Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District | |
.jpg) Dyas Bldg. (center),Plaza Hotel (left),Hallmark (right),Leed's (far right), andPalmer Building (far right), viewed from the northeast corner ofHollywood and Vine, 2016 | |
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| Location | 6200–7000Hollywood Boulevard,Vine Street,Highland Avenue, and Ivar Street inLos Angeles,California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°06′06″N118°19′58″W / 34.10167°N 118.33278°W /34.10167; -118.33278 |
| Area | 56 acres (23 ha) |
| Architect | Multiple |
| Architectural style | Primarily: Classical Revival Spanish Colonial Revival Art Deco Also: Châteauesque Programmatic Vernacular Victorian International |
| NRHP reference No. | 85000704[1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 4, 1985 |
TheHollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District is ahistoric district that consists of twelve blocks between the 6200 and 7000 blocks ofHollywood Boulevard inLos Angeles, California. This strip of commercial and retail businesses, which includes more than 100 buildings, is recognized for its significance with theentertainment industry, particularlyHollywood and its golden age, and it also features the predominant architecture styles of the 1920s and 1930s.[1]
Development of the area that would become the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District began in the 1880s, when several developers recognized the area's potential for entertainment and the arts. The neighborhood was connected by rail to Los Angeles in 1887,Paul de Longpré built itsfirst tourist attraction in 1901, and the entire area was annexed into the city of Los Angeles in 1910.[2]
Most of the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was built between 1915 and 1939, during the rapid boom of thefilm industry. Three commercial centers rose and expanded until they merged into one, with everymajor film studio, the industry's most significanttalent andadvertising agencies, numeroustheaters andmovie palaces, and other entertainment-related businesses and institutions located in the area.[1][3][4][5] Many of Los Angeles's most notable architects designed the buildings these businesses were in, resulting in a neighborhood filled with significant works, most notably in theClassical Revival,Spanish Colonial Revival, andArt Deco styles.[1]
The neighborhood saw continued success through the 1940s, after which it experienced significant decline.[6] Preservation efforts began in 1980,[7] and in 1985, the entire district was entered into theNational Register of Historic Places.[1]
The Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District encompasses twelve blocks and more than one hundred buildings inHollywood, California. The area, close in proximity toclassic Hollywood'smajor film studios, contains an array of buildings and businesses that catered to thefilm industry and is generally known for its significant role in the history of cinema. Furthermore, according to theUnited States Department of the Interior, the area contains "excellent examples of the predominant architecture styles of the 1920s and 1930s" and it retains the development pattern it developed the 1920s – a mix of high-rise buildings separated by smaller retail structures.[1]
The integrity of the district is fair, as major landmark buildings remain largely untouched and while many smaller buildings have been altered or covered with signage, their upper stories remain largely unaltered. And while the number ofcontributing properties is only 56% of the total parcels in the district, it is a significantly higher percentage of the large scale buildings. Other features that add to the historic nature of the district are its coloredterrazo entryways,neon signage, theHollywood Walk of Fame, and its streetlights, the latter of which were developed specifically for the neighborhood.[1][2]
Overall, theGolden Era of Hollywood is preserved, conveying Hollywood's historic development and its importance in themovie industry – central to modernUnited States culture.[1]
The Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District boundaries were defined by theUnited States Department of the Interior based on the area's remaining integrity. They include twelve blocks alongHollywood Boulevard, from 7065 Hollywood Blvd on the west to the northwest corner of Hollywood and Argyle Avenue on the east. However, certain sections were excluded from this area, including the south side of the 6500-block, most of the north side of the 6600-block, the north side of the 6800-block, and the south side of the 7000-block.[1]
