Westminster Senior Center at Pacific and Westminster in Venice. Part of property is used presently as a dog park.

Jill Prestup, president of the Venice Historical Society (VHS), has sent out a call for Venetians to help VHS obtain the use of the Department of Recreation and Parks building at Westminster and Pacific, commonly called the “Senior Center.”

Prestup has been thru this before with Recreation and Parks and has waited by the phone to hear that the papers were signed, only to be disappointed when the phone didn’t ring.

Recently, the department put the building up for a request for a proposal. Once again Prestup and the Venice Historical Society complied. Others have done so too.

One who has is the Venice Community Housing Corporation, headed by Steve Clare. The Venice Community Housing Corporation is now housed on Rose Avenue near Lincoln. Others who have submitted proposals are not known at this time. What the Venice Housing plans for the property is also unknown at this time. There is a petition circulating by members of the community to prevent the Venice Community Housing Corporation from obtaining the use of the property.

Prestup has been looking for the right place to house the Venice History and she and the VHS members feel this is the proper place to serve the community and provide a place for all the Venice artifacts. She has plans to bring the building up to code and make it a showplace for the community.

“As most of you know, VHS has been trying to secure the Westminster Senior Center as a Resource/Museum/Preservation/Visitor Center with extensive programs, displays, learning workshops and events to be shared by everyone – ages 5 to 105,” wrote Prestup.

“The building will house a first-of-its-kind research center & library; 10,000 one-of-a-kind, rare artifacts will be displayed; teaching educational workshops for ALL ages; special youth & student preservation programs; an official Venice visitor center; a museum; a place for historic lectures & events; space for area non-profits to hold meetings; and headquarters for the Venice Historical Society.

“On a historic note, the building can be seen in Charlie Chaplin’s Kid Auto Races, 1914. That’s how long this building has been a resource to the community.”

Prestup asks Venetians to lend their support by emailing Councilman Mike Bonin, mike.bonin@lacity.org; Recreation and Parks at rap.partnership@lacity.org; Prestup at www.venicehistoricalsociety.org; and cc Debbie Dyner Harris at debbie.dynerharris@lacity.org.

Prestup feels this is a win-win situation for the community. “Many individuals, students, youth, journalists, seniors and all others will benefit from this,” she said.

“This will be an incredible Visitor Center for Venice as well as being a resource and preservation place for the Venice artifacts.”