A Historic Arts District Building Plays a Pivotal Role on ‘Bosch: Legacy’

While not much is known about the provenance of 810 Traction, 800’s history is well-documented. The handsome property was originally erected in 1917 for Joannes Brothers Co., a Wisconsin-based grocery wholesaler established in 1872, and served as a manufacturing plant for the company’s coffee and spice subsidiary, known as Ben-Hur. Legendary architect John Parkison, whom the Los Angeles Conservancy notes “helped define the look of pre-World War II Los Angeles,” was tasked with its design.

At some point in the 1930s, as Ben-Hur products continued to grow in popularity despite the onset of the Great Depression, the Joannes Brothers Co. decided to expand the facility by acquiring the building next door. An opening was then created between the two structures, conjoining them into one.

In the 1950s, Joannes Brothers Co., then operating as Coffee Products of America, was purchased by McCormick & Company, and the Ben-Hur products were phased out. As such, the Arts District facility was offloaded to the Angeles Desk Co. (also known as the Los Angeles Desk Co.) and subsequently operated as a warehouse for the furniture manufacturer through 1978. It was then picked up later that year by brothers George and Fred Rollins at what turned out to be a very opportune time. According to the Los Angeles Business Journal, the duo purchased the structure just “as artists began settling in the area’s neglected industrial buildings.”

The Rollins decided to capitalize on the movement by leasing the complex’s units to local artists. Though the lofts were just “raw spaces without amenities” at the time, per a report by GPA Consulting, George and Fred began making improvements, adding kitchens, bathrooms and other needed creature comforts as time and finances allowed. Following the enactment of the city’s Artist in Residence Ordinance in 1981, the brothers set about legalizing the spaces and, in 1987, were granted Certificates of Occupancy for all 11 units. As John Hillman of CBRE, who represented the buildings in a past sale, expressed to the Business Journal, the Rollins were “pioneers in getting the whole Arts District going.” 

For the next 30 years, the site served as a haven for local artisans, from painters to photographers to sculptors to silk-screeners, many of whom were of Japanese heritage. That rich, varied background led to a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument designation, with a City Planning report noting the building’s significance for “its association with the early development of the food processing industry, and for its association with the artist-in-residence movement of the 1980s, which emerged and flourished because of the pioneering contributions of Japanese American, Chicano, and other artists, such as Matsumi Kanemitsu and Richard Duardo, in what is now the Arts District, as well as it being an excellent example of an early 20th-century industrial building.”

And now, the complex is coming full circle, returning to its roots as an industrial property.

In 2017, the Joannes Brothers Co. Building was sold to DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners in a $20 million deal and the group began the initial stages of reimagining it, relocating the then-tenants. But, for whatever reason, redevelopment never came. Enter Daniel Kotzer and New York-based company LIVWRK, who stepped in to purchase the site in a joint venture last fall and immediately set about a large-scale renovation to transform it into the Ben Hur Building.

Set to be completed in early 2023, the project is a full-blown reimaging spearheaded by Omgivning, a Los Angeles-based architecture and design firm specializing in adaptive reuse. 

The revamped site will largely be comprised of offices, luxe, bright open spaces boasting subtle nods to the building’s history, such as exposed ductwork and cement flooring. As McKenna Gaskill, an associate at Cushman & Wakefield, told the Business Journal, “Concrete meets cashmere is the theme of the design and no expense will be spared to make this the preeminent project in the Arts District.”

The renovation will also include the installation of a multitude of outdoor areas for tenants to enjoy, including a rooftop deck, a gated patio and exterior event space. 

Kotzer, who is a longtime friend of LIVWRK CEO Asher Abehsera, told The Real Deal that they are hoping to secure “a big office tenant” for the main building and a restaurant for the lower level space once the project is complete. 

The Ben Hur Building is sure to be a vibrant addition to the bustling Arts District. As McKenna expressed to the Business Journal, “This is such a great story of this new joint venture formed between childhood best friends who have created a fantastic indoor/outdoor vision for this versatile Arts District property that will cater to the growing business needs of this thriving, walkable neighborhood with best in class branding opportunities. This partnership brings superior qualifications and deep experience in developing this type of unique, modern, cultural space.”

In the meantime, the Joannes Brothers Co. Building proved the perfect spot to portray the home of silkscreen artist/painter Vibiana on “Bosch: Legacy.”

Going by the name “Traction Lofts,” the location first appears in the series’ eighth episode, titled “Bloodline.” It is there that Bosch heads to meet Vance’s heir for the first time and inform her of the billions she is set to inherit. The site goes on to be featured extensively throughout the remainder of the season.

The building’s interior is also showcased prominently, most notably at the end of episode nine, as Vibiana and her son, Gilberto (Liam James Ramos), are chased throughout the structure by an assassin hired to kill them.

And, in a case of art imitating life, in the last episode Vibiana stages an Eviction Exhibition on the premises, a final showing of her work before she has to relocate due to a pending project to redevelop the structure. Though, as Bosch tells her, “You know, pretty soon, you’re going to be able to buy this building. You won’t have to go.” To which Vibiana says, “I might just do that!”

“Bosch: Legacy” is not the location’s only claim to fame. Quirky chef Milly Wilder (Mandy Moore) calls 810 Traction Ave. home in the 2007 romcom “Because I Said So.” It is in the parking lot adjacent to the building that her new boyfriend Johnny (Gabriel Macht) catches her returning from a date with another man and promptly breaks off their relationship.

The Hewitt St. side of 800 Traction masquerades as the supposed New York building where Pauline (Anika Noni Rose) lives – and where a young Mia Warren (Tiffany Boone) takes up residence during her pregnancy – in the sixth episode of “Little Fires Everywhere,” titled “The Uncanny.”

And Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland) and Tony Almeida (Carlos Bernard) also use a payphone on that side of the building in the season three episode of “24” titled “Day 3: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM,” though not much of the structure can be seen due to quick camera movements.

Bonus – On the popular series “New Girl,” Jess Day (Zooey Deschanel), Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) and the gang live in the Binford Lofts, which are just down the block from the Joannes Brothers Co. Building at 837 Traction Ave. And Groundwork Coffee Co., which has popped up in everything from “Little Black Book” to “Criminal Minds,” is right across the street at 811 Traction. The neighborhood is obviously a location manager favorite and the striking Ben Hur Building is sure to become its crown jewel once completed.