Building History

The Los Angeles headquarters for the Commercial Club had a long and complex history. In early 1924, the Commercial Club of Southern California engaged architect George Edwin Bergstrom to create a preliminary design for its new clubhouse. An article in the Los Angeles Times of 1924 stated: "Plans are now under way by the recently organized Commercial Club of Southern California for the erection of a limit-height building of Class A construction in the heart of the southwest section of the business district of Los Angeles. The exact location has not been decided upon yet, but announcement of the site chosen will be made within a few days." The Los Angeles architect, George Edwin Bergstrom (1876-1955) produced a rudimentary plan that was illustrated in the Los Angeles Times on 01/27/1924 (p. D1, D5).
This January Times article continued: "Preliminary specifications for the structure have been completed by Architect Edwin Bergstrom. One of the chief features of the proposed club building will be a garden on the roof. When completed the structure will represent an investment of approximately $1,000,000 exclusive of property. According to J. Ward Cohen, secretary of the new organization, the list of charter members includes Lloyd W. McAtee, Orra E. Monnette, Irving Hellman, James W. Woods, M.A. Hamburger, Frederick Thompson, Joseph M. Schenk, Cecil B. DeMille, Robert H. Parker, Ed Maier, Sol Lesser and M.and A. Gore. The club will be nonprofit-making and nonsectarian and membership is invitational and limited. Temporary offices are maintained in the Bank of Italy Building, Seventh and Olive Streets." (See "Busy Construction Week," Los Angeles Times, 01/27/1924, p. D1, D5.) Bergstrom's services were, however, terminated sometime in later 1924 by the Commercial Club, and his design went unrealized.

By 07/1925, the Commercial Club had agreed to a long-term lease with the Citizens Mortgage Company to occupy the upper floors of a height-limit building being planned for a site on the southeast corner of 11th Street and Broadway. The Citizens Mortgage Company and the club (presumably) agreed on a new architect to design this realized building, Curlett and Beelman of Los Angeles. Prior to Curlett and Beelman, Citizens Mortgage had worked with the architectural firm of Noerenberg and Johnson to design a high-rise project, publicized in the Los Angeles Times in 12/1924. Noerenberg and Johnson, like Bergstrom, lost out on this lucrative, million-dollar, high-rise commission.

PCAD id: 19592