Sterling Plaza, Art Deco building in Beverly Hills, United States
Sterling Plaza is a seven-story Art Deco building at 9429–9441 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, completed in 1929 to designs by John and Donald Parkinson. It rises 32 metres (105 ft) and was originally the California Bank Building. The exterior shows geometric ornament and a stepped, vertically emphasized massing typical of the style.
Built in 1929 by architects John and Donald Parkinson as the California Bank Building, it originally served as a financial institution. The structure emerged just before the Wall Street market crash, which shaped its early institutional role.
The building's name changed with its owners: it opened as the California Bank Building, took the name of MGM chief Louis B. Mayer after he acquired it, and became Sterling Plaza under Donald Sterling. Franz Lidz reported in Sports Illustrated in 2000 that Sterling held a 99-year lease with the Mayer estate, paying a small annual fee plus 15% of rental income.
The building stands at 9429–9441 Wilshire Boulevard, on the north side of the boulevard in Beverly Hills. Visitors can reach it by car or by bus lines running along Wilshire; metered street parking and nearby public garages serve the block. The Art Deco exterior is visible from the sidewalk at any hour, while the interior is leased office space.
Donald Sterling leased the building in 1976 and renamed it Sterling Plaza. In 2000, Sports Illustrated's Franz Lidz reported that Sterling held a 99-year lease with the Mayer estate, paying a small annual fee plus 15% of rental income, which kept him the sole tenant.
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