Governor Newsom Approves $1.15 Million in State Funding to Support Log Cabin Renovations

The City of West Hollywood moves one step closer to renovations of the historic Log Cabin building located at 621 N. Robertson Boulevard, across the street from the West Hollywood Recovery Center (WHRC). Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 102, which approves $1.15 Million in State funding in support of the up-and-coming Recovery Campus.

Approved as part of the budget is $500,000 in support from the California Department of Housing and Community Development requested by Senator Ben Allen (CA Senate District 24), and $650,000 in support from the California Department of General Services requested by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (CA Assembly District 51).

“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 City of 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.”

The Log Cabin building was built on property purchased by the City of Beverly Hills in 1928. The northerly portion of the property was leased to the Lions Club in 1936, which constructed the Log Cabin in its style as a Boy Scouts of America (“BSA”) clubhouse.

In the early 1970s the Lions Club subleased the building to the West Hollywood Recovery Center for use for addiction recovery group meetings such as Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

In 2019, the City of Beverly Hills indicated its wish to sell the property and the City of West Hollywood entered into a lease with the City of Beverly Hills with the option to purchase the property.

In 2022, the City of West Hollywood exercised its option to purchase the property and the City began a feasibility analysis with the West Hollywood Recovery Center to determine a renovation plan.

The City of West Hollywood is also working collaboratively with the WHRC on the architectural plans to rehabilitate the historic Log Cabin and add two additional rooms for 12 step fellowship meetings. These additional rooms will allow WHRC to operate in a single facility, instead of both the Log Cabin and Werle Building located across the street.

The Log Cabin renovation plan aiming to refurbish the existing log cabin structure by bringing the facility up to health and safety and ADA requirements while meeting historic preservation standards; provide a long-term facility with the West Hollywood community that accommodates the needs of the recovery community; and create a renewable energy hub with additional site work for a public parking lot, streetscape improvements, landscaping, and incorporation of EV charging stations and photovoltaic panels.

The West Hollywood Recovery Center hosts more than 90 separate addiction recovery meetings a week, over 4,500 meetings a year. For additional information, please visit https://thewhrc.org/home.