Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House could close due to city budget cuts
The architectural landmark, perched atop Barnsdall Art Park in East Hollywood, is managed by the city's Department of Cultural Affairs, with two full-time staffers running tours on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays as well as handling the maintenance of the building, which is an early example of California Modernist architecture.
The mayor's proposed budget, which attempts to close a nearly $1-billion shortfall in part by laying off more than 1,600 city employees, eliminates one of those two staff positions and also cuts two vacant positions at Hollyhock House.
Read more: Bass proposes laying off about 1,650 city workers, a quarter of them civilians at LAPD
The Cultural Affairs Department had been interviewing candidates for the vacant positions and had made an offer for the job of arts manager. But after the mayor released her proposed budget, the department had to rescind the offer and pause other job interviews.
"A single full-time staffer would not be able to manage both the tour program and preservation, necessitating the suspension of public tours until additional full-time staff could be restored," said Juan Garcia, a spokesperson for the department.
Amid the massive budget shortfall caused in large part by rising personnel costs, soaring legal payouts and a slowdown in the local economy, department heads have been testifying before the City Council's budget committee about how the mayor's proposed cuts would affect city services.
The Cultural Affairs Department would face 14 layoffs and the elimination of 10 vacant positions, out of 91 total positions. The cuts also could lead to the closure of the Lincoln Heights Youth Arts Center, said Daniel Tarica, the department's general manager.
Oil heiress Aline Barnsdall commissioned the Hollyhock House in 1918. She never lived in it, donating it to the city in 1927.
In 2019, it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the only man-made World Heritage Site on the West Coast.
The house was closed for more than two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening in August 2022 after undergoing major renovations.
The monumental fireplace, which brings together the four classical elements of earth, air, fire and water, was restored, as were the art-glass balcony doors in the master bedroom.
Read more: Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House will soon reopen to the public
Two Wright-designed sofa tables, which the architect had said he considered 'part of the house design itself,' were reinstalled.
The improvements also included a major restoration of the guest house.
The UNESCO designation required the house to have four full-time staffers, said Garcia, the spokesperson. The department has requested that the City Council restore the three positions in its final budget, which it must pass by June 1.
"The proposed staffing cuts will severely impact the management of Hollyhock House and subvert the baseline staffing commitments made by the City of Los Angeles as part of the site's 2019 World Heritage List inscription," Garcia said.
The proposed cuts shocked preservationists.
"UNESCO World Heritage status is a great honor that needs to be nurtured, not lost by taking public access away," said Kim Cooper, one of two people behind Esotouric's Secret Los Angeles, a tour company and preservationist blog. "Hollyhock House is the only one of Wright's Los Angeles houses that people can tour, recently restored at great cost."
Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez, who represents the area, said it's imperative to keep the house's UNESCO status in light of the upcoming Olympic Games and World Cup.
"We're exploring all options through the budget process to save our dedicated Hollyhock House staff and preserve its protected status," he said in a statement.
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
an hour ago
- Business Wire
Deadline Approaching: Lineage, Inc. (LINE) Investors Who Lost Money Urged To Contact Law Offices of Howard G. Smith
BENSALEM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Law Offices of Howard G. Smith reminds investors of the upcoming deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the case filed on behalf of investors who purchased Lineage, Inc. ('Lineage' or the 'Company') (NASDAQ: LINE) common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the registration statement used in connection with the Company's July 2024 initial public offering (the 'IPO'). IF YOU ARE AN INVESTOR WHO SUFFERED A LOSS IN LINEAGE, INC. (LINE), CONTACT THE LAW OFFICES OF HOWARD G. SMITH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ONGOING SECURITIES FRAUD LAWSUIT. Contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss your legal rights by email at howardsmith@ by telephone at (215) 638-4847 or visit our website at What Happened? In July 2024, Lineage conducted its IPO, selling over 65 million shares of common stock at $78 per share. On November 6, 2024, Lineage released its third quarter 2024 financial results, revealing that it had suffered a $543 million net loss during the quarter. On this news, Lineage's stock price fell $5.22, or 7.4%, to close at $65.79 per share on November 6, 2024, thereby injuring investors. Then, on January 14, 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that Lineage was laying off employees due to reduced customer demand only six months after its IPO. Then, on April 7, 2025, Lineage announced the dismissal of its auditor, KPMG LLP. On this news, Lineage's stock price fell $5.29, or 9.9%, over two consecutive trading days, to close at $48.41 per share on April 8, 2025. Then, on April 30, 2025, Lineage reported first quarter 2025 financial results, including that '[t]otal revenue decreased (2.7)%' to $1.29 billion for the quarter. The Company stated it 'experienced more normal seasonal trends in the first quarter after multiple years of elevated inventory levels.' On this news, Lineage's stock price fell $8.16, or 14.62%, to close at $47.65 per share on April 30, 2025, thereby injuring investors further. On June 3, 2025, the Company stated at an Investor Conference that there has been 'pretty much flat demand' for Lineage's products and services and that the Company was operating in a 'flattish environment' in terms of demand. The price of Lineage stock has remained substantially below the IPO price at the time of this complaint's filing. What Is The Lawsuit About? The complaint filed in this class action alleges that the Registration Statement made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Lineage was then experiencing sustained weakening in customer demand, as additional cold-storage supply had come on line, the Company's customers destocked a glut of excessive inventory built up during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Company's customers shifted to maintaining leaner cold-storage inventories on a go-forward basis in response to changed consumer trends; (2) that Lineage had implemented price increases in the lead-up to the IPO that could not be sustained in light of the weakening demand environment facing the Company; (3) that Lineage was unable to effectively counteract the adverse trends listed in the foregoing through the use of minimum storage guarantees or as a result of operational efficiencies, technological improvements, or its purported competitive advantages; (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, rather than enjoying stable revenue growth, high occupancy rates, and steady rent escalation as represented in the Registration Statement, Lineage was in fact suffering from stagnant or falling revenue, occupancy rates, and rent prices; and (5) as a result, Defendants' positive statements about the Company's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. If you purchased or otherwise acquired Lineage common stock pursuant and/or traceable to the IPO, you may move the Court no later than September 30, 2025 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff if you meet certain legal requirements. Contact Us To Participate or Learn More: If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact us: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020, Telephone: (215) 638-4847 Email: howardsmith@ Visit our website at: To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules.
