Disney to save LA's oldest airport terminal, convert it into offices

After more than a decade of research and negotiation with local authorities, Disney recently got the greenlight for its plans to renovate the Grand Central Air Terminal. Located just north of Los Angeles in Glendale, California, the rundown terminal is a relic of the region's oldest commercial airport, and the departure point for the country's first regularly scheduled coast-to-coast flight.

Originally opened in 1929, the terminal was the main public building for the Glendale Municipal Airport which dates from 1922. Outside, the building is remarkable for its blend of Art Deco and Spanish Colonial architecture. The terminal's interior layout was a template for the layout for the future of airports with separate areas for ticketing, eating, and waiting. In its heyday, the terminal was used by high-flying celebrities, including Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart, and Howard Hughes.