Save The Hollywood Sign!
Filed under: Politik
A Chicago-based investment group, Fox River Financial Services, put up 138 acres of land above and to the left of the 45-foot-high "H" of LA's beloved HOLLYWOOD sign for sale last month for $22 million.
Residents are afraid mansions will be built there and will spoil the sign's uncluttered, postcard-perfect backdrop.
Also, there's concern that if some big private owner snaps up the land it may no longer be accessible to the hikers and sightseers who often climb the hill for solitude and a panoramic view of the Los Angeles basin.
LA Councilman Tom LaBonge is leading residents in a fight to protect the land.
"That is our Eiffel Tower. There is the Hollywood sign. There is the open space. And that's all there is. This is ours and it should remain ours," stated LaBonge.
We were shocked to hear the news! We always assumed all the land around the sign was protected by some historical landmark preservation ruling.
But, turns out the land was actually owned by the late billionaire Howard Hughes. Those Chicago based investors 'quietly' purchased the property from Hughes' estate for $1.7 million in 2002. Based on the bargain-basement price paid by the investors, the report asserts that the Hughes estate's trustees were probably unaware of what it was worth or too busy managing the billionaire's vast holdings to care.
Smells fishy to us! The investors bought the land for $1.7 million and are now selling it for $22 million?!
Ironically, the Hollywood sign was erected to drum up business for a real estate developer.
Who cares though, right?
It's one of the few things that defines the LA area, so let's help keep it the way it is!
[Image via Mavrix Online.]
first?
SAVE HOLLYWOOD SIGN
1
Save the sign! its sexy!
first
first-wow how sad
Don't mess with the sign dude!
5th"?
first
so is there anything we can do???
SAVE HOLLYWOOD SIGN!!! i have yet to climb it and shiz!
i would like to visit hollywood
oyy !!
i
first bitches!!
what can we do Perez???????
hey first
first!
save the sign!!!!
Nooo! Being from LA, I really love the Hollywood sign. It's a sign of home. I'd hate for anything to happen to the area around it or the sign itself. =[
i do care!
yo
first
uhoh
almost first
loves it
FIRST! and this is crazy!
If people want to save it they should do what other people do and buy it! If it is worth saving it is worth paying for.
Yo Perez……this is news……months ago!
Get your head out of your ass.
Save the Hollywood sign? You sheep are idiots. There is absolutely no way the sign will ever be taken down.
so save the sign
OMG!!! how can we get some signatures going to save our HOLLYWOOD? I can't believe it's people aren't commenting!!! Hello is our HOLLYWOOD sign and VIEW!?!?!?!?!?!??
I hope they don't tear it down!!!!! I grew up in Hollywood & have the best memories….the city won't be the same without the sign.
THIS IS AMERICA. The owners have the right to sell it. HOWEVER, WHY DON'T YOU ALL START A FUND AND RAISE 22 MILLION TO BUY IT, THEN DONATE IT TO THE STATE FOR PARK LAND! EASY TO SOLVE! RAISE THE MONEY!!
Keanu Reeves lives in the very last house just before the HOLLYWOOD sign, It's little 3 bedroom house on the left.
Sorry…for those of us that DON'T live in the L.A. area, let alone Cali, well, sorry, but we've got "issues" of our own in our own locales. A tourist attraction is the least of my worries when my own state is in a recession…
fuck hollywood……….LA SUCKS!!
and fuck you beatriz….get a fucking life, take that sign and shove it up your pussuy bitch!!
The Hollywood sign CAN'T be torn down so some rich people can live on the hill. Hello, go find another hill in, like, the Caribbean! You're rich! You can afford it!
PEREZ where's the dish on the purported tomkat split?? You never have the insdie scoop anymore!!!
who cares perez? boring story.
NO SAVE THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN!!!
IVE NEVER BEEN TO LA AND IM GOING NEXT YEAR SOMETIME AND I WANT TO SEE THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN THE WAY IT IS AND SHOULD BE!
WE NEED TO START A PETITION OR SOMETHING!
If you wanna save it, get a group together and become the high bidder. Otherwise deal with it. But you should not expect other people to do it for your lazy asses. What are you, fucking democrats! Always generous with other people's money
who cares? l.a. never had any respect for their history anyway….let's put a parking lot and a mini mall there.
Knock that fucking ugly eye sore down
Fakery, Jews, Divorce, Smog, Traffic, Sin, Drugs, closet gays, Filth and silly Liberal politics is what defines the L.A. Area…..Please give me a break.
Re: cowtowncowboy –
Yes, they are Democrats…Notice WE are posting and reading after work hours, while they are all home all day working the system. Pfft. They'd never think to come up with the money for an offer. What money?
you know what else defines the LA area? fake orange skin, plastic tits, and ugly dyed hair.
Re: nooo –
Oh calm down….rookie. It'll be too smoggy to see it anyways and you'll be so transfixed on trying to spot Lauren Conrad on the streets that you will forget about it.
Re: dizzy –
and Sex tapes, Mexicans and desperation too!
i'm curious to know what the Hollywood Sign Trust has to say about possible development. they are in charge of maintaining the sign and i thought the area around it.
well, seeing as the only people who really care are the famewhore hollywood celebs that make millions, why not have all of the celebs pony up some cash to save their "beloved" sign!!!
perez the land was not "quietly" purchased. The city of LA couldn't raise a paultry competing bid and lost the parcel fair and square in a lengthy and public process that involved city officials the entire time. Now they scream but they sat there while anybody had a chance to affect the outcome. Tough. Vote.
