WPA-Inspired Structures Deserving of Landmark Status
By Nick Antonicello
As the City of Los Angeles prepares for three major sporting events starting in 2026 with the FIFA World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium for a second time, culminating with the 2028 Summer Olympics, what strategies and investments are being considered for physical upgrades to the Venice Boardwalk and OFW?
While no events are currently scheduled for Venice for the summer games, a good portion of that international tourism and traveler will no doubt visit this iconic beach community as part of that experience.
And while needed renovations will be necessary for the restoration of Oceanfront Walk and the Venice Boardwalk, one consideration should be the restoration of pagodas currently fenced and dormant.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) constructed six sets of pergolas—known as “pagodas”—along Ocean Front Walk on Venice Beach in the 1930s.
It was Arthur Cox the contractor who built the pergolas at Venice Beach, California in 1932 and the LA Department of Recreation & Parks authorized construction on July 31, 1931 for $16,753.
Construction was completed on January 26, 1932 as a Works Project Act (WPA) project.
The pagodas were restored/reconstructed in 2000, when Los Angeles hosted the Democratic National Convention that saw the boardwalk repaved and given a face lift of sorts. It was the last time any serious upgrades were dedicated to this international tourist destination.
Since then a homeless crisis has impacted the physical infrastructure at the beach compounded by the COVID-19 crisis that has left OFW in a state of economic disarray with a large number of empty storefronts and vacancies that plagues this beachfront community today.
LA Councilwoman Traci Park (CD-11), herself a Venice resident and member of several key council committees that will address commerce, tourism and the hosting of the 2028 Summer Olympics addressed the Venice Neighborhood Council recently about plans moving forward while focusing a good part of her efforts on the current homeless crisis, public safety, and using technology to restore the boardwalk as a safe destination for both locals and tourists.
Park, who attended the 2024 Paris Summer Games in France, is committed to the necessary upgrades and investments in these upcoming extravaganzas despite a downturn in the local economy and revenue challenges that currently plague Los Angeles municipal spending.
Park indicated in that presentation that these major events will be prioritized moving forward.
The Venice Beach Ocean Front Walk Refurbishment Plan of 1996 noted that they would restore in either wood or recycled wood plastic materials suitable to retain the historic character and appearance of the pagodas could also allow for durability and easy, long-term maintenance.
In reviewing photos for OFW, the original design of the pagodas intended for them to be individually structured and positioned.
Thirty-two umbrellas exist and would be replaced per the original plans.
The five reconstructed sets of pagodas are located on Ocean Front Walk and Dudley Avenue, Sunset Avenue, Park Avenue, Breeze Avenue, and Clubhouse Avenue. A sixth original set, which was demolished, was located at Ocean Front Walk and Westminster Avenue.
Some say the pagodas became locales for the homeless to congregate at the beach, and many believe illegal drug use and other criminal activity took these historic pagodas hostage.
At a recent meeting of the Oceanfront Walk Committee of the Venice Neighborhood Council (www.venicenc.org), some unnamed locals were calling for the demolition of the remaining structures while a petition drive is apparently now in place to restore and save these historic parklets from extinction.
Below are images of the pagodas before falling into disrepair as we see today.
For Abbot Kinney himself would not recognize the current state of the boardwalk and the hope is the proper investment is made before these three major events come to Venice.
It will be interesting what plans will be formulated and what dollar value will be dedicated in ensuring OFW is properly restored and renovated to handle the tourism and spike in visitation one anticipates with events such as these now on LA’s calendar.
For not only is a facelift necessary and required, but can LA guarantee a safe environment that will bring back the economic vitality that was once the Venice boardwalk?
Nick Antonicello is a thirty-one year resident of the neighborhood and a member of the Oceanfront Walk Committee of the VNC. Have a take or a tip all things Venice? Contact him via e-mail at nantoni@mindspring.com.