Nine buildings just north or south of Hollywood Boulevard were also included in the district, includingone onHighland Avenue near Hollywood and Highland,one on Ivar Avenue near Hollywood and Ivar, and seven onVine Street nearHollywood and Vine.[1]
The Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District contains 63contributing properties.[8] These buildings cover a wide range of purposes, includingfinancial,commercial/mercantile,office,theater,residential,hospitality,food service,institutional, and even onemedical and anotherindustrial.[1][9][10] During this area's construction, real estate syndicates were often beneficiaries of studio profits and therefore became de facto patrons to contemporary Los Angeles's most renowned architects, includingWalker & Eisen,John C. Austin,Parkinson & Parkinson,Curlett & Beelman, andMorgan, Walls & Clements. Even more buildings were designed by the exotic and fancifulGogerty &Weyl andMeyer & Holler, and even more were either designed or redesigned by noted theater architectsS. Charles Lee,G. Albert Lansburgh,B. Marcus Priteca, and showmanSid Grauman.[1][11]
The majority of the district's contributing properties can be grouped into three styles. Most buildings that housed financial and mercantile institutions were designed inClassical Revival styles, limited by a city ordinance to twelve stories and meant to reflect the prestige of the businesses within. Revival styles featured in the district includeBeaux Arts,Georgian,Gothic,Mediterranean,Neoclassical,Renaissance, andRomanesque, with prominent examples that includeHillview Apartments (1919),Security Trust and Savings (1921),Masonic Temple (1921),Taft (1923),Guaranty (1923),Hollywood Professional (1924), and theChristie (1922),Plaza (1924), andKnickerbocker (1929) hotels.[1][2]
The district also has a significant grouping ofSpanish Colonial Revival buildings, ones that feature designs meant to create a feeling of sophisticated and upscale yet relaxed shopping and entertainment. The style, which often features courtyards or other open space and extensiveChurrigueresque detailing, was used primarily in the district's low-rise office, retail, service, and entertainment establishments. Prominent examples of this style in the district includeHotel Roosevelt (1924),El Capitan Theatre (1925), and theBaine (1926),Hollywood Toys (1927), andCherokee (1930) buildings.[1]
The third architectural style embraced by the district wasArt Deco. This style, which includesClassic Moderne,Streamline Moderne,Zigzag Moderne, andHollywood Regency,[14] all of which are featured in the district,[1][10][15] created a bold statement that promoted Hollywood Boulevard as the "Style Center of the West." The movie industry and related businesses relished the style's theatricality, and manyutilitarian buildings were altered to conform to the look. Prominent examples of this style in the district includeJ. J. Newberry (1928),Pantages Theater (1930),Max Factor Salon (1931),S. H. Kress (1935), and the7001 Hollywood Blvd. (1929),Shane (1930), andJulian Medical (1934) buildings.[1]
Including and beyond these architectural styles are some of the district's most well known structures: itsstage andmovie theaters. Featuring a variety of styles and designs, Hollywood's theaters enabled the street to function not just as a business but also an entertainment center. TheprogrammaticEgyptian (1921) andChinese (1927) as well as the ornateHollywood (1913, 1933 redesign),El Capitan (1925),Palace (1926),Warner (1927), andPantages (1930) contributed to the "Hollywood" fantasy for both tourists and locals.[1]
Additionally, the district contains several buildings with designs outside these styles. These include theVictorianJanes Residence (1903);VernacularMusso & Frank (1917) andSeven Seas (1920);ChateausqueHolly Cinema (1920),Hallmark (1922, 1931 redesign),Johnny's Steak House (1930), and demolishedGilbert Books (1932);ParisianMontmartre (1922); andInternationalLeed's (1935).[1][19]
Finally, the district contains several buildings that combine styles, includingOutpost Building (1920), which combinesSpanish Colonial Revival andFrench Regency;Security Pacific (1927) andEquitable Building (1929), which combineGothic Revival andArt Deco;Dyas Building (1927, 1938 addition), which featuresNeoclassical andInternational Style designs; andPickwick Books (1917/1925/1936), which featuresSpanish Colonial Revival,Art Deco, andVernacular designs.[1]
Most of the district's non-contributing properties are unnamed storefronts, but there are several historic and/or otherwise notable buildings as well. Most notable isGarden Court Apartments (1916), which was to be listed as a contributing property before an attempted demolition damaged the building. Other notable non-contributing properties includeAlexanders (1917),Artisan Patio (1918),Sardi's (1923),Vine Street Theater (1923),Old Post Office (1925),Vogue Theater (1935), and theGitelson (1919),Palmer II (1921), andLaemmle (1932) buildings.[1][20] Additionally,Woolworth, which the listing incorrectly cites as having been constructed in 1927[1] when it was actually constructed in 1910,[21] was also listed as a non-contributing property. Of these buildings, Garden Court Apartments, Laemmle Building, and the Old Post Office have been demolished.[22][23][24]