Develop the goddamned land, it is California, and that view is great, it is worth a lot of money. Embrace change, nothing has been around out there long enough to be historic anyways. Goddamned liberals who dont understand the world…
Who cares? America is shit and so are all Americans.
DEATH TO AMERICAN SCUM
BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND
RUIN ALL THEIR LANDMARKS
KILL BURN BOMB DOOM TO AMERICA
DEATH TO AMERICAN SCUM
BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND
RUIN ALL THEIR LANDMARKS
KILL BURN BOMB DOOM TO AMERICA
DEATH TO AMERICAN SCUM
BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND
RUIN ALL THEIR LANDMARKS
KILL BURN BOMB DOOM TO AMERICA
DEATH TO AMERICAN SCUM
BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND
RUIN ALL THEIR LANDMARKS
KILL BURN BOMB DOOM TO AMERICA
DEATH TO AMERICAN SCUM
BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND
RUIN ALL THEIR LANDMARKS
KILL BURN BOMB DOOM TO AMERICA
DEATH TO AMERICAN SCUM
BURN IT ALL TO THE GROUND
RUIN ALL THEIR LANDMARKS
KILL BURN BOMB DOOM TO AMERICA
$1.7 Million for 138 acres of prime Hollywood real estate? How in the world does someone score a deal like that? It's unbelievable.
THAT FUCKING SIGN NEEDS TO REMAIN WHEREVER THE FUCK IT IS. I WILL KILL WHOEVER TAKES IT DOWN. AND THATS A PROMISE.
Thats awful
GO CHICAGO!!!
So buy it then, winers.
i have a good source who is on the hollywood sign committee that told me they have been working on buying the land for several months now since it was put up for sale in late 07. there's really no reason for worrying- they're already signing a check and keeping the land undeveloped.
Sounds fishy that they could get it that cheap. Are you sure there's no zoning restrictions against building in the area?
Allow me to shed a tear… who gives a shit? That sign is wasting good land.
I'm going to Los Angeles for the first time in June… they'd better not fuck up the sign before I get there!
when is the building everywhere going to stop? it's getting a little bit crazy
what can we do?????
Re: chelso – They'll stop building when we stop procreating.
What can we do? You can get your fucking check book out. This is America! Our country is founded on the rule of law. Law as in the right to own property and do with it as you like. Buy the land and then donate it to the City of LA
um, dont care, hollywood sure as hell doesnt care about me. let the celebrtards who make all the money buy it if they really cared.
Not being from LA, I always found the Hollywood sign tacky. I don't want the land to be developed but I wouldn't mind if the sign was taken down. It's really ugly.
Chicago!
Nah!
Give it to Kansas, Thay could us the tourism!
Huggz, Missy.
If it was YOUR land, you'd be really unhappy if someone said YOU couldn't sell it. They can move the sign if they have to- or you can raise the money to buy the property. But half the sign fell down years ago- the "LAND" part at the end of it. No one seemed to much care then. It's kitschy- but if you want it you should start collecting money to pay the landowners what is fair.
"It's one of the few things that defines the LA area"
Oh my god, it's one of the few things that defines the USA area for a European! I mean, the first things that pop into my head when I think about America's landmarks are Cran Canyon, the Statue of Liberty and the Hollywood sign! It would be pure, extreme idiocy to do something about it.
they can't get rid of the hollywood sign!! that thing is legendary!!
what kind of american thinks the hollywood sign is 'tacky'? shit.
FIRST
WE HAVE TO SAVE THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN.I HAVENT SEEN IT .CLOSE UP.WE UP TO PROTEST PEOPLE.ITS A LANDMARK.SAD FACE
WHAT HOWARD H I WANT PROOF SIGHN HAS NEEDED UP KEEP FOR YEARS what is the rumpus now ohhhhhhhmabe brad pittless can save it with ah well i guess she is awomen you know what bore a baby she is never seen with,what is up with that
Tear the ugly thing down. Why can't Americans distinguish what is tacky & what is not? This is one of the things that separates them from we Europeans.
IDIOTS- THE SIGN CAN"T BE TORN DOWN BECAUSE THEY DIDN"T SELL THE SIGN, THEY SOLD THE LAND NEXT TO AND ABOVE THE SIGN.
NO ONE IS GOING TO TEAR DOWN THE SIGN BECAUSE THEY LEGAL CANT.
the big concern here is the fact that the site would be obscured by homes being built around the sign. god people read the post and the news before you start freaking out.
Perez,
I know from interacting with you many times that you're not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but on this topic I completely agree with you. I live just below the Hollywood sign and hike and jog in the hills around the sign nearly every day. It's such a beautiful place beyond the symbolism for LA and the entertainment industry. The comment from V sounds much more informed than you, Perez, about this subject and I hope V is right about development being restricted in this area.
Bronson Canyon is one of the most gorgeous spots in LA and this Spring has been chock full of clear, smog-free days on which I've been able to see all the way to Catalina from just below the sign, so changes to this beautiful area would be heartbreaking.
Thanks for drawing attention to this potential problem.
well i am sure there are lots of richies out there and if one of them were to purchase it it would be a good publicity stunt and not to mention make them popular to the 'common folk' perhaps Victoria Beckham should buy it and please all of LA and say this is a gift for all you precious Hollywood people.
Buy it for the people of Hollywood and become that Saint of a Rich person.