The nonprofit LA Conservancy, which works to protect worthwhile architecture in the city, hands out their annual preservation awards on May 16 at Downtown's Biltmore Hotel, but they've already announced the projects and individuals they're honoring. The Conservancy's President's Award goes to América Tropical, the 1932 mural at the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument whitewashed after its themes on imperialism were deemed too controversial. A two-decade effort recently brought it back to the Pueblo. The makeover of Boyle Heights's Boyle Hotel, turning the run-down 1889 structure into 51 affordable apartments with retail and a community center, was also deemed a success: "This beloved icon once again inspires, educates, and actively serves the community, providing a model for affordable housing in historic structures." The effort to restore South LA's 28th Street apartments (pictured), designed as a YMCA by African-American architect Paul Williams in the 1920s, is also being honored. "Local youth participated in the work, learning about preservation, the building's history, and Paul Williams," according to the Conservancy's website.
The other recipients
--Compton City Hall Window Glazing Replacement, Compton
--Herkimer Arms, Pasadena
--The Japanese House at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, San Marino
--Lopez Adobe, San Fernando
--Lukens House, Los Angeles
--Councilman Paul Koretz gets the Local Leadership Award for helping save Century City's Century Plaza hotel.
· 2013 Preservation Awards [LA Conservancy]
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