The district contains several notable unlisted properties as well. Most are unlisted because they were built after the district was designated, but a few were built before. Most notably, Iris Theatre, while not listed, was mentioned in the listing as one of the theaters that "created an aura of fantasy for the population of the area — and satisfied the tourists in search of "Hollywood" as well."[1] It is not clear whether this statement refers to the formerIris Theatre (1914) that no longer stands[25] orFox Theater (1918), which was known as Iris Theatre from 1918 to 1968.[26]
Other notable non-listed properties in the district includeRitz Theatre (1940),[27]Dolby Theatre (2001),[28]Hollywood and Highland Center (2001),[28]Madame Tussauds Hollywood (2009),[29] andW Hollywood (2010).[30]
Hollywood Boulevard was originally named Prospect Avenue by John Bower, a miner from theSierra foothills, who purchased a small government parcel at the intersection of Pass Road (today's Ivar Avenue) and Prospect in 1872.[24]Harvey Wilcox andDaeida Wilcox Beveridge purchased Bower's tract in the mid-1880s,[31] and Prospect Ave wasconnected by rail toLos Angeles in 1887 andLaurel Canyon in 1890, withanother line connecting the area to Los Angeles,west Los Angeles, and the beach opening in 1901.[2]
By 1900, Prospect was still a small dirt road surrounded by lemon orchards and vegetable fields.[31] The street was lined mostly with houses and also a few establishments, most notably at Prospect andCahuenga Boulevard, where thePaul de Longpré Residence (1901-1927) drew not only Hollywood society, but also property buyers and tourists, andSackett Hotel (1888-1905) served as the area's first hotel and was also home to its firstpost office.[2][32] After 1900, more large establishments were added to the street, includingHollywood Memorial Church (1903-1923) at Prospect andVine Street, andHollywood Hotel (1902-1956) at Prospect andHighland Avenue.[24]Janes Residence (1903) was also built during this time.[1]
In 1903, the Beveridge family attempted to rename Prospect Avenue afterPaul de Longpré, who they and others believed "had done more than any other man to make Southern California...known to the world," but were not successful as many in the community did not want the street named after aFrenchman.[32] In 1904, theLos Angeles Gas Company installed the city's first gas meters, which allowed for the appearance of street numbers, and in 1910, Los Angeles annexed Hollywood. Then, on January 5, 1910, the Hollywood Board of Trustees officially renamed Prospect Avenue to Hollywood Boulevard.[31]
Two of Hollywood's three major commercial centers began to emerge around this time. The first at Hollywood and Cahuenga was part of the Wilcox/Beveridge ranch[1] and saw theWoolworth andCreque buildings rise in 1910[21] and 1913,[33] respectively. The second at Hollywood and Highland was developed byWhitley andToberman and saw theBank of America Building rise opposite the Hollywood Hotel in 1914.[1]
Hollywood's first theaters also emerged during this time.Idyl Hour Theater opened at Hollywood and Wilcox in 1910 or 1911, then becameIris Theatre when it moved near Hollywood and Cahuenga in 1914, whileHollywood Theater opened near Hollywood and Highland in 1913 and has remained in its original location ever since, making it making it the oldest theater still standing in the district.[2]
Much of Hollywood's historical landmarks were erected between 1915 and 1939,[1] during the rapid boom of thefilm industry. Those migrating west saw the vast open land in Hollywood as a promising location for studios, and real estate mogulCharles E. Toberman predicted that Hollywood Boulevard would be a mecca for entertainment. He sold vacant land with the promise that "Hollywood is at a threshold of a new era of development."[24]
In 1917, two prominent residential buildings were constructed on Hollywood Boulevard, the luxuriousGarden Court Apartments intended for leading members of the film industry, andHillview Apartments, Hollywood's first artist's high-rise.[34] In 1918,Iris Theatre moved to a new1000-seat location,[2] and in 1919,Musso & Frank opened; it has since become the oldest restaurant in Hollywood.[35] In 1920,Congregational Church opened, and today it is one of two institutional buildings still standing in the district.[1]
