‘Stone House’ to Be Made Into Arts Center

One of the few remaining homes in Sun Valley made of river rock, a building material commonly used in the northeast Valley decades ago, will be purchased by the city of Los Angeles for use as a cultural arts center.

The City Council recently agreed to buy the “Stone House” on Sunland Boulevard, to move forward a plan to convert it into a place where people can display their work and cultivate an appreciation for the arts.

“Sun Valley has very limited cultural sites and historical designations,” said Councilman Richard Alarcon, in whose district the house lies. “This will add a little bit to the documentation of the cultural history of the San Fernando Valley.”

The Craftsman-style house was designated a historical monument in December after the owners, Gene and Paula Andro, sought to demolish the structure and redevelop the land.

The city will pay the owners approximately $130,000 for the home, and will take about two years to renovate and landscape the property.

The house, which was built in 1925 for a turkey rancher, sits on a dirt lot behind a chain-link fence, nestled between an apartment building and a batting cage.

City officials said the renovation effort will include creating a garden setting on the grounds, where the city’s Cultural Affairs Department can host outdoor events, art classes and exhibits.

“It’s not going to be a performance center, but it can hold classes and other programs,” Jay Oren, a city staff architect, said.

The five-room house is dotted with intricately placed stones. It has three arched windows in the entrance wall, a square central tower with a pyramidal cap, and a gabled roof.

The planned arts center is on the list of approved uses of Proposition K funds for the current fiscal year.

However, because the funding is not yet available, and in an effort to accommodate the owners, the Community Redevelopment Agency will put up the money for the purchase. The agency will be reimbursed when funding comes through.