STUDIO CITY : Area Assesses the Challenges of Rebuilding

Like most of its neighbors along Ventura Boulevard, Studio City suffered widespread damage during last week’s earthquake.

Perhaps the most vivid reminder of the temblor’s fury lies in a pile of smashed Spanish tile, stucco and glass resting on a hillside off Sunswept Drive. The rubble was once a majestic Mediterranean-style home with a commanding view of the San Fernando Valley. But the 3-year-old house imploded during the powerful temblor, burying 75-year-old Beatrice Baitman.

But there are less dramatic reminders as well.

Apartment buildings marked with telltale red and yellow tags are a common sight on the community’s residential streets. The damage and restrictions will likely leave thousands looking for new places to live.

Boarded-up storefronts dot a popular stretch of Ventura between Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Laurel Canyon Boulevard, the heart of the Studio City commercial district.

“Our commercial areas suffered a great deal of damage not only from buildings being condemned, but also from loss of inventory,” said Sondra Frohlich, executive director of the Studio City Chamber of Commerce.

Frohlich worries that businesses already reeling from the recession would have a tough time rebuilding.

Frohlich said Jerry’s Famous Deli, Bank of America, CBS and City National Bank all reported damage.

One well-known business hit especially hard was Art’s Delicatessen, which was badly damaged in a fire following the quake. Art’s has been a landmark eatery in the community since 1957. It’s slated to reopen in three months.

“We’ll be back, bigger and better than ever,” said Caryle Bryan, a waitress and hostess for 17 years at the family-owned deli.