Larchmont Chronicle Story Archive

Larchmont Chronicle Neighborhood newspaper representing Hancock Park, Larchmont Village
Miracle Mile, Park La Brea Fremont Place in the Wilshire center area of Los Angeles. Local News and
stories about the local Los Angeles Scene. Historical informattion regarding the Larchmont Chronicle and
Hancock Park area. Founded in 1963 on Larchmont Bouelvard, Los Angeles, CA, California

July 3, 2008

BMW MOVES TO WILSHIRE IN 2009

Jane Gilman

NEW BMW BUILDING will include parking on the roof. The dealership will move from Beverly Hills to Wilshire Blvd., a few blocks west of Highland Ave.

BMW is leaving Beverly Hills for a spacious new home on both sides of Wilshire Blvd., three blocks west of Highland Ave.

Ehler’s Cadillac and Bob’s Big Boy restaurant, which occupy the Wilshire properties, will be demolished to make room for the car dealership, owned by Sonic Automotive.

A four-story service center is planned on the Ehler’s showroom and service department site on the north side of Wilshire. The south side of Wilshire, presently the Ehler’s pre-owned sales division, will be the scene of the BMW sales center.
The two facilities will have parking spaces for a total of 770 cars, said Seth Washow, general manager of the Beverly Hills dealership. This includes rooftop and basement parking in the new building.

“The date of the move [from Beverly Hills] is not determined yet,” said Washow, “but we anticipate construction to be completed in late 2009.

Fred Pickel, president of the La Brea-Hancock Homeowners Association, said meetings with Sonic representatives to save the historic Ehlers showroom or incorporate an Art Deco design into the new plans were disappointing.

The Ehlers showroom was designed by architect Stiles Clements, who is associated with the Art Deco movement in Los Angeles. A partner in the firm of Morgan, Walls, and Clements, he designed the Wiltern and Mayan theaters, as well as the Richfield Tower, which was demolished in 1969.

Pickel’s group was hopeful that the building could be declared an historic-cultural landmark. It was constructed in 1955 for Lou Ehlers; his son Greg continued the dealership until it was sold, first to Penske Motors and later to Sonic.

Larchmont Chronicle
542½ North Larchmont Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Editor & Publisher: Jane Gilman
Associate Publisher: Irwin Gilman

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Information about the Larchmont Village, Hancock Park, Miracle Mile, Park LaBrea areas of Los Angeles, california. The larchmont Chronicle provides information, news stories, local events, advertising, real estate information, real estate listing advertisings, Los Angeles area demographics and other neighborhood news.