People who are concerned about the development are encouraged by Capitol/EMI to show up at the Planning Committee meeting as the Committee members will have to ratify the restrictions and may impose further requirements on the developer. In addition, compliance with the mitigation agreement will depend on both the commitment of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee (PLUM) to the agreement and the community's demand that its concerns be taken seriously.?


What: The LA City Council's Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee meeting

When: Tuesday June 10 at 2 p.m.

Where: Los Angeles City Hall: 200 North Spring Street, Hearing Room 350

Why: To bring music community presence to the appeal by Capitol Records/EMI against a recent permit grant that will allow construction of a 16-story building and adjacent underground parking lot within feet of the Capitol Tower and Capitol Studios.

Sincerely,

Maureen Droney

Executive Director/Producers & Engineers Wing

The Recording Academy

3402 Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica, CA 90405

310-581-8752

maureen.droney@grammy.com

[GooberNumber9]

I'm all for the preservation of high-quality and historically important recording spaces in the world. It is interesting to me that this is a plea to NARAS and in a way to the general public, instead of Caplital/EMI throwing around a lot of political and/or financial weight to preserve these studios. It really sounds like Capital doesn't care about these studios. Is this the future of the major record labels?

Todd Wilcox

[@?,*???&?]

I'm all for the preservation of high-quality and historically important recording spaces in the world. It is interesting to me that this is a plea to NARAS and in a way to the general public, instead of Caplital/EMI throwing around a lot of political and/or financial weight to preserve these studios. It really sounds like Capital doesn't care about these studios. Is this the future of the major record labels?

Todd Wilcox

Capitol has no say. EMI calls the shots and they are based in London. What this gets down to is City Planning. If you've never lived in Los Angeles, there are areas that get their own city names, but then other pockets completely disconnected from downtown Los Angeles that are simply called Los Angeles. I lived in what was technically Universal City, but between Studio City and Hollywood for many years and yet to the post office, my zip code was simply Los Angeles. One major problem with Los Angeles is that no one participates in City Government. People move there for short periods of time and then move out. 60% of the city population is Latino- who knows how many are legal?

I support the NARAS appeal here to the recording community. If we are a community, then we can have a voice as a group. We should most certainly support one another. People can make a difference when it comes to this stuff. If you go, be sure to comment during the public comments time allowed.

[@?,*???&?]

It is interesting to me that this is a plea to NARAS and in a way to the general public, instead of Caplital/EMI throwing around a lot of political and/or financial weight to preserve these studios.

EMI has no $$ these days.

http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=723064

[rwc]

I didn't see anyone writing letters when scaffolding went up right next to Avatar.

[@?,*???&?]

I didn't see anyone writing letters when scaffolding went up right next to Avatar.

Capitol Records = Beatles, Capitol Studios = Sinatra

Avatar = ?

Also, for those who don't know, the studios for Capitol are in the basement beneath the parking lot which is next to the building.

[i am monster face]

Yeah. EMI's not doing so hot right now.

John Doe

[cgarges]

Capitol Records = Beatles, Capitol Studios = Sinatra

Avatar = ?

It's not that cool stuff hasn't been done in the building where Avatar is, it's just that in terms of landmark preservation., how many people know what that building looks like? Can you say to anyone in Manhattan, "Yeah. I'll meet you at the entrance to the Avatar building," and have them know where you'll be?

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[joel hamilton]

avatar = power station, but chris is right regardless.

Unfortunately, I have little sympathy for a giant company that clearly did not manage resources in such a way to take the future into account. (gross oversimplification).

Will I rally around a mobil station when they are trying to sell only snacks, because the gas has run out?

Sinatra= history.

Beatles= history.

Great history, but history nonetheless.

[#37Glass]

I gre up in LA. I live with a goil that grew up in Encino, then Burbank, born in Toluca Lake where we still have a small ancient apartment.

The changes in the LA mess have been a lot of dumping buildings in Hodge-Poge style so every 50 feet is a completly different look.

Everything is true, Capitol could use more sense, the city planners don't care what kind of an archectual mess thay make, and things get lost in time.

Also the record and film industries have ignored keeping Hollywood artifacts intact except for extreme tourisms.

You can and should protest or try to be a active pest to all the city planners back-door deals and mumbo jumbo meetings as a way of at least having been there trying to throw in some sense. You might not change anything, but at least have had some presance.

Hollywood could and should be cleaned up. I would start with about 5000 crew, really big tractors and lots of explosives

Best of luck to any of those that try to do anything with preservation

[GooberNumber9]

Unfortunately, I have little sympathy for a giant company that clearly did not manage resources in such a way to take the future into account. (gross oversimplification).

Will I rally around a mobil station when they are trying to sell only snacks, because the gas has run out?

Now, that's what I was trying to say, only Joel said it much better. What's next, are all the IT geeks going to get together to preserve the garage where Steve Jobs made the first Apple? (Actually, I could see that happening).

I would miss the annual Christmas Tree-like decoration on top of the Capitol Records building a lot more than I would miss the recording studios.

Hollywood WAS cleaned up, mostly, they just focused on Hollywood and Highland and made that big monstrosity and pretty much ruined the Chinese Theater, and then they ruined Pacific Cineramadome, and then rent went up like 50% so we moved to Los Feliz. But they did get rid of most of the hooker and drug dealers, now there's just the hooker-centered shoe stores and the worst part of all: the Scientologists. Call me when they kick them out and I might move back.

Sorry, I'm not bitter, much. If the Capital Records building goes away then I won't be happy about it, but I'm not going to protest about it. It's a private building owned by a large corporation, not a public building or historical landmark.

I just can't imaging trying to perserve "historical" buildings or studios in Burbank in 50 years.

[RefD]

are all the IT geeks going to get together to preserve the garage where Steve Jobs made the first Apple? (Actually, I could see that happening).

IIRC, Atari actually made the motherboard for him and supplied parts.

...the hooker-centered shoe stores...

wait, back up just a second!

where are these?

*gets out a steno pad*

[@?,*???&?]

From the Los Angeles Times today:

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 2316.story

Echo chambers are in jeopardy!!!

[GooberNumber9]

...the hooker-centered shoe stores...

wait, back up just a second!

where are these?

*gets out a steno pad*

Haha!
Well, it USED to be that the corner of Hollywood and Wilcox (no relation) was hooker heaven. That's actually the corner where they filmed the scene in "Pretty Woman" where Richard Gere stalls out the Lotus and Julia Roberts gets in. Five years ago they had gotten rid of the hookers, but not the shops that catered to them.

Half of Hollywood Blvd. between Vine and Highland was garish shoe and wig stores back then.

[GooberNumber9]

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/ne ... 2316.story

Todd A-O and Cello are gone?

Bummer.