Harvey's Broiler Razed Illegally!!!!!!!!!!!!

DAMN CK this could be the answer.and its all your fault ! thanks alot for all your work.........

 

Hey Kent,
We're not there yet, but almost!!!!!!! This is a good sign and I hope that we all can enjoy it "if "it becomes a reality! It is looking good though. The clean up of the site will be happening very soon and the city seems to be keeping their word! If the city buys the property that may even be great as the city could add incentives to entice the deal.

 

Hope this works out !

 

Need a favor, The Bob's deal warrants support from all parties and the Downey City Council needs to hear it. Adriene spoke with City Councilman Kirk Cartozian today and Both Bob's & The City Council needs to hear from all who feel that this would be a viable economic investment for all parties.

Here is where the favor comes in, We need YOU, the Rodding contingent to RSVP for a City Council meeting on Tuesday Feb 26th. We need as many positive people that we can get!
Bob's & Downey seeks the car communities support & is curious to know if the Drive-In is rebuilt & openned what the response would be? This is for us HAMBers so even if you are from out of town email the city council and let them know what you think. If you can make it, email me or one of the coalition members @ cyclonequickie@aol.com - AdrieneBiondo@gmail.com - alrid05@aol.com - ronburnco@verizon.net. It would be nice to have a count before we got to the city council meeting. We're just seeking your presence.

Thanx,
CK

 

Please read post#515, We need ya there,
On another note, Happy B-Day Chili Phil-aka Chill Pill as christened by me. Thanks for you help here as well!

 

Hey Cyclone Kevin I've been following the story on the Broiler and good luck on getting it back on it's feet. You are doing a great thing spreading the word and helping. We need to keep these places alive. Having just gone through hell trying to keep my place open we finally succeeded! Keep the "drive" alive!

Ryan
Chuck-A-Burger Drive-In

Link to thread...
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=234861&highlight=chuckaburger

 

This is great and I have been following yours as well!
Just keep it alive! When I get out there, I'll be sure to look it up!
Pass the word onto your customers that we need help here as well,
Big Boy Restaurants LLC needs to hear us, as does Downey City Council, so please get the word out. even if you don't live here, emails count, It can still be a great cruise spot.

 

Will do!!

 

This just in from the Long Beach Press Telegram.
Johnie's Broiler may become Bob's Big Boy
<!--subtitle-->LOCAL: Franchise owner would preserve still-standing parts of historic eatery while opening restaurant at site.
<!--byline-->By Samantha Gonzaga, Staff Writer
<!--date-->Article Launched: 02/18/2008 09:56:10 PM PST



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DOWNEY - Its famous "Fat Boy" sign isn't going anywhere, but Johnie's Broiler may soon become a Bob's Big Boy.
The City Council recently revealed the latest in the ongoing story of the illegally bulldozed Googie-style drive-through restaurant: hiring the services of a historic preservation consultation firm and revealing that a Bob's Big Boy franchise owner has expressed interest in taking over.
Torrance Bob's Big Boy owner and restaurateur Jim Louder said he has been in talks with city leaders and Johnie's owner Christos Smyrniotis in the hope of securing a lease agreement.
An offer is expected to be made this week, said Deputy City Manager Gilbert Livas.
"I couldn't be more excited to bring back to the community something it's been asking for," said District 2 Councilman Mario Guerra.
Council members on Feb. 12 also voted to hire Chattel Architecture Planning & Preservation, Inc. Their participation meets one of the provisions in a Dec. 5 agreement Smyrniotis signed, which stated that any future developments on the 90,000-square-foot site would be overseen by the city.
The firm's services are estimated to cost $25,000, an amount Smyrniotis is to reimburse per the details of the agreement.
Smyrniotis could not be reached for comment.
Bob's Big Boy and Johnie's Broiler weave a common thread in the Southland's car culture, Louder said. "It was a little scary ... in terms of the direction we can go and what kind of hurdles we have to get over," he said, of the site's current state.

