Demand for New Homes is Threatening Heritage Buildings in Beverly Hills

Bulldozers of billionaires are threatening the heritage buildings of Beverly Hills as a result of shooting up of demand for new houses. These estates are as much part of the scenario in Beverly Bills as five star hotels, celebrities and lurking paparazzi. The local administration is trying to take steps to stop the rich from building bigger and bigger mansions.

The City Council is mulling over a plan to halt the bulldozing of some important buildings that are architecturally significant. There seems to be no end to the flow of the wealthy wanting to realize their dreams in the neighbourhood famed for its extravagance. Mega properties with few acres fetch approximately more than $20 million.

Currently Beverly Hills is one among the limited areas in Los Angeles where the property owners are allowed to pull down historic houses and build new ones. In the past few years this has caused a string of buildings designed by some of the important architects of the past century to be bulldozed.

Recently the council voted to place a ban on the plans of developers to bulldoze Kronish House that was the handiwork of Richard Neutra (1954) until further plans were crafted. Mayor Barry Bucker speaking to Associated Press said, “We need to button down some sort of ordinance that addresses preservation needs.

There is something wrong with having a historically important building (where) you take out a demolition permit, and ten days later you can take a sledgehammer to it”.

The history of the city goes back to more than a century. In the past the rich who were often the famous did not stint to spend lavishly to preserve and reside in elegant houses. But the new set of wealthy think these houses of yesterday too small.

When faced with the alternative of putting up with a heritage property and building a new unit ,the general tendency is to ask for the bulldozer. Recently the Shussett House that had been constructed by John Lautner in the early 50’s is giving way to a building that is treble its size

Bucker is hoping to bring in a new law that will follow the carrot and stick policy in preserving the past. Apart from banning destruction of some of the important landmarks he will offer incentives to the house owners so that they can safeguard the ones still existing.