Place
L.A. Ice and Cold Storage Building
This industrial building in the Arts District has been chilled since 1905.
Active
For the first time in its history, the L.A. Ice and Cold Storage building will be thawed as part of a mixed use project that seeks to partially adaptively reuse, and partially demolish, the building.
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Overview
The L.A. Ice and Cold Storage Facility is one of the oldest cold storage properties in Los Angeles. It provides a tangible link to the city’s significant industrial and agricultural history. It also an excellent example of a vernacular industrial building designed by master architects Eisen and Wyman.
The building is part of a proposed mixed use project that spans seven acres of the Arts District. The Fourth & Central project calls for the thawing and, if feasible, adaptive reuse of the 1907 portion of the building. However, the current plans seek to demolish the 1903 portion of the building. The Conservancy has been actively involved in the environmental review process and aims to preserve as much of the building fabric as possible, while allowing for new development.
About This Place
About This Place
The Los Angeles Ice and Cold Storage Company building is a six-story brick masonry industrial building designed by architects George Wyman and Theodore Eisen and completed in 1903. In 1907, Wyman designed a six-story reinforced concrete addition, which was constructed by expert reinforced concrete builder Carl Leonardt. George Wyman’s most notable work includes the iconic Bradbury Building on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles.
The cold storage industry grew alongside urbanization and the demand for fresh products. Early cold storage facilities were grouped on Central Avenue (between Fourth and Sixth Streets) and on Santa Fe (between First and Fourth Streets). Early cold storage facilities were located in close proximity to the Santa Fe rail line, brokers, distributors, and food processing plants. Established in 1895, the Los Angeles Ice and Cold Storage expanded in 1902, opening its $200,000 six-story plus basement building on the corner of Fourth and Central. The company expanded several times throughout the twentieth century, becoming the city’s most prominent cold storage company. It maintained operations at 715 East Fourth Street until the 2010s.
Our Position
The Conservancy supports new development and housing production in this area of the city. We believe that a site of this size allows the flexibility to add density, and preserve the historic Ice and Cold Storage Company building.
Our comments throughout the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process strongly encourage the project team to attempt to preserve and adaptively reuse as much of the building as possible, and ensure that new infill development is compatible with the historic fabric.
How You Can Help
The Fourth & Central Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) period closed Dec. 11, 2023. We will share updates on the project as soon as they are released.