All parties are awaiting reports from the historic architecture firm regarding which of Johnie's historic building components survived the razing and would need to be preserved.
Located at 7447 Firestone Blvd., Johnie's Broiler - christened Harvey's Broiler by its founders Harvey and Minnie Ortner - was demolished Jan. 7, 2007, by Smyrniotis' sublessee, Ardas Yanik.
Yanik has since apologized for the deed, but told the Press-Telegram in a December interview that Smyrniotis had been aware of the planned bulldozing.
For nearly a year, the site remained under a development moratorium. All that remained were the "Fat Boy" sign and the resultant rubble from the bulldozing.
Livas said Louder has expressed the intention to retain Johnie's "Fat Boy" and other surviving architectural elements.
"Here's a guy willing to rebuild it," he said. "That's phenomenal."
If the project advances, Guerra said the Bob's restaurant will occupy one acre facing Firestone Boulevard, while the one-acre rear area will house Downey Nissan's vehicle inventory. In its heyday, Johnie's was a popular venue among car enthusiasts, hot-rodders and the Southland's car cruising scene. It accommodated up to 350 parked vehicles and provided car service to 98 at the height of its business.

City Council Meeting Feb 26th, Be there and bring your Rod or Custom
7pm!

 

Fingers crossed Kevin !!!
Rob

 

This is what I received form the Mayor Pro Tem on my B-Day 2/20.
See, These guys are serious and this is History in the making!
I too have my fingers x'd


Kevin,
<O</O

Thanks for your email&#8230;.This has been in the works for many months and I am just happy that we could finally release this information now&#8230;we also want to make sure this does happen&#8230;.I really think this is a home run for everyone&#8230;..
<O</O

The Bob&#8217;s franchise guy from Torrance already has been working with us and actually wants to have car shows and such here as in the past&#8230;he is really into it and we as a city will do everything we can to make this happen&#8230;The historical part is being reviewed now and no matter what the sign will be incorporated into the design for the new place along with anything else that can or should be savaged&#8230;.
</O
This is going to be great and I am really happy and very excited&#8230;.I think we will all win here&#8230;.good for us all, good for our city, good for history and good for car lovers and saving a piece of our past with a bridge to our future&#8230;
<O</O

God Bless&#8230;Mario

<O</O
<O</O
<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comMario A. Guerra</st1ersonName>
Mayor Pro Tem
City of <st1:City w:st="on">Downey</st1:City>
562-904-7274
mguerra@downeyca.org

 

as a second generation harvey's cruiser, i'm elated at the possibility.

the guy from torrance is a car guy.

they sell lions and irwindale t-shirts at the register and have a weekly cruise night.

fingers crossed.

 

Wow!

 

Man I hope this works out. So cool...

 

Way to go Kev. I'll be there on Tuesday night...Anyone else want to cruise up? I think a big show of customs and hot rods would really make an impact.

 

I thought people would like to see Harvey's interior shots from back in the day. Man, if they can restore back to this, that would be bad-ass!!

http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadusa...lcoffeeshop/johniesbroiler/johniesphotos.html

(scroll down to the middle to see interior shots...)

 

Thanks Ron,
It looks VERY GOOD! I spoke with the potential owner today, Went & had lunch @ their NOB's(new/old Bob's) in Torrance. Very good! Karen, the owner along with Jim Louder (Who wasn't in when I was there) are looking forward to working with the City of Downey as well as the Coalition to Save/Rebuild The Broiler.
A Cruise night will be on their menu as well so if anyone wants to help me get something planned if & when it does open as a drive in feel free to PM me.
We're almost there, so come join us @ the meeting on Tuesday night!

 

Way to go Kevin! I wish I still lived in LA - I'd come to a cruise night there for sure. I bet it could really be a big deal if they do it right . . . a unique piece of history brought back in a modern incarnation. Thanks for all your work!

Dale

 

Hey Kevin.sent a email yesterday to the city,hope others take 2 minutes and do the same,this will without a doubt became a destanation stop for All hotrod people in so-cal....good luck and thanks for the pics BURNY......maybe it's time for save the BROILER decal to go with the shirt.........

