M. H. Atikian Building

M. H. Atikian Building 120 West Arenas Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262

The M. H. Atikian Building, Royal Palm Gallery, and Penthouse Apartment was designed for M. H. Atikian in 1950 by architect William F. Cody.  The steel-framed commercial structure used natural granite stonework and redwood siding to add warmth and visual interest.  After a 1979 fire, the building was rehabilitated by architect Richard Harrison.

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On July 9, 2024, the city council voted (3-2) to deny the Historic Site Preservation Board’s recommendation for Class 2 historic resource designation of the Atikian Building.

On June 17, 2024, PSPF was notified that the Atikian Building designation had been rescheduled to the city council’s July 9, 2024 agenda.

On June 13, 2024, with only four members present, the city council removed the designation application of the Atikian Building from the consent calendar and “continued” the item to a later date.

On May 23, 2024, a tie (2-2) vote of city council members prompted the rescheduling of the Atikian Building designation to June 13, 2024.

On April 25, 2024, the Palm Springs city council voted (5-0) to procedurally “table” the Atikian Building designation to May 23, 2024 “to get feedback from the owner on their intent for restoring the building.”

On October 3, 2023, the city’s Historic Site Preservation Board voted unanimously (6-0) to recommend to city council approval of the Class 2 Historic Resource designation of the M. H. Atikian Building.  PSPF board member, and the nomination’s author, Steven Keylon spoke in support of the nomination.

On June 21, 2022, the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation (acting as agent for the owner) submitted the 75-page Class 1 Historic Resource nomination for the M. H. Atikian Building to the city of Palm Springs.

In March of 2021, the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation board of directors assigned the task of writing the Class 1 Historic Resource nomination for the M. H. Atikian Building to PSPF board member Steven Keylon.

Courtesy Scott Timberlake
Courtesy Scott Timberlake