Dozens of people from West Hollywood’s recovery community, local lesbian activists and supporters of the ONE Archives mission to preserve LGBT history turned out yesterday to celebrate the opening of the remodeled Werle Building.
The building, located at 626 N. Robertson Blvd. at the corner of El Tovar Place, is a two-story office building built in 1940 in the Streamline Moderne style. The City of West Hollywood purchased it in 1987 at the suggestion of Councilmember John Duran. In 2003 the city entered into agreements with various nonprofit organizations for the use of the property on a temporary basis. In late 2011, the City Council approved a plan to develop long-term relationships with tenants and to make necessary property improvements.
Those tenants include the West Hollywood Recovery Center, which provides a meeting place for 12-step groups and assistance with addiction recovery, prevention, and education’ The ONE Archives, part of the ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives, which hosts regular shows and exhibits for the community, and the June L. Mazer Lesbian Archives, the largest major archive on the West Coast dedicated to preserving and promoting lesbian and feminist history and culture.
Renovations to the Werle Building were overseen by the City of West Hollywood with IDS Group, architect; Archico Design Build, Inc., contractor, and Heery International, construction management.
The renovated building includes an elevator and an extensive remodeling of formerly dilapidated spaces. The ribbon-cutting was conducted by Mayor John Heilman with speeches by Duran and other Council members. Jon Viscott captured the event in photos below.