 

Reviving Harvey's Broiler is such an important issue not only for L.A. basin hot rodders and car guys but also as a matter of principle for the few remaining venues anywhere which may be similarly threatened - now or in future. If this can be pulled off it will be a watershed and example of what can be done with sufficient will and determination. Not only that, but it will serve as an example of how a City Council's civic responsibility can save history from the wrecking ball. If it succeeds, it sets a precedent for other councils to follow.

CK has performed a Herculean task so far - let's all push push push.

 

See Post #515 info on Tuesdays City Council Meeting
Your welcome Weasel,
I am not doing this alone, Adriene Biondo-Mod Com also wanted to say thanks to all those HAMBers who have lent a hand by attending all 3 of the Ghost cruise routes.My Gal Pal Pat(C'Deuced on the HAMB) has put up with this for over a year while she has endured breast cancer, My Dad thought that I was "nuts" trying to "save the world" even though he is one who set me on this path.
I lost him almost 6mos to the day-Still can't fathom that! My brother Bob who has worked on artwork that I had sketched out just had the worst year of his life,even had a kidney removed.

Burnco Ron worked tirelessly on this as well as well as the Coalition to save Harvey's Broiler! We are just this close!!!!

 

Congrats guys....Sounds like the war is being one...Thats awesome...I know it may be some times away still, but every day is a day closer right...I hope I can pull in there with one of my rides someday...

 

Way to go Kevin, I know all the time you have invested to save the spot...

GOOD LUCK !!!!!

Scott from W.L.A.

 

This was in an email that I received from Jim owner of Bob's Torrance.
" Thanks for stopping by and leaving the info. I am very interested in talking to your group about the Havey's/Johnies Broiler project. I love cars ( I have a 67 Camaro) and I am very exicited about having cruise nights at Bob's."

How often does an owner of one of these places encourage a cruise night?
Not very that I am aware of. Scott from W.L.A. The only time that I remember this happening is Craig from All American Burger had the Old Timers set up that cruise back in the 80's where I met some of the best people in my life.

Cshabang,
Thank you, We have had a great group of sponsors for the HGC as well. Those are the people that need to be thanked.They did a great job as well! We still need as many of ya on Tuesday night so that the City Council can see that this proposed establishment can & will be supported by the public, I know that we are just a fraction of what would be there, but we also make a strong impression.

 

http://www.downeygis.org/downeyca/agendas/Agenda02-26-08.pdf

It appears that the Harvey's item is not on the agenda for the meeting this tuesday. So, all HAMBers that want to speak will have the opportunity to speak for 5 minutes each at the "Non-Agenda Public Comments" time of the meeting.
Just so everyone understands, in California, the Brown Act requires that the city council not enter into a discussion of any item that is not on the officially posted agenda. Therefore, you will not be able to ask questions or have any discussion with the councilmembers. You will just have the opportunity to make your statements.
You may want to ask the City Manager, though while you are at the podium, if or when the Harveys issue will be placed on the agenda for discussion. You may get some info, then of a date, or possibly what to expect in the next few months.

 

Your right Kev, All American was a Blast, still have the video they made of all of us. The Torrance Bob's is a kool place but with little parking, but by the looks of the Torrance spot, I think this is in good hands.

 

Some people wanted this info posted so here it is.
February 26, 2008
Regular Meeting Community Development Commision 7:30P.M.
Regular Meeting City Council: 7:30P.M.
City Council Chamber,11111 Brookshire Ave. Downey,California
Bring something in support of Bob's-Harvey's
The city needs to see support. Come & show em that we care.

 

C'mon guys - this is history in the re-making we are talking about here so let's keep this one at the top - as CK sez, be there!

 

Tonite is the nite!
Spoke with a member of City Council last night, They're looking for us and will be observing and expecting comments.

This is our chance to make a difference! Let show em that we support a resto or perhaps a Hot Rodding of the location since it will be modified from its exact original construction,
Just think of as a Brookville 32 with a gennie chassis that's been rodded!
Hope to see you there!

 

Kevin-

Best of luck tonight, sounds like things are really going well. I make it a point to drive by Harvey's every time I'm in SoCal, in fact I met up with Chili Phil at one of the first meets mentioned in this thread. I've got my fingers crossed man, thanks for everything you're doing for the Broiler.