The 1920s saw the rise of more buildings along the Boulevard. Around Hollywood and Cahuenga,Palmer Building andSecurity Trust and Savings were built in 1921, the former home to multiple news organizations[36] while the latter housed a bank that would become "a power center of the entertainment industry," with clients that includedCharlie Chaplin,the Three Stooges,Lana Turner,W.C. Fields,Cecil B. DeMille, andHoward Hughes.[37] TheGuaranty (1923),Knickerbocker (1925), 303-seatStudio Theatre (1920), and 2700-seatWarner Theatre (1927) also opened near this intersection during this time.[1][38][39]
Hollywood and Highland and its surroundings saw more exotic development. Most notable were its movie palaces, specifically theEgyptian (1922), site of the world's first movie premiere, andChinese (1927), home to Hollywood's famouscelebrity handprints and footprints.[11] Along with these was theEl Capitan playhouse, which opened in 1926 and was converted to a movie palace in 1942,[40] and theMasonic Temple, built in 1921 and the second of two institutional buildings that remain in the district today. Other notable buildings that went up in this area during this time wereMontmartre (1922),Christie Hotel (1922),Hotel Roosevelt (1927), andSecurity Pacific (1927). ThePig 'n Whistle opened in this area in 1927 as well.[1]
The 1920s also saw the emergence of Hollywood's third major commercial center atHollywood and Vine.[1] Commercial development of this intersection began in 1923, when theTaft Building replacedHollywood Memorial Church and became the first high-rise office building inLos Angeles, one that housed offices for theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as every movie studio in the city.[3][4]Plaza Hotel (1924),Dyas Building (1928), andEquitable Building (1929) rose soon after, as did this intersection's movie palace,Pantages Theater (1930), and playhouses,Vine Street Theater (1927) andPalace Theatre (1927).[1][41] Notable dining/drinking establishments that opened in this area includeHollywood Brown Derby (1929)[42] andFrolic Room (1930),[43] andSatyr Book Shop (1926) opened here as well.[44]
Additional notable buildings that went up in the district in the 1920s includeHollywood Professional (1924),Hollywood Studio (1927),Security Trust (1928),J. J. Newberry (1928),Cherokee (1929), andShane (1930). This decade saw so much development that Hollywood's three commercial centers merged into one, resulting in a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood that featured architectural monuments separated by smaller scaled commercial buildings.[1]
Hollywood's investors were hit hard by thestock market crash of 1929, causing many retail operations to go out of business. Additionally, several plans for future developments were abandoned. However, the film industry continued to attract tourists and aspiring actors, and the 1930s sawS. Charles Lee restyle much of Hollywood,[24] as well as new constructions that includedJulian Medical (1934), considered aStreamline Moderne masterpiece,[45] andMax Factor Salon (1931), whoseHollywood Regency design was emblematic of the theatrical style Hollywood was known for.[1] Additionally, the 875-seatVogue Theatre and 675-seatAdmiral Theatre opened in 1935[34] and 1940,[46] and three of Hollywood's most notable bookshops,Stanley Rose,Pickwick, andLarry Edmunds, opened in the 1930s,[44][47][48] as didRadio City, located just outside the district atVine Street andSunset Boulevard.[10]
Despite an end to the district's construction boom, the area experienced continued success through the 1940s. NearbyRadio City brought many radio performers to the district, particularly toHollywood and Vine and itsEquitable Building andPlaza Hotel, the former home to numerous talent and advertising agencies,[5] the latter popular with the performers themselves.[49] The nearbyKnickerbocker Hotel also retained its popularity with celebrities,[4] whilePalace Theatre rebranded itself El Capitan Theatre and began broadcasting CBS radio shows as well as hosting burlesque.[50]
At Hollywood and Cahuenga, theAssociated Press's Los Angeles bureau joined theHollywood Citizen in thePalmer Building in 1940, making that location an even more significant news site than it already was.[36] Further west,Frederick's of Hollywood madeS. H. Kress their flagship location in 1947,[51] andHollywood Toys & Costumes moved into theHollywood Studio Building in 1950, where it would remain for 40+ years before movingone building west.[52]
