Eastern Columbia clock showing time of transformation.

After decades as a landmark in the Los Angeles skyline, the Eastern Columbia Building s fluorescent clock tower is marking a new era of downtown development.

Kor Group is finishing renovations on the former office building and department store in the historic district, and all but 17 of the 147 loft condominiums in the 13-story tower are sold.

"Kor has been very thoughtful and careful in the approach to the re-use," said Trudi Sandmeier, director of education for the L.A. Conservancy preservation group. "The Eastern Columbia building is a visual icon on the street and a landmark building in every sense of the word. It's one of the most spectacular examples of art deco anywhere in the country."

The Eastern Columbia opened its doors on Sept. 12, 1930 after only nine months of construction. Los Angeles retail magnate Adolph Sieroty developed the tower to house furnishings, clothes and accessories from the Eastern and Columbia Outfitters.

By mid-century, the building had been converted to office space and Sieroty sold the Eastern Columbia in the 1980s. When Kor bought the property to create downtown loft space, many of the offices sat empty.

"In the Broadway district, rent from ground floor tenants would often pay for the entire building," Sandmeier said. "The Eastern Columbia was largely empty, they hadn't been aggressive about renting the space."

Kor saw an opportunity to convert the offices into residential lofts as the downtown residential market took off. But adapting buildings such as the Eastern Columbia presents a unique set of challenges. For example, many previous renovations weren't documented on architectural plans.

"The thing about adaptive reuse is that you can look at plans, but until you really get into the construction phase you don't know what's there," said Kimberly Lucero, vice president of sales and marketing in Kor's residential group.

During construction, Kor uncovered and restored an entire wall of plastered-over windows that filter light into northern-facing units. Kor also sought to keep most of the building's exterior architectural details intact.

"In a historic building you have to analyze what's important and try to understand what the original architect meant to do," said Wade Killefer, a principal at Killefer Flammang Architects, the firm that designed the renovations.

Terrazzo on the lobby floors and sidewalk was fixed tile by tile and the turquoise terra cotta was patched and repaired. Kor received a facade-improvement grant from the conservancy to assist with the renovation of the historical landmark.

One of the most significant features preserved was the terra cotta and gold leaf clock tower. Today, the restored timepiece illuminates a newly added rooftop pool and terrace.

"The biggest technical issue we ran into was how to make that space functional," Killefer said. "We spent about a third of our time figuring out the roof deck and upper units."

Units in the art deco building range from 720 to 2,750 square feet. Open floor plans, polished concrete floors and optional upgrades combine modern convenience with historic tradition.

Eight penthouse suites are still available, including rooftop condos that flank the pool and patio. Kor held the spaces so potential buyers could get a better idea of the finished space.

"A couple of years ago you'd have to explain what a loft was," said Lucero. "You don't need to do that anymore."

Conservationists hope that the influx of city dwellers to buildings like the Eastern Columbia will ensure the preservation of historic buildings that were neglected for decades.

"A building that is empty is always an endangered building," Sandmeier said. "When you fill it with people you establish a constituency for its preservation."

Award List

The Business Journal profiles the following outstanding projects, influential leaders and prominent institutions that have achieved success in the field of adaptive reuse: 1) Eastern Columbia Lofts; 2) Vista del Arroyo Bungalows; 3) Metro 417; 4) Pacific Electric Lofts; 5) Cinerama Dome; 6) UCLA; 7) Church of Scientology; 8) Killefer Flammang Architects; 9) Mark Weinstein; 10) Abe Shofet; 11) Hamid Behdad; 12) Tom Gilmore; 13) Linda Dishman

PROJECT

Eastern Columbia Lofts

849 S. Broadway, Los Angeles

Developer: Kor Group

Building: Art deco icon. constructed in 1929 by L.A. retail magnate Adolph Sieroty

Past Use: Sieroty built the tower to house furnishings, clothes and accessories from the Eastern and Columbia Outfitters

Project: Kor built 147 condos with open floor plans and retail space on the ground floor. The $20 million project began in 2004 and should be completed this year.