With over a million dollars in funding secured from the state of California, the city of West Hollywood is one big step closer to renovating the historic Log Cabin at 621 N. Robertson Blvd., home to the West Hollywood Recovery Center (WHRC). A hub for the local recovery community, the WHRC hosts over 90 different addiction recovery group meetings each week, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, and more than 4,500 meetings a year.
As part of AB 102 Budget Act of 2023, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on July 10, $1.15 million in appropriated funds will finance the anticipated Log Cabin renovations. A portion of those funds came at the request of Senator Ben Allen (CA Senate District 24), the California Department of Housing and Community Development approved $500,000 to support the project. At the request of Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (CA Assembly District 51), the California Department of General Services approved $650,000 for the cabin.
The renovations include updates to the current structure to meet health, safety, and ADA requirements; establishing a renewable energy hub by adding EV charging stations and photovoltaic panels on site; streetscape improvements and landscaping. All site work will be compliant with historic preservation standards, providing a long-term space for life-saving meetings.
While located within West Hollywood city limits, the property was previously owned by the city of Beverly Hills, which had purchased the land in 1928. In 1936, a portion of it was leased to the Lions Club in 1936, which built the cabin and fashioned it after a Boy Scouts clubhouse. Since the Lions Club subleased the cabin to the WHRC in the 1970s, it has been used as a space for addiction recovery group meetings. In March of 2022, the city of West Hollywood purchased the Log Cabin and its adjacent parking lot for $5.75 million from Beverly Hills. However, the purchase agreement stipulated that use of the log cabin would be limited to addiction recovery services. While a 2020 audit showed a contractor had “found portions of the building in poor condition,” the site is subject to environmental review and state standards given its historic status.
From the outside, the Log Cabin looks like it sounds: a quintessential storybook cabin. The exterior is made up of wood logs, with a small front porch located at the top of a short flight of steps. Currently, the Log Cabin has two meeting rooms, and renovations seek to add two more to the facility.
“We are grateful to Senator Allen and to Assemblymember Zbur for helping the city of West Hollywood and the West Hollywood Recovery Center to champion funding to support renovations for this historic space, which is vital in safeguarding recovery services in our community,” said West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne. “Countless thousands of people have been helped by 12-step meetings offered at the Log Cabin, and I’m thrilled that we can look forward to many more years ahead in an improved space for life-changing meetings and community recovery.”
