Indeed, just rehabbing the existing building would have been cheaper, Leder noted, but that wouldn't have upheld the vision that Mayer, the Warner brothers, Laemmle and the others had when they moved a congregation founded downtown in 1862 to the edge of a barley field and laid the foundation for what would become one of the city's most vibrant areas.
NPR: $150 Million Reboot For Hollywood Temple To Stars