It never fails.
Every time I write that Charlie Munger’s Green Hollow Square project should be converted into a big retirement home (as I did again last month), I get lots of feedback from the community saying how much they really like this idea.
Think about it. When you get old and infirm, where will you go?
Arizona? Some non-descript place in West L.A.? Newport Beach? Bakersfield?
I’m sure there are nice options in all these places. But there is no such option in Brentwood, the place we call home.
What if you want to stay right here – in Brentwood?
This is the town you know, where the restaurants are that you frequent – and maybe where your kids grew up. Wouldn’t be nice if they could come visit you right here?
The prospect of looking at a big patch of dirt and a boarded-up building – the Barry Building, where Duttons was, is about to be closed because of seismic issues – seems sad, indeed.
Brentwood News reader Bruce Wagner asks what the process would be to un-do the historic designation that keeps the Barry Building from getting torn down.
That’s an interesting question, I’ll look into it.
Maybe a new property owner would be willing to restore the building – but maybe not. The inability to tear down the building was a key reason Charlie Munger finally threw up his hands in disgust and walked away from the project.
Opponents of Green Hollow Square were proud of how they “stuck it to the man” and got Charlie to walk away – but where does that leave us now?
Any new owner of the property won’t be required to do what Charlie Munger offered to do – build far more underground parking than required (making it available to the public), erect a site that wouldn’t max out the square footage allowed and put a bookstore back on the property.
A new owner could build wall-to-wall condos, a big retail center or maybe even an office building. That property won’t remain empty forever.
I am still hopeful that if enough people buy into the retirement/assisted living home option, maybe we can nudge things in that direction (before we retire!)
Any new builder, I think, would be encouraged to know there’s a built-in waiting list for slots in the new retirement facility.
This is something Brentwood wants and needs and a retirement facility won’t bring added traffic into the area. Fingers crossed that we’ll see some movement in this direction. This is a solution that provides a benefit while overcoming the objections. It’s a win-win.
Meanwhile, the VA just announced it has worked out new partnership agreements with Brentwood School and the Recreation and Parks Department of the City of Los Angeles.
More and more veterans will now get access to Brentwood School’s athletic and other facilities, built on VA land. Brentwood School will pay more to the VA, as well.
The future of the dog park on Barrington is a bit up in the air. The VA would like the city to find another location for this, but the VA remains open to a dog park on the VA property that would likely have a veteran-friendly service dog training component to it.
The current dog park, as we know it, is about to be reduced in size by about half.
The parking lot in that location will shift to metered parking, so soon we’ll have to pay for that. Moneys generated by the parking lot will go toward programs that benefit veterans.
Our elected officials and those at the VA are now seeking legislation that will allow the VA to lease parts of the campus to those who will build housing and other facilities. This activity was all stopped by law back in 2008 when it seemed like all this leasing activity was out of control.
Now, finally, there’s a plan to move things in the direction of actually helping veterans. This was largely prompted by activist veteran groups that wanted to see the VA do more to help veterans, especially homeless veterans. It’s all now actually happening.
Progress takes a really long time, but it eventually happens.
