Project to repurpose Encino post-WWII fire station into Armenian community center gets green light

Efforts to repurpose a former fire station in Encino as an Armenian community center have been given a green light by the L.A. City Planning Commission.

Fire Station 83 operated out of the building built in 1948 at 5001 N. Balboa Blvd. until 2006, when it moved to a different facility nearby. The Armenian Cultural Foundation signed a 30-year lease to occupy the structure for community meetings and classes, children’s programs and social services.

In 2013, the building was considered eligible as a historic monument and identified as an “excellent example of a post-World War II fire station, representing the design and building standards of the Los Angeles Fire Department during postwar expansion of facilities,” according to the planning report.

The project’s architectural firm Youssefian Associates is planning for a slight expansion of the building, increasing its size to some 5,600 square feet to include a reception office, meeting rooms, a kitchen and a large meeting hall.

The Glendale-based Armenian Cultural Foundation Glendale operates community and cultural center locations across Southern California. The project requires approval from the L.A. City Council.