Barrington Plaza facts for kids

Barrington Plaza is a large apartment complex in Los Angeles, California. It is located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Sawtelle area. When it was finished in 1962, it was known as the biggest apartment complex built by a private company in the western United States.

What is Barrington Plaza Like?

Barrington Plaza has three tall buildings. Inside, there are 712 apartments. It also has places for shops and restaurants. There is a very large parking garage, which is about 330,000 square feet (or 30,658 square meters). There is also a building for fun activities and recreation.

During the Cold War, part of the complex was planned to be a fallout shelter. This meant that about 40,000 square feet (or 3,716 square meters) of its garage and hallways were set aside. They were meant to protect many more people than lived there, up to ten times the number of residents.

History of Barrington Plaza

Planning for Barrington Plaza started in 1958. It was first thought to cost about $14 million. The idea came from the B.C. Deane Company, and the buildings were designed by architect Phillip Daniel.

In 1959, Louis Lesser Enterprises joined the project. They later took over completely in 1961. Construction began in 1960 and finished in 1962. The final cost was around $20 million.

In 1961, Barrington Plaza and its developer, Ben Deane, received an award from the National Association of Home Builders.

The project received a large loan from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). This government agency helps people get loans for housing. The loan started at $15.2 million and grew to $18.6 million by 1965.

In 1965, Barrington Plaza was sold to a new group of owners. Later, in 1966, the US Senate looked into how some FHA loans were handled. Barrington Plaza was one of the first projects they reviewed.

In 1998, a company called Douglas Emmett, Inc. bought the property.

On January 29, 2020, a fire happened at Barrington Plaza. It caused damage on the 6th floor, and some people were hurt. Helicopters helped rescue some residents from the roof.