Brentwood Bookstore Spared After Developer Scraps Shopping Center Plans

BRENTWOOD (CBSLA.com) — A Brentwood building recognized as a historical and cultural monument by the city of Los Angeles has been spared the wrecking ball — for now.

KNX 1070's Megan Goldsby reports billionaire developer Charlie Munger has withdrawn plans to tear down the historic Barry Building and build a shopping complex on San Vicente Boulevard.

Munger's proposed 73,000-square-foot Green Hollow Square shopping center would have included retail, restaurant and office space as part of a "village-like gathering place made up of walkways and open-air courtyards," according to the project's website.

The development would have also involved a large underground parking lot and, as opponents of the plan argued, could have brought traffic jams to the intersection.

The Barry Building, which houses the city's iconic Dutton's Books and was built in 1951 by L.A.-based architect Milton Caughey, would also have been razed under the proposal.

City Councilman Mike Bonin said he urged the 89-year-old Munger to instead build a venue that would keep the old bookstore building intact while not adding to the area's traffic woes.

It was unclear if any alternative development plans were still under consideration.

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• Brentwood