ARMENIAN CENTER GETS AGENCY NOD
By Alex Dobuzinskis, Staff Writer

Los Angeles Daily News
May 10 2006

GLENDALE – The Redevelopment Agency gave preliminary approval Thursday
to designs for an Armenian cultural center, which members of a nearby
church worry may be used to serve alcohol.

The agency’s 4-1 vote to OK the drawings is just one step the Armenian
Society of Los Angeles needs to build its cultural center at 117
S. Louise St.

The agency a year ago rejected the society’s drawings of a bigger
project. Agency members Thursday said they were happy the nonprofit
came back with a scaled-down version.

“It’s half the size of what it was before,” said City Councilman Bob
Yousefian, who sits on the Redevelopment Agency along with his fellow
council members. “It was horrible before. I mean there were saunas
and exercise rooms and just way too many activities.”

But members of Glendale Presbyterian Church, located at 125 S. Louise
St., criticized designs for the 27,000-square-foot project because
it is still too big.

Officials stressed that rules for alcohol consumption at the cultural
center would be addressed at a later meeting, but church members said
they are concerned about it.

Councilman Dave Weaver voted against the project and mentioned that
it would have storage space for wine. That concerned the Rev. Craig
Hall of the church, whose members were already concerned about
alcohol consumption.

“We have the potential of a banquet-hall type atmosphere,” Hall
said outside City Hall. “When they talk about … a very sizeable
wine cooler, what that tells you is there’s an intention to serve
significant quantities of alcohol.”

The Armenian society has been at 221 S. Brand Blvd. since 1979, but is
being forced to move to make room for the Americana at Brand outdoor
mall project. The city owns property at 117 S. Louise St. and picked
the site for the project for the Armenian society.

ASLA President John Lalaian said any alcohol consumption at the
cultural center would be for special events like weddings. There
would not be a banquet facility with drinking every night, he said.

The society hopes to open the three-story building, which would include
a library, classrooms and a stage, in early 2008. But it will still
have to come back to the Redevelopment Agency later for final approval.

“The organization, I think, is going to be an excellent neighbor,”
said City Councilman Frank Quintero. “They are not going to be running
a banquet-hall business.”

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress