Wilshire Grand Closing Its Doors After Nearly 60 Years

LOS ANGELES (KNX 1070) — After nearly 60 years, a popular landmark in Los Angeles is closing its doors.

"This hotel was built back in the days when hotels were like the social center," hotel spokesman Marc Loge told KNX 1070's Ed Mertz.

The 16-story Wilshire Grand Hotel, which sits on the corner of Wilshire and Figueroa, is expected to be torn down and replaced by 2 towers.

"One will be a 45-story hotel. The other one will be the tallest office building west of the Mississippi," Loge said.

The hotel, which once had as many as 700 employees, is expected to leave many jobless. Among them, chef Daniel Fenizee:

"It's very bittersweet. We fed a lot of people."

He, like many hotel employees, hope to come back to the new hotel, which is expected to be finished in 2015.