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Spirit Airlines sounds the alarm on its future ability to stay in business
NEW YORK (AP) — Just months after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Spirit Airlines is warning about its future ability to stay in business. Spirit Aviation Holdings, the budget carrier's parent company, says it has 'substantial doubt' about its ability to continue as a going concern within the next year — which is accounting-speak for having the resources needed to sustain operations. In a quarterly report issued on Monday, Spirit pointed to 'adverse market conditions" that it's continued to face despite recent restructuring and other efforts to revamp offerings. That includes weak demand for domestic leisure travel, which Spirit said persisted in the second quarter of its fiscal year — among other challenges and 'uncertainties in its business operations' that the Florida-based company expects to continue 'for at least the remainder of 2025.' Known for its no-frills, low-cost flights on a fleet of bright yellow planes, Spirit has struggled to bounce back to profitability and boost resources to compete with rivals since the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising operation costs and mounting debt eventually led the company to seek bankruptcy protection in November. By the time of that Chapter 11 filing, the airline had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020. When Spirit emerged from bankruptcy protection in March, the company successfully restructured some of its looming debt obligations and secured new financing for future operations. Spirit has continued to make other cost-cutting efforts since — including plans to furlough about 270 pilots and downgrade some 140 captains to first officers in the coming months. Those furloughs and downgrades, both announced in July, are set to go into effect Oct. 1 and Nov. 1 to align with Spirit's 'projected flight volume for 2026,' the company noted in its quarterly report. They also follow previous furloughs and job cuts taken before the company's bankruptcy filing last year. Despite these and other cost-cutting efforts, Spirit on Monday stressed that it needs more liquidity. As a result, the company said it may also sell certain aircraft and real estate. Spirit's aircraft fleet is relatively young, which has made the airline an attractive takeover target over the years. But such buyout attempts from budget rivals like JetBlue and Frontier were unsuccessful both before and during the bankruptcy process. Spirit's shares tumbled more than 40% Tuesday morning, with the company's stock trading at just over $1.80 as of around 11 a.m. ET.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Spirit Airlines sounds the alarm on its future ability to stay in business
NEW YORK (AP) — Just months after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Spirit Airlines is warning about its future ability to stay in business. Spirit Aviation Holdings, the budget carrier's parent company, says it has 'substantial doubt' about its ability to continue as a going concern within the next year — which is accounting-speak for having the resources needed to sustain operations. In a quarterly report issued on Monday, Spirit pointed to 'adverse market conditions' that it's continued to face despite recent restructuring and other efforts to revamp offerings. That includes weak demand for domestic leisure travel, which Spirit said persisted in the second quarter of its fiscal year — among other challenges and 'uncertainties in its business operations' that the Florida-based company expects to continue 'for at least the remainder of 2025.' Known for its no-frills, low-cost flights on a fleet of bright yellow planes, Spirit has struggled to bounce back to profitability and boost resources to compete with rivals since the COVID-19 pandemic. Rising operation costs and mounting debt eventually led the company to seek bankruptcy protection in November. By the time of that Chapter 11 filing, the airline had lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020. When Spirit emerged from bankruptcy protection in March, the company successfully restructured some of its looming debt obligations and secured new financing for future operations. Spirit has continued to make other cost-cutting efforts since — including plans to furlough about 270 pilots and downgrade some 140 captains to first officers in the coming months. Those furloughs and downgrades, both announced in July, are set to go into effect Oct. 1 and Nov. 1 to align with Spirit's 'projected flight volume for 2026,' the company noted in its quarterly report. They also follow previous furloughs and job cuts taken before the company's bankruptcy filing last year. Despite these and other cost-cutting efforts, Spirit on Monday stressed that it needs more liquidity. As a result, the company said it may also sell certain aircraft and real estate. Spirit's aircraft fleet is relatively young, which has made the airline an attractive takeover target over the years. But such buyout attempts from budget rivals like JetBlue and Frontier were unsuccessful both before and during the bankruptcy process. Spirit's shares tumbled more than 40% Tuesday morning, with the company's stock trading at just over $1.80 as of around 11 a.m. ET.
