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By Beverly Ventriss –
A new 99-unit Silvercrest residence for low income seniors in Hollywood is the seventh in the Southern California Division. This is the final phase of a $17 million redevelopment project on an existing 1.7 acre site owned by The Salvation Army.
Funding for the new $1.28 million Silvercrest was provided through a partnership with the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The residence is already completely occupied.
“For senior citizens who need affordable housing on a long-term basis, The Salvation Army enables seniors of modest means to live independently in an attractive, safe environment,” remarked Divisional Commander Lt. Colonel Alfred R. Van Cleef. In addressing the many residents in attendance, he added, “While our hands and hearts reach out to each of you, we do what we do in God’s name only.” With recognition given to those involved in the construction of the project, Van Cleef cited Val Dennis from HUD as “one of the driving forces behind the Silvercrest.”
Actor/producer Marty Ingels told the 100-plus crowd gathered that “love is what The Salvation Army stands for, and it is because of this love that Shirley (Jones) and I have stayed involved with this wonderful organization for more than 25 years.”
Special guest Commissioner Alex Hughes, International Secretary of the Americas and Caribbean, gave the dedicatory address, reminding the audience that “it is God who inspires us to dream dreams like this (Silvercrest). It is God that brings people together to bring love, light and laughter for those inside.”
Major Barbara Ammann, executive director of the Silvercrest residence, stated how welcome the new facility is in the community. “Each one-bed unit is equipped with a private balcony or patio, and residents have access to a garden, plaza, laundry facilities, and a large multi-purpose room.” A full range of community-oriented programs will also be offered.
The Hollywood redevelopment project, on property owned by the Army for decades, is the largest capital project ever undertaken by the division in Los Angeles County. The Silvercrest joins a newly-built youth center and a youth shelter and drop-in center for homeless and runaway teens, built in 1995.
The site also includes the historic 1,150 seat Hawaii Theater, built in 1939 and converted into a center for worship and service in the 1960s. The second preserved building on the site, the Palms Garden Grill, is now part of the drop-in center. Originally developed in the ’30s by the Times Mirror Corporation, the site is said to have had a distinct effect on the character of Hollywood Boulevard during the city’s glamorous heyday of the ’30s and ’40s.
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