Owner Will “Vigorously
Oppose” Landmark Status for
Tom Bergin’s

The owner’s protest – and arguments of financial distress – makes it clear that Tom Bergin’s will be facing demolition if it does not become an Historic-Cultural Monument.

In a letter to the Cultural Heritage Commission, dated 28 February 2019, attorneys for Tom Bergin’s owner, Derek Schreck, stated that he will “vigorously oppose the Property’s nomination as an HCM [Historic-Cultural Monument].” 

The letter and its attachments maintains that the Planning Department’s recent recommendation supporting HCM is mistaken and makes a number of arguments against granting landmark status, including: 

• While Tom Bergin’s may have been a long-standing establishment, there is simply no evidence to support any conclusion that either the business or its former home made a “significant contribution to the broad cultural, economic or social history” of Los Angeles.

The letter disputes both Bergin’s longevity and its reputation as an Irish-themed establishment:

• …it’s not even an old bar, as the “Irish pub” theme of the establishment did not even come about until the 1970’s, when it was purchased by new owners who moved the establishment away from its previous use as a steak house to convert it to a bar focused operation. Accordingly, the “pub” use exalted by this nomination is not even 50 years old!

A churlish footnote to the above paragraph remarks:

• It is apparent that the same individuals who contend this Property is significant to the City of Los Angeles, obviously rarely (if ever) patronized it.

The letter also dismisses any connection to the entertainment industry:

• Moreover, while it is suggested that some celebrities may have visited or dined at the establishment, there is absolutely no basis to conclude that the restaurant was connected with old Hollywood or that it was a common celebrity hang-out, which it was not. 

Most striking is that the letter uses the failed business acumen of the current owner – and the previous owner’s misguided attempt to turn Bergin’s into a hip and trendy spot – as grounds to deny HCM status:

• Even the nomination's suggestion that the establishment has achieved cultural significance based on its "longevity" or "enduring" presence is misinformed. To the contrary, in the past decade or so Tom Bergin's has proved to be anything but enduring, despite multiple attempts to "revamp" the food menu and other offers over the years. The business has closed down three times in the past 8 years, with owners remodeling and implementing new ideas, in attempts to keep the business alive. None have been successful, and nearly every owner of the establishment has lost money year over year.

The profitability of an owner’s business plan or the current marketplace is not relevant to the well-established criteria the Cultural Heritage Commission must employ to evaluate whether or not a property qualifies as a landmark.
 
Even if the property owner’s profit and losses were a factor, that argument would be easily undermined by the number of eateries that are thriving in the Miracle Mile, including: Rascal, I Met Her at a Bar, Yuko Kitchen, Little Bar, Ray’s and Stark Bar at LACMA, and Drago Ristorante at the Petersen Museum. 

The recent successful opening of Eleven City, an old school deli and diner at 5400 Wilshire Boulevard, aptly demonstrates that the area has the population and affluence to support a large number of bars and restaurants. The completion of nearby Academy Museum and the Purple Line subway extension promises even more business for local establishments – and bodes well for the future of Tom Bergin’s.

The owner’s protest – and arguments of financial distress – makes it clear that Tom Bergin’s will be facing demolition if it does not become an Historic-Cultural Monument. Bergin’s proximity to the subway stop under-construction at Fairfax and Wilshire makes it a plum property for a developer to snatch up and build luxury-rate apartments.

The fight is on.

The last stand to save Tom Bergin’s from the wrecking ball will be this Thursday. It’s not easy or fun to have to slog down to City Hall, but the fate of Tom Bergin’s is in your hands. We need a large and vocal presence at the Cultural Heritage Commission hearing. Your testimony will be the most effective argument against the far-fetched assertions made by the owner’s attorneys. 
 

A few hours of your time can save Tom Bergin’s for generations to come…

 
Attend the Cultural Heritage Commission Hearing
Thursday, March 7, 2019
10 A.M
City Hall
200 North Spring Street
Room 1010, 10th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90012
[Click here to see CHC Agenda]

Email Campaign Approachs 1000 Messages Supporting Tom Bergin's!

Send your message today!

 
To date 976 messages have been sent to the Cultural Heritage Commission and to Councilmember Ryu supporting landmark status for Bergin's. We only need 24 more messages to reach 1000 messages. So, please ask your neighbors, friends, or family members to join our cause. It’s fast and easy, just share the link: 

https://support.miraclemilela.com

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