Holding Prospect Group's Feet to the Fire
Walker's Cafe Still Under Threat. An Update
In the latest Random Lengths News, Friend of Walker's Cafe Emma Rault sums up the current situation. Be sure to like and share this on Facebook!
"For developers trying to get their way, making a bad idea look good is half the battle. Who needs a publicist when there are people like Lee Williams willing to do the job for you? In his latest San Pedro Today article, Will Walker’s Cafe Ever Reopen? this past month, Mr. Williams seems to be implying that community stakeholders like Friends of Walker’s Cafe are preventing the new owners from carrying out a viable business plan. He describes Prospect Group’s plans as the construction of “two units” to offset the cost of restoring Walker’s. This is a gross mischaracterization. In reality their proposal is for a huge, 3,500+ square feet, two-story residential development. It would also have a separate Accessory Dwelling Unit. In Los Angeles, these are often used as cash-cow Airbnbs.
This huge project would occupy most of the lot, leaving barely any space between it and the cafe. It is in no way similar, as Mr. Williams implies, to the “existing rentals on the block.” In fact, there’s every chance the developers will get the necessary permits, inflate the value of the lot, and then dump it and move on. “Fix & Flip,” as their own Instagram bio says.
Either way, the project as it stands is completely out of scale with the neighborhood. It would totally overshadow Walker’s Cafe and rob it of space needed for storage and outdoor seating. In short: this huge development would mean the death of the cafe.
Prospect Group have portrayed themselves as the people who heroically took a chance on Walker’s Cafe when nobody else would. The fact is, they somehow scooped up the property in March 2022, before it had even been put on the market, and bought it for a bargain price of $650,000. (This information is available in real-estate databases, to which Mr. Williams, as a realtor, has access.)
Prospect Group bought a historic business that had been nominated for landmark status. And let’s remember — landmark status protects LA’s historic buildings. It stops big business from destroying our shared heritage. Any buyer worth their salt, especially a professional investment group, would conduct surveys and carefully consider plans and expenses before closing the deal on a site of historic interest. It seems highly unlikely they didn’t know what they were getting into.
They also knew they were buying valuable seaside real estate in one of the hottest markets in the country. And it is beginning to look as if this is their focus: not reopening the cafe, but rather building luxury housing. It is absurd to blame the landmarking or the local community for Prospect Group’s failure to achieve something they weren’t serious about to begin with. They just need to refurbish a cafe in a way that will allow it to thrive.
Mr. Williams’ defeatism in the face of big business implies this is somehow an insurmountable task. It is not.
When the developer’s lawyer presented the plans to the community for the first time, dozens of local people and stakeholders raised serious concerns. They included neighbors, restaurant owners who had been ghosted by Prospect Group after offering to work with them to bring the cafe back, realtors and architectural historians specialized in bringing LA’s historic sites back to life. Prospect Group submitted the plans to the Department of Planning two weeks later, having made no substantial changes. This speaks volumes about their willingness to work with the community.
In the two years since Pedro lost Walker’s Cafe, many myths have spread about it. It was a “biker bar,” it was “run down.” In truth, it is a place that touring bikers visit. Like Pacific Diner, like Whiskey Flats. Tourists love this whole stretch of coastline. It’s always been like that and probably always will be. It was a much-loved old-timey spot with absentee landlords that was due for some maintenance. Above all, it was an important place for San Pedro. More than 3,000 people signed the petition to preserve it.
Mr. Williams, whatever his motivations may be, has a history of suggesting the people advocating for Walker’s should get out of the way and let the so-called professionals take over. He doesn’t seem to understand that local folks have every right to bring their knowledge and their love of this community to the table. People also have a right to counter misinformation. And they have a right to hold developers accountable for the promises they’ve made to San Pedro.
Mr. Williams sees historical designation as a “hindrance” when in fact it is actually one of the few ways communities can push back against LA becoming a featureless mass of gray and white cubes. This little cafe is a hindrance only to developers who would rather be left alone to make their money without interference from locals. Prospect Group’s plans are an insult to the community and a blight on Point Fermin. As it stands, their current plan would make it impossible for the cafe to function. If they get their way, we will all be the poorer for it."