This upcoming Thursday, the Cultural Heritage Commission will decide whether the La Cienega Norms that faced imminent demolition back in January will be given monument status. Meanwhile, development plans for the site are chugging along. Developer Jason Illoulian, who purchased the site back in December, is working with Hodgetts + Fung to design a "community of shops" as infill in Norms' parking lot. The "background building" around the Norms structure would eat up parking on the site, drastically affecting the restaurant's accessibility. According to Mike Colonna, Norms' president, "Parking is a primary issue for us. We’re not a high end restaurant where you could valet park your car and take an elevator to the third floor.”

Even if the building is declared a historic monument, the diner-institution of Norms may no longer be a good fit for the neighborhood, according to Craig Hodgetts of Hodgetts + Fung: “Norms is not a good fit on La Cienega,” says Hodgetts. “It’s not appropriate. I think the original audience (for Norms) is really happy and content with the generic In-N-Out Burger type of place.”

But as Los Angeles Magazine points out, Illoulian has the final call over businesses on the site. In his own words, Illoulian explains the dilemma: “The goal is to do the right thing,” he says, “I’m just trying to build cool shit that people will want."