Closer to Hollywood and Highland,Musso and Frank served writers such asF. Scott Fitzgerald,Nathaniel West,Ernest Hemingway,William Faulkner, andDorothy Parker in their exclusive back room, where they would drink, write, and wait to see if any deals materialized at theWriters Guildacross the street.[53] Also across the street,News View Theatre opened in 1940,[27]Boardner's opened in 1944,[54] and thePig 'n Whistle closed in 1949, its furnishings relocated to nearbyMiceli's, which opened the same year.[55]Snow White Cafe also opened in theChristie Realty Building during this time.[56]
Hollywood's movie palaces underwent large changes in the 1940s. In 1942,Paramount Studios converted theEl Capitan from a playhouse to a movie palace, renaming it Paramount Theatre while doing so, and in 1944,MGM took over programming atthe Egyptian. However, this all changed in 1949, when theUnited States Supreme Court issued theParamount Decree, banning movie studios from owning or otherwise programming movie theaters.[57] As a result, spin-off companyUnited Paramount Theatres operated the El Capitan whileUnited Artists took over programming at the Egyptian.[40][58] Similarly, spin-off companyStanley Warner Theatres operatedWarner Theater[59] andHoward Hughes boughtPantages Theater.[60]
The 1950s saw more success in the district, but also decline. TheKnickerbocker andPlaza hotels remained popular destinations,[4][49] butHotel Roosevelt and theHollywood Hotel had become run down, with the latter razed in 1956 and replaced by a shopping center, parking lots, and the twelve storyFirst Federal Savings and Loan Building.[61][62]Garden Court Apartments also began to decline during this time.[34]
Elsewhere in the district, the 1950s saw theEquitable Building undergo a street level remodel,[1]Warner Theatre upgraded tocinerama,[63]the Egyptian upgraded toTodd AO,[58]Vogue Theatre undergo a $250,000 renovation,[64]News View Theatre renamed New View Theater as it switched fromnewsreels tofeatures,[27]Pantages Theater host everyAcademy Award ceremony,[65] andPalace Theatre convert to a television studio, where in 1952Richard Nixon gave his famousCheckers speech.[40] Additionally, in 1956 theCapitol Records Building was built just outside the district,[66] as was theCinerama Dome in 1963.[12]
In 1960, theHollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled across the entire district. The project, in the works since 1953, was meant to “maintain the glory of a community whose name means glamour and excitement in the four corners of the world.” New street lighting and trees were also included in the project.[67]
Likemuch of Los Angeles, Hollywood saw significant decline in the 1960s and 70s.Radio City, a major source ofHollywood and Vine's success, was demolished in 1964,[68] and the surrounding area deteriorated soon after. TheKnickerbocker closed as a hotel and reopened assenior housing in 1970.[4] Likewise,Plaza Hotel went derelict and was converted to an apartment complex in 1972.[69] TheEquitable Building fared somewhat better, undergoing a $1 million renovation in 1969, after whichnearby Capitol Records occupied 44,500 square feet (4,130 m2) of office space on the third through eighth floors. But despite this, the building also experienced high vagrancy and decline.[70]
Elsewhere in the district,Hollywood Wax Museum opened in theChristie Realty Building in 1965,[71] theMasonic Temple began leasing out its ground floor in the 1970s[72] and was sold altogether in 1982,[73] theChurch of Scientology bought theChristie Hotel in 1974,[74]Shane Building housedThe Masque from 1977-1978,[75] andGarden Court Apartments was vacated in 1980, after which it was inhabited by squatters and nicknamed "Hotel Hell."[34]
The district's theaters also underwent significant change during this time. Pacific Theatres boughtPantages Theater in 1967 and ten years later they partnered withNederlander Organization to reopen the movie palace as a playhouse.[76] Pacific Theatres also boughtWarner Theatre in 1968, at which point renamed it Hollywood Pacific Theatre, and in 1978 they converted the theater into three theaters and that they named Pacific 1-2-3.[77] Pacific Theatres also boughtNew View Theater in 1968[27] andVine Theatre in the 1970s, and converted the latter to a Spanish language theater and a two-dollargrindhouse.[44]
Outside Pacific Theatres,Fox Theatres boughtIris Theatre in 1965 and renamed it Fox Theater,[2]Mann Theatres boughtthe Chinese in 1973 and renamed it Mann's Chinese,[78]Pussycat Theaters boughtPacific Theatre's New View Theatre in 1974 and renamed it Pussycat Theater,[27]Hollywood Theatre was renovated in 1977,[2] andPalace Theatre was converted to a concert venue and nightclub in 1978.[50]
In 1980,Hollywood Heritage was formed to identify and save historic structures in Hollywood.[7] Within the next five years, four buildings in the district were listed either asLos Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments (LAHCM), in theNational Register of Historic Places (NRHP), or both:
