What are the results of listing?
In addition to honorific recognition, listing in the National Register has the following results for historic properties:

• Consideration in planning for Federal, Federally licensed, and Federally assisted projects: -- Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 requires that Federal agencies allow the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation an opportunity to comment on all projects affecting historic properties either listed in or determined eligible for listing in the National Register. The Advisory Council oversees and ensures the consideration of historic properties in the Federal Planning process.
• Eligibility for certain tax provisions -- Owners of properties listed in the National Register may be eligible for a 20% investment tax credit for the certified rehabilitation of income-producing certified historic structures such as commercial, industrial, or rental residential buildings. This credit can be combined with a straight-line depreciation period of 27.5 years for residential property and 31.5 years for nonresidential property for the depreciable basis of the rehabilitated building reduced by the amount of the tax credit claimed. Federal tax deductions are also available for charitable contributions for conservation purposes of partial interests in historically important land areas or structures.
• Consideration of historic values in the decision to issue a surface mining permit where coal is located in accordance with the Surface Mining Control Act of 1977; and
• Qualification for Federal grants for historic preservation, when funds are available. 

Keep up the good work, Bob.

More details of the history here -

https://www.larchmontbuzz.com/featured-stories-larchmont-village/wehos-bing-crosby-building-nominated-for-national-historic-register/

And a photo has the name of Everett Crosby (Bing's brother and business manager) just visible at very top left, as well as "CROSBY BLDG" over central entrance.
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In the early 1930s Bing Crosby had his main office at Paramount and Decca was close by.  However, when he began his radio broadcasts his organization began to expand, and he purchased a building under construction on Sunset Boulevard on 15 October 1936.  Why move to this remote location?  It was half way on the main road between Beverly Hills and the studios in Hollywood.  A number of the stars had already had offices for their agents in this area that became known as the Sunset Strip.

Bing was different from the others in that he directly maintained his own contracts.  The building did have offices for his agent and his brother Everett, but it also contained his financial people, his doctor and other support functions.  By 1945 Bing had established many separate corporations from acting to the Crosby Research Foundation, and he hired Basil Grillo to reorganize his business interests.  Basil located the heart of this "empire" in the Crosby Building.  The agent function was taken over by Bing's own staff, and his doctor friend and tailor left.  Bing upended the show business model by setting up his own operation.  

While Bing did not spend much time in the building all his finances came through this building as well as his mail.  If one mailed a letter to Paramount or NBC or Decca, it came to this building for processing.  This operation was handled by his brother Larry.  The Electronic Division was created here to manage his radio show technical operations when he left NBC for ABC.  It was here that Jack Mullin held forth when he was not working on the Crosby radio show.  It was from here that Jack worked with Ampex and Minnesota Mining (3M) to develop a new recorder for Bing and tape for it.  I worked in the building from 1951 to 1957 on the video tape recorder development for Bing.  For more on the building and the Electronics Division see:  https://ethw.org/First-Hand:Bing_Crosby_and_the_Recording_Revolution.




  

The Bing Crosby Building has been standing because a number of people realized its importance.  The first was an architect that gave up his commission because he would not let the building be torn down.  He felt it was a historic architecture.   The IEEE pressured me to get it declared a landmark because of the video tape development work there.

In researching how to make it a landmark, I found that it was not a simple task.  My research turned up another evaluation by West Hollywood that stated it qualified as historical architectural.  I applied for the forms from the State of California, and they sent me the paperwork.  After a number of discussions with them they helped me through the process.  There were four categories.  I applied for three of them (see my 11/7/2020 message above or the list below).  In the process I had to contact the owner, who was not keen on keeping the building.  After a number of discussions with his lawyer, a new plan was developed that kept the building as part of his development and its history.

I submitted the paperwork for the three categories, and it was considered a go for approval.  However, at the last minute the owner objected to keep his options open.  I had to plead my case before the State Commission, and they unanimously approved all three categories.  It is rare that a building qualifies in more than one or two. 

I am still in contact with the owner's lawyer, and the plans are still in place to keep it.  However, with all that has happened in the last year, the building and hotel site may be sold.  Anyone with an interest in keeping the building should make their case with the City of West Hollywood.  They are the organization that has the life or death decision about this historic building.

Bob Phillips

The building was granted status in Categories A, B and C:
Category A - Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. This building was the primary office of Bing Crosby and the location where the first video tape recorder was developed.
Category B - Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. The people were Bing Crosby and John T. (Jack) Mullin.
Category C - Property has distinctive characteristics and high artistic values.

Last edited by Robert Phillips (28/7/2020 1:45 am)

Thanks for that interesting information on such an important building. I lived in Los Angeles for four months in 1988 and visited many buildings which had been important in the entertainment industry but not the Crosby building. I don't know why I didn't look for it.