Friends of Historic Fire Station 62

News & Announcements

Yay! This week’s Argonaut recognizes the ongoing effort by the Friends of Historic Fire Station 62 to convert our abandoned fire station into a community center. Excerpt from the January 14 article:

On the other hand, collaboration among residents and city government has put energy behind plans to renovate the former Fire Station 62 at 3632 Centinela Ave. in Mar Vista into a community center.

The effort began with the Mar Vista Community Council working with then-L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl to keep the building from being sold, said current council Chair Bill Koontz.

Councilman Mike Bonin, Rosendahl’s successor, earmarked $30,000 in the city’s 2014-15 budget process for repairs to the building. The money has so far gone to clean up the heavily vandalized building (including hazardous material remediation), repair broken windows and the building’s roof, and increase security by improving lighting and adding a fence, said Bonin spokesman David Graham-Caso.

“Councilmember Bonin is continuing to work to find money for the project, and the next phase will be finding funding for the building’s rehabilitation. In the long-term, Councilmember Bonin would like to see the site used as a neighborhood hub, where people can get access to city services and hold community meetings,” Graham-Caso said.

If you’ve passed by the fire station in recent months, you’ve probably noticed the improvements—weeds cut back, improved lighting, and bright, shiny, tall fence.

The article also mentions vandalism remediation. If you never did see the building’s interior when we had our community-wide clean-up, click in to this page for photos depicting the condition. We’re looking forward to the day that Historic Fire Station 62 is reopened as a place for the community to gather to learn about emergency preparedness and environmental sustainability and to showcase the talents of the creative people who make up our neighborhoods. We’re envisioning a place where service clubs and community organizations can meet.