In addition to the above, three buildings and theHollywood Walk of Fame had already been listed before Hollywood Heritage was formed:
On April 4, 1985, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to theNational Register of Historic Places, with63 contributing properties listed in the district.[1][8] Many of these have also been designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments in the years since, as hasWilliam Stromberg Clock,Raymond Chandler Square, and non-contributingArtisan's Patio Complex, all located in the district.[79]Garden Court Apartments was initially considered as acontributing property but ultimately not listed due to the state of the building, which at the time was badly damaged by an attempted demolition.[1]
Despite the district's historic designation, it experienced continued decline throughout the 1980s and into the 90s.Garden Court Apartments was demolished in 1984, this despite it being listed as a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.[79]Hollywood Brown Derby closed in 1985 and two years later the building was gutted by fire, then further damaged by squatters.[83] TheDyas Building lost its primary tenant in 1982[84] and Millers Stationers moved out ofits building in 1986, citing crime and vagrancy in the area.[85]Max Factor also moved out ofits salon, the building then turned into a museum that closed in 1996.[86]
On the theater front, Studio Theatre, which had been renamedHolly Cinema, closed in 1986; Pussycat Theater, which had becomeRitz Theatre, closed in 1991;[27]Hollywood Theater shut down in 1992;[87] and even the prestigiousEgyptian shut down in 1992, after which it fell into disrepair.[88]
The1994 Northridge earthquake caused even more damage to the district. Worst hit wasHollywood Brown Derby, which wascondemned after the earthquake and demolished soon after.[83] Additionally, bothWarner Theatre andHillview Apartments closed in 1994 due to a combination of earthquake damage and damage caused byB Line construction.[89][90]Fox Theater also closed in 1994 due to earthquake damage[26] andVogue Theatre closed in 1995.[34]
Despite all this, the district did experience some successes during this time. In 1986,Janes Residence reopened as an information center with a 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) mini-mall in front,[91] this despite the NRHP listing describing the Janes Residence interior as dilapidated just two years prior.[1] In 1985,Hotel Roosevelt underwent a $35 million renovation,[92] and in 1989, after theParamount Decree was relaxed, theWalt Disney Company bought theEl Capitan, at which point the theater underwent a $14 million renovation and reopened in 1991 as the studio's flagship.[40] The El Capitan also underwent a $10 million renovation in 1995, due to damage it received during the Northridge earthquake.[93] Finally, several more museums opened in the district during this period, includingFrederick's of Hollywood'sCelebrity Lingerie Hall of Fame inS. H. Kress in 1986,[94]Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium in theBank of America Building in 1992,[95] andGuinness World of Records Museum in theHollywood Theater in 1994.[96]
TheChurch of Scientology also bought three more buildings in the district during this time:Guaranty in 1988 andCongregational Church andSecurity Trust in 1995.[74]
The district's fortunes began to change in the late 1990s. In 1996, theAmerican Cinematheque boughtthe Egyptian for a nominal $1, with the provision that the building be restored to its original grandeur and reopened as a movie theater. The Cinematheque raised $12.8 million to pay for the restoration, which included the addition of palm trees in the forecourt and a second theater in the building. The theater reopened to the public on December 4, 1998.[88] Next doorPig 'n Whistle was renovated soon after, and re-opened in 1999.[97]
TheEquitable Building was rehabilitated between 1999 and 2001,[70]iO West moved into the district in 2000,[98] and the district was also connected to theLos Angeles Metro during this time, with aB Line stop atHollywood and Vine opening in 1999 and another atHollywood and Highland opening in 2000.[99]
The centerpiece of the revitalization effort, however, was the $430 million[100]Hollywood and Highland Center. This construction, which took the place of the First Federal Savings and Loan Building on the site of the formerHollywood Hotel, featured 640,000 square feet (59,000 m2) of commercial space around aBabylonian themed courtyard, six levels of underground parking, and the 179,000 square feet (16,600 m2), 3,600-seatKodak Theatre, the new home of theAcademy Awards.[28] The project, completed in 2001, was meant to encourage development and revitalization throughout Hollywood.[101]
