A former Orange Julius stand in Mid-City that was once targeted for preservation has been razed, and a mixed-use development is set to rise in its place.
The project, which is being built by Los Angeles-based developer Ikon Ltd. is located at 6001 W. Pico Boulevard. Plans call for the construction of a six-story building which will feature 48 residential units - including five for low-income households - above roughly 1,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space and 70 parking spaces on two subterranean levels.
The design by PK Architecture incorporates key architectural features of the Googie Orange Julius stand, including its swooping roof and signage. While plans had previously called for a more traditional podium-type building, the Googie-inspired design was conceived as a compromise between demolition and preservation. Additionally, L.A. Burger, the most recent occupant of the previous building, is set to return as the ground-floor tenant of the new development.
Ikon Ltd. had also considered saving the Orange Julius stand to incorporate it into the apartment building. However, previous attempts to mold such structures into ground-up developments have produced less than desirable results. In its endorsement of the compromise solution, 5th District Councilmember Paul Koretz pointed to the the fate of the original Fatburger stand on Western Avenue, which was folded into the design of a new affordable apartment building, but is only used for storage space.
The Mid-City stretch of Pico Boulevard is poised for a handful of similar developments, including a seven-story building set to replace a mostly-vacant strip mall one block east.
