Fresh Plans for Historic Masonic Temple

The Masonic Temple (234-238 S. Brand Blvd.) was added
to the Glendale Register of Historic Resources in 1997.

The life of the Masonic Temple has taken many unexpected twists and turns since it was built on the cusp of the Great Depression. Its latest chapter promises to breath new life into one of Glendale's most prominent landmarks. 

The Masonic Temple was built in 1928 for the Unity Lodge. As fortune would have it, they only owned the building until 1934 when it was lost to foreclosure. Although the building continued to be occupied by several Masonic groups in the decades to follow, its lack of windows and unusual floor plan made it difficult to occupy. Its last tenant, A Noise Within Theater Company, occupied the lower floors of the building from 1991 to 2011. In 2013, the building owner obtained approval for several alterations and upgrades that were started but never completed. 

The recent acquisition of the Masonic Temple by Caruso Affiliated will revitalize this historic landmark by allowing the unusually configured interior spaces to meet the needs of a modern office environment, while retaining its historic character and eligibility to continue listing on Glendale's Register of Historic Resource.

The Historic Preservation Commission has reviewed and approved Caruso Affiliated's rehabilitation proposal (Commission meetings held on 04/16/15 & 05/21/15). Highlights of the proposed renovations include: 

• Restoration of the entry facade and its related features including entry arch, ironwork, the window above the primary door, black granite cladding at the base of the entire south facade, the two arches a the sides of the entry and the storefronts at the north and south side of the main entrance,
• the installation of an open steel frame stair tower adjacent to the southwest corner of the building, 

CDD Profiles: Anahid Arakelian

Anahid Arakelian welcomes challenges with open arms. 

Anahid Arakelian is an Office Services Specialist in the Community Development Department. She is one of those employees that form the backbone of the City of Glendale. She provides administrative services to the CDD and is seen as an employee that exemplifies loyalty and dependability, with a reputation for being conscientious and caring.

Anahid began working at the City of Glendale 15 years ago in the Redevelopment Department. She provided administrative assistance and acted as a Project Manager overseeing over 22 facade improvement grants totaling $1 million  to local businesses. When the grant program was later audited, Anahid’s grant administration files were flawless. When a State Law mandated the dissolution of Redevelopment, Anahids duties changed and she was given more responsibility. She rose to the challenge and after receiving limited training, successfully took on her new duties. Anahid is always looking for ways to grow professionally and welcomes the opportunity to take on new responsibilities. 

Today, her work involves processing virtually every kind of payment type used in the City, including invoices, credit card statements, petty cash reimbursements, payroll, and deposits. She also processes purchase orders, manages contracts, and maintains over 160 vendor insurance requirements. She provides numerous secretarial services including scheduling meetings and maintaining filing systems. She also acts as an Emergency Operations Center liaison, by helping to coordinate evacuations, trainings and ensuring that staff is prepared for emergencies.

Anahid’s work philosophy is to listen, be respectful, and inject love into her work, which she believes positively impacts her interactions with the public and fellow employees. She believes in treating the public with dignity, and goes home happy about the fact that she works with good people and that she is able to make her Department better. She believes in the saying, “The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today” by Elbert Hubbard.

Meet the Permit Services Center

May is around the corner and the Permit Services Center is busy preparing for Building Safety Month. As a prelude to Building Safety Month, we'd like to introduce you to the Permit Services Center and tell you a little bit about what we do. 

Meet the PSC

City’s Permit Services Center or as we call it, the PSC is a one-stop center for the community to receive a variety of services.  It is the central point of contact for citizens looking to make changes to their homes or start businesses in Glendale.  The City has brought together the key sections that review plans and applications needed in obtaining building permits that alter buildings or authorize new buildings. We work with a variety of people from homeowners to contractors and developers; and we oversee a wide range of projects from simple remodels to high rise developments.

Who We Are
The Permit Services Center is a part of the Community Development Department (CDD).  Representatives from CDD’s Building & Safety, Design Review, Zoning and Code Enforcement staff are available at the PSC.  Staff from the Glendale Fire Department and the Public Works’ Engineering and Traffic & Transportation Sections are also represented. Everyone works together to review plans and proposals for their specific area of expertise.  Our goal is to make your interaction with the City as efficient as possible while ensuring that your project meets the minimum levels of safety, accessibility and energy conservation.

Request a Permit Inspection Online

Making permit inspection requests with the Building & Safety Division is easier than ever. We are now accepting online requests for inspections.  

Here is how to do it:

1. Go to the City of Glendale web page at glendaleca.gov
1. Select: “How do I”
2. Select: “Request Permit Inspection”
3. Complete the form and enter “Submit”
   
   
   If you are making a request for a next day inspection, please submit the online request form before 3:00 pm.  Inspections are conducted Monday through Friday (except on Holidays).

If you have any questions please contact the Permit Services Center at (818) 548-3200. 

Also, for your convenience, you can go online to schedule your next appointment to the Permit Services Center using your smart phone, tablet or personal computer. Learn more about our online appointment scheduling service in our previous article: 

Don't Stand in Line at the Permit Services Center