The district saw numerous renovations both during and after Hollywood and Highland Center construction. The neighboringChinese Theatre underwent a $5 million restoration and modernization while the Hollywood and Highland Center was built, and a Chinese-themedsix-plex was added to the Center to connect it to the theater.[102] Across the street, theWalt Disney Company renovated their recently acquiredMasonic Temple in 2002[72] andHotel Roosevelt underwent a $30 million renovation in 2005.[103] Nearby, aMel's Drive-In opened inMax Factor Salon's one-story wing in 2001,[104] while theHollywood Museum took over the rest of the building in 2002.[10]
Hollywood and Vine saw its own large-scale development: the $600 millionW Hollywood Hotel and Residences,[30] which opened in 2010.[105]Gilbert Books was demolished to make way for this project, while theStores (1632 N. Vine St.) building survived multipleeminent domain attempts and was not.[44]
Elsewhere in the district,Shane Building was converted to production offices in 2000,[106]Dyas Building to condominiums in 2005,[107]Janes Residence to a restaurant in 2006,[91]Hollywood Professional to apartments andEquitable to condominiums in 2007,[108][109] andFox Theater to a lounge/nightclub in 2009.[26] Similarly,Hillview Apartments was renovated and reopened in 2006,[90] and the district's streetlights were renovated that same year.[6]
Renovations and revitalizations continued throughout the 2010s. In 2013,the Chinese was converted toIMAX[110] andJanes Residence to aspeakeasy,[111] in 2015,Vine Theatre was converted to aDolby showcase theater[46] andHotel Roosevelt underwent another $25 million renovation,[112] and in 2021,Hillview Apartments was restored[113] andMusso & Frank expanded for the first time in 66 years.[114] Furthermore, Kodak Theatre was renamedDolby Theatre in 2012,[115] apedestrian scramble was added to Hollywood and Highland in 2015[116] and Hollywood and Vine in 2018,[117] "ALL BLACK LIVES MATTER" was painted down the median ofHollywood Boulevard west ofHighland Avenue in 2020,[118] andAmoeba Music relocated into the district in 2021.[119]
It was not all successes during this time.Frederick's of Hollywood vacatedS. H. Kress in 2005, after which the building underwent a $30 million renovation, re-opening in 2008 as a multi-use dining and entertainment venue that would go vacant three years later.[120][121]Security Pacific also went vacant in 2008,[122]iO West ceased operations andPalmer Building wascondemned in 2018,[98][123] and several businesses were unable to survive theCOVID-19 lockdowns, includingFox Theater's new lounge/nightclub[26] and thePig 'n Whistle, the latter of which was gutted and turned into acantina.[124]
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The Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District remains a focal point for the film, entertainment, and tourism industries inLos Angeles. Numerous films hold theirworld premieres in the district, commonly atthe Chinese or in the case ofDisney, theEl Capitan,[125] with the larger premieres often shutting downHollywood Boulevard outside the theaters.[126] TheAcademy Awards are held at theDolby Theatre every year (also with street closures),[127]Jimmy Kimmel Live shoots daily at theMasonic Temple,[128] andPantages Theater has become one of the most prestigious theater venues in Los Angeles.[76]Musso & Frank,Frolic Room,Boardner's,Larry Edmunds Bookshop,Hollywood Toys & Costumes,Amoeba Records, and numerous other establishments continue to do business in the district, as do a multitude of museums that moved in over the years.[129] TheWalk of Fame unveils an average of two new stars every month, each accompanied by a media event,[130] andhand and footprints continue to be added to the Chinese forecourt.[131]
Renovation and revitalization of the district is ongoing. 2022 saw the Hollywood and Highland Center rebrandedOvation Hollywood, with allBabylonian theming removed;[132] 2023 saw another renovation atthe Egyptian, this one by its new ownerNetflix, who amongst other alterations removed every aesthetic addition received over the years, effectively bringing the theater back to its original form;[133] and 2024 saw the abrupt closure ofSnow White Cafe.[56]
Other renovations that have been announced but not yet taken place include preservingSecurity Trust and Savings[134] and convertingPalmer Building into a hotel.[135] Furthermore, theCity of Los Angeles has proposed a comprehensive renovation of the district's entire streetscape, with changes that include: adding sidewalk dining, event plazas, and community gathering spaces; improving landscaping, lighting, signage, and mobility access; doubling pedestrian space; and restoring theWalk of Fame.[19][136]
