The KTLA Tower Comes Down…For Now
- The KTLA Tower Comes Down…For Now
I’ve avoided writing about the renovations at historic KTLA because I haven’t been able to find a clear story on what’s going on, but I think they are taking down part of the main (front) building and a couple of storage buildings to put up a big office tower, which I think will be part of KTLA, but maybe not. I wish some of you that know what’s going on will fill us in.
Part of the process involved talking down the iconic radio tower this week, but as you can read in the attached story, it will go back up next year in a different location. -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-ktla-radio-tower-20141124-story.html
Crane removes iconic KTLA radio tower for renovation and relocation
The iconic KTLA -5 tower, which stood watch at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Street for more than 60 years, was dismantled Monday morning, piece by piece, so that it could be restored and relocated.
As an Usher in 1960, when changing the marquee, on a dare I climbed up to the bottom of the (old) “A”…I thought I could see Catalina!
These WTVT towers were a Tampa icon. I don’t know when they were taken down, but you could read the calls perfectly passing the towers in either direction!
As long as they keep the old Warner Cartoon building.
I work on Let’s Make A Deal which shoots on the Sunset Bronson Studios (SBS) lot, the old Tribune studio lot. The new owners who also own Sunset Gower Studios (the old Columbia lot) are doing a major upgrade. First, they are building a new parking structure which will be south of the new gate on Van Ness. Then they are to build a new building for production office space on the corner of Van Ness and Sunset, which is where the tower has been. They are also renovating the Colonial building on Sunset and will place the tower (both are landmarks) at the corner of Bronson and Sunset. It is my understanding that this is basically the original location. Production on the lot is quite busy so we are all working in a state of construction flux.
Shame on you Cooper.
I’ve worked this lot so many times that it feels like home. Short answer: they are adding an office tower and a parking structure,. The iconic facade that dates back to when this was the Warner Bros film lot is remaining. A small add-on on the west side of that two story building will be removed and the old KFWB antenna that was just removed will be transplanted there.