As hardcore fans will know- the Tiki Motel was Terminated some time ago but just like the title character of The Terminator (1984) it is back… well, kinda.
TheTerminatorFans.com correspondent Michael Carroll flew out to LA to see what was going on and reported back with the following…
32 years ago the Tiki motel featured in James Cameron’s science fiction / action blockbuster The Terminator. It was here in the Tiki Motel that Kyle and Sarah sought refuge from the unstoppable T-800 but also where the human resistance leader John Connor was conceived. Fast forward to 2017 and sadly the iconic Motel is no more. The Tiki Motel closed its doors sometime in 2013 due to the main clientele being drug addicts and prostitutes, also it was not in an ideal location for tourists.
So, what has replaced the Tiki Motel? Tiki apartments,- yes, apartments but they kept the Tiki name so I guess that’s something to be thankful for. The new apartments will provide a permanent supportive housing community for homeless adults with special needs. Despite its new look and new name the Tiki Apartments will always be the Tiki Motel to Terminator fans.
The transformation/renovation of the Tiki Motel cost more than the budget of the first Terminator movie. An $11.6-million investment as mentioned has created a permanent supportive housing community for homeless adults with special needs.
When work began in 2016 a ceremony was held. Breaking ground for what would be new affordable housing for people in need in the ever increasing housing/homelessness crisis.
At the 2016 Tiki Motel/Apartments ceremony Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas stated the following:
“It brings me great joy to bear witness to the transformation of this site into state-of-the-art affordable housing.”
“I can think of no better use for this property as I believe there is no more critical, urgent or moral issue that requires our collective attention than the homeless crisis,”
Below are some Exclusive photos of how the Tiki Motel looks in 2017. The Tiki Apartments now being a residential area is private property so no photos/access to the premises are allowed/permitted to be taken in respect for tenants and their privacy.
RP? Was Robert Patrick here? Maybe he walked through those bars to sample the Tiki Apartments by physical contact?
Up the street you can see Spartan Burger and the top of the Shell garage that Kyle (Michael Biehn) passes in The Terminator (1984).
While no longer a Motel it is nice to see that they didn’t demolish the Tiki Motel and that it has been given a new lease of life (literally) and a fresh lick of paint.
Good bye Tiki Motel, hello Tiki Apartments!
