Plan for Mini-Mall on Site of Carwash Gets Approval

Stung by a judge’s ruling that it abused its power in its zeal to confound a developer’s plans to raze a landmark Studio City carwash, the Los Angeles City Council decided Tuesday to let the site’s owner build his mini-mall.

By a 12-0 vote, the council directed city employees to issue a building permit to developer Ira Smedra for a $15-million, 53,000-square-foot mini-mall at Ventura and Laurel Canyon boulevards, site of the former carwash.

Smedra’s effort to demolish the carwash had aroused the ire of the surrounding community and prompted a crusade to declare the 28-year-old facility a cultural monument. But those efforts failed and the structure was razed about a month ago.