The imminent destruction of the Brentwood residence where renowned actress Marilyn Monroe spent her final days has been temporarily stalled. This decision by the Los Angeles City Council resulted from an eleventh-hour motion designed to nominate the home as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
Traci Park, a councilmember delineating Brentwood where the iconic actress’s erstwhile dwelling is positioned, disclosed that the property was purchased in July. The new proprietors promptly submitted an application for its demolition. Park, speaking at a press briefing on Friday, lamented that the Department of Building and Safety granted the demolition permit before her team could intervene and find a resolution to the issue.
News of the impending razing of Monroe’s former abode triggered a torrent of calls to Park’s office, clamoring for the preservation of the storied bungalow that was once home to the famed actress. Park estimated, “At this point, it may be into the thousands,” enumerating the amount of distress calls received. The council member noted that their phones at City Hall and at the field office had been inundated for two successive days.
The city council, in a unanimous decision on Friday, sanctioned Park’s emergency motion to instigate the procedure of categorizing the home as a historic building. Consequently, the planned demolition has been forestalled while the city’s Office of Historic Resources undertakes a comprehensive study and analysis of the premises, according to Councilmember Park.
The identity of the recent homeowners remains shrouded in uncertainty as the purchase was executed through a Limited Liability Company (LLC). This entity subsequently sold the property to a trust in July. Despite this, Park noted, “We have not been contacted at all by the property owner. Most certainly they were aware of who owned the home previously and who lived and died there.”
The Brentwood bungalow, constructed in 1929, boasts a valuation of roughly US$8 million, based on property records. Monroe inhabited the estate for a brief period prior to her untimely death in 1962 at 36 years of age, noted Park. The celebrated actress passed away at her residence following an overdose of barbiturates.
