Santa Monica Conservancy Announces Winners of Preservation Awards

The eight awards, including the new Advocacy Award, will be handed out at the Conservancy's Annual Meeting on February 24.

“Preservation is frequently an ongoing process representing dedication and investment over many years,” said Carol Lemlein, President of the Board of the Conservancy. “We are delighted to showcase these accomplishments, some of which began a decade or more before the Conservancy was founded in 2002.”

The Conservancy will giving NMS Properties, Inc. -- one of Santa Monica's biggest developers of residential housing - - the Adaptive Reuse award for restoring a World War II-era Quonset hut. The half-cylinder steel structure sits on NMS's new mixed use complex at 8th Street and Broadway.

Quonset hut at NMS's new complex (photo courtesy of the Santa Monica Conservancy)

The President's Award will be given to William and Lenore Lambert “for the example set by their stewardship of the Biedler-Heuer Building” at the corner of Main Street and Hill Street, officials said.

“The Lamberts, second generation owners, approached the Landmarks Commission about the building during a discussion about the historic structures on Main Street,” officials said.

“After it was designated, they wondered how anyone would know it is a City landmark and recently erected a historic plaque describing its significance,” they said.

Hostelling International will receive the Conservancy's Outstanding Service Award for supporting the Conservancy's weekly Downtown Walking Tour.

“The Hostel offered use of its facilities for the initial docent training in 2007,” officials said.

“Management and staff have continued to provide use of the lobby and the Rapp Salon as gathering places for the tours and have always welcomed our docents and tour guests,” they said.

Local Peace Activist Jerry Rubin will be honored alongside David Conrad with the Conservancy's first-ever Advocacy Award.

Both Rubin and Conrad -- son of artist Paul Conrad -- have been staunch opponents of the City's plans to remove a 26-foot-tall sculpture of a mushroom cloud designed by David's father.

The Conservancy’s Annual Meeting, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Associated Telephone Building (also known as the GTE building) at 1314 Seventh Street, just north of the Main Library in Downtown Santa Monica.

For more information and to reserve seats, see www.smconservancy.org or call 310-496-3146. Reservations are requested by February 20.