Bye Bye Barry

The fenced off eyesore on San Vicente might finally turn into something useful. After years of back and forth, the city’s Building and Safety Commissioners took a vote in mid November and agreed that the old structure can come down. The decision was unanimous.

Years ago, Charles Munger had a plan for a small shopping center with underground parking and a reasonable scale. A few neighbors fought it, raising alarms about traffic and spinning stories about the Barry Building’s supposed architectural importance. Dutton’s Books once occupied the front space, but by the time the debate picked up again, the store was long gone and the building had become an abandoned shell. Pacific Palisades leaned into progress and ended up with Palisades Village.

Brentwood got an empty lot after Munger walked away in frustration. When Rodney Liber met with him about the project, Munger shrugged and said that all his projects were posthumous. He has since passed, and the line feels more accurate than ever as his children try to figure out what to do with the property he left behind.

Neighbors have been talking about this building for years. Some saw it as a quirky relic. Others saw it as an

abandoned structure that had been boarded up for more than a decade. Community groups and preservation sites were flooded with comments for and against saving it, but lately the conversation has shifted. Most locals now agree the building has been sitting vacant far too long.

Residents who spoke at the downtown hearing brought up fire concerns, break ins, and the simple fact that the place has been marked unsafe since 2016. One woman said someone hopped the fence and ended up in her backyard, which scared her family. Others said they were tired of walking past a boarded up property with no upkeep and no future.

Longtime Brentwood resident Melanie Carfill said she worries about traffic but hopes the well funded owners will create something special that adds to the pedestrian feel of San Vicente.

People from outside the neighborhood argued for preservation, reminding everyone that the building once played a small role in the city’s architectural history and once housed a beloved bookstore. Preservation groups even circulated their own cost estimate for repairs. Their number was far lower than the one cited by the owners, and that gap created friction at the meeting and in online discussions that followed.

Representatives for the Munger family said the building cannot reasonably be repaired. They said the cost required to bring it up to code would be far higher than its value. The family has no plans to revive the old Green Hollow Square idea. Instead they want to clear the site and prepare it for sale.

Commissioners focused again and again on safety. The building is empty, deteriorating, and officially unsafe. After a brief discussion they cast their votes.

There may still be one more appeal since that step has not closed yet. No one knows how long that could take. For now, it finally feels like the long chapter of debate around this corner of San Vicente is nearing its end.und the Barry Building is nearing its final pages.