"The city has refused to issue a demolition permit for a historic McDonald's restaurant, forcing the company to delay plans at least temporarily to tear down the structure, city officials said.
The company had planned to begin dismantling the 40-year-old landmark on Tuesday, city manager Gerald M. Caton said.
The restaurant at Lakewood Boulevard and Florence Avenue has been the center of a much-publicized tug of war between McDonald's executives and local preservationists.
Preservationists say the restaurant's Art Deco features--the golden arches that pierce the roof and the 60-foot sign featuring "Speedee," the winking hamburger mascot--are icons of 1950s Southern California. McDonald's officials have contended that the structure, which lacks indoor seating and a drive-through window, isn't equipped to meet the needs of today's consumer.
The company maintained that the restaurant was damaged in the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake and closed it. The company has said it plans to build elsewhere in Downey a modern restaurant that will replicate the architectural flavor of the 1950s stand." (
visit link)