Getty House, watercolor by Joseph Stoddard, 1994

Mayor Riordan did not live in the house during his tenure from 1993 to 2001. Instead he retained his residence in Brentwood and led the charge to restore Getty House to service as a civic venue for hosting visiting dignitaries and as a site for official functions that take place outside City Hall.

After being occupied as a primary residence for the previous 16 years, the house was ready for a major renovation. In 1993 the Getty House Restoration Foundation was established to raise funds for and oversee the refurbishment of the Official Mayoral Residence. From November 1993 to December 1995, the foundation, led by its Chairperson Nancy Daly, worked with over 300 Angelenos to successfully restore Getty House.

The restoration foundation raised more than $1.6 million in cash contributions and an additional estimated $1 million in donated services and goods. An estimated 32,500 participants were reached in this ambitious and complex project in the two-year period. Included in this process were countless volunteers and City of Los Angeles employees, most notably those from the Department of Cultural Affairs, Department of Recreation and Parks, General Services Department, Department of Information Technology, and the Los Angeles Police Department.