Place
Lankershim Depot
An important piece of L.A.’s transportation history, this rehabilitated historic depot has served as a community anchor since its construction in 1895.
Active
The Conservancy opposes the relocation of the historic Lankershim Depot as proposed by the District NoHo Project.
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Jessica Hodgeden/L.A. Conservancy
Overview
The Lankershim Depot is the San Fernando Valley’s oldest unmodified railroad structure. In 2017, a successful rehabilitation and revitalization project converted the historic depot into a coffee shop. This project earned a Conservancy Preservation Award in 2018.
The Conservancy has long advocated for the preservation of the Depot. Most recently, the Lankershim Depot’s eligibility as a historic resource is at risk due to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) District NoHo Project. The Conservancy opposes the relocation of the Depot and is pressing for Metro and the City to explore preservation alternatives.
About This Place
About This Place
The Lankershim Depot in North Hollywood is an important part of L.A.’s transportation history. It is one of the San Fernando Valley’s few nineteenth-century landmarks, and the Valley’s oldest unmodified railroad structure.
For years, the Lankershim Depot sat vacant while Metro and the now-defunct Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) struggled to agree on its future.
After years of stalled plans, the project finally began to move forward in 2011, continuing in phases. Work included the removal of hazardous materials including lead paint and the disintegrating asbestos roofing. The roof needed to be stabilized, and a seismic upgrade added new footings, shear walls, and moment frames integrated into the structure.
Thorough research allowed the project team to restore the building to how it appeared when it served as a Pacific Electric station. They matched paint colors to the original color scheme. They rebuilt a missing brick chimney, as well as the rooftop sign and gable signs on each end of the building. The team repaired original windows when possible and replaced missing windows and doors.
The historic depot reopened as a coffee shop in early 2017 after being closed for over thirty years. Located at the intersection of Lankershim and Chandler Boulevards, next to the present day North Hollywood Metro station, it serves the local neighborhood and thousands of daily commuters on the Red Line subway or Orange Line busway. The landmark once again serves L.A.’s transportation system and offers a vibrant gathering space for residents. This project earned a Conservancy Preservation Award in 2018.
Our Position
The Lankershim Depot is now at risk due to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) District NoHo Project, a 2 million square foot master-planned, mixed-use development incorporating market rate and affordable multifamily housing units, creative office, and retail space.
The project proposes relocating the Depot to accommodate new portals for accessing the Metro Red Line. This would alter the Depot’s relationship with the street, putting its eligibility as a historic resource at risk. The Conservancy opposes the relocation of the Depot and believes Metro and the City must explore preservation alternatives.
