Facing eviction, Westlake’s oldest gay bar is seeking donations to help with relocation costs, according to a GoFundMe campaign.
“Recently, we received heartbreaking news from our landlord,” Martha Vasquez, the owner of the Silver Platter bar on 7th Street in Westlake, wrote on GoFundMe. “Our beloved Silver Platter Bar is facing eviction due to property development plans for new apartments.”
Last year, L.A. TACO reported that the 60+-year-old bar was set to be demolished to make way for a seven-story, 55-unit apartment complex.
Community members and preservationists believe that the bar should be designated a historic landmark due to its decades long history of being a safe haven for the neighborhood's gay and transgender communities, as well as its proximity to other landmarks associated with the gay rights movement in Westlake, a neighborhood that has historically provided a home for LGBTQ organizations.
But because the Silver Platter project has already been approved, city officials do not have the authority to alter the building’s historic designation, according to a spokesperson for Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, the elected city official who represents Westlake.
Local preservationists, however, argue that there is still a path to save the bar.
Mike Callahan, a retired engineer and freelance historian, contends that under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the city has the authority to halt demolition “when new information is discovered that may affect the finding of a prior assessment report.”
In the case of the Silver Platter, an assessment report “found that the building was not historic based on its period of significance,” Callahan explains. But that assessment only took into account the building's physical appearance, according to Callahan.
“The report failed to address the cultural significance of this “safe haven” bar to the LGBTQ and Latin communities,” Callahan wrote last summer. “Now, in response to calls for halting the pending demolition, the council district office claims they can do nothing because the project has been approved and the appeal period has passed.”
For the past year, Kim Cooper and Richard Schave, owners of the acclaimed tour company, Esotouric, have been urging people to call on Councilmember Hernandez to save the Silver Platter. “We continue to urge councilmember Eunisses Hernandez to protect this legacy queer business in its historic location,” Esotouric recently wrote on Instagram. “She has the power to save the Silver Platter!”
Vasquez describes the Silver Platter as “more than just a business” and “a cornerstone for the working class and LGBTQ+ communities.”
“This unforeseen situation has put us in a precarious position, and we urgently need your help to relocate and continue our mission of serving the community that has supported us for so many years,” Vasquez wrote.
“It is a living history of our community’s resilience, strength, and pride,” Vasquez said. “We are determined to preserve this legacy and continue to provide a safe and welcoming space for all.”
Vasquez is seeking $250,000 in donations to support their relocation efforts. As of publishing, they’ve raised less than $300. You can support the campaign here.
