Mayor Richard Riordan

Mayor Riodan, Nancy Daly with former President of USSR Mikhail S. Gorbachev

In 1993, when Mayor Richard Riordan took office, Getty House had been the Official Residence for 16 years. While choosing to live in his private residence, Riordan recognized the importance of the house as a symbol of civic pride and as a venue for special meetings outside City Hall.  Getty House would soon serve as a rallying cause for the recovery from the 1992 riots and the 1993 Malibu/Topanga fires. The mayor saw the rise of Getty House and its potential to enhance the image, economy, and future of Los Angeles. He thought it was time for the home to undergo minor renovation (plans that changed after the 1994 Northridge earthquake that led to a major restoration and renovation effort).

Beginning with the vision of building a private and public coalition, Mayor Riordan invited Nancy Daly to lead a group of business, government agencies, union laborers, and citizens undertaking a major restoration of the home with little public expense.  The project led to creation of the Getty House Restoration Foundation.

Her Excellency, Mary McAleese, President of Ireland, with Mayor Riordan and guests, September 1999

With the restoration completed in 1995, the house was ready to welcome people from around the world. Because City Hall was undergoing its own restoration (1995 – 2001), Getty served as a de facto site for entertaining and hosting visitors.  Dignitaries and politicians that have visited Getty House include His Excellency Kim Dae jung, president of South Korea, His Royal Highness Willem Alexander, crown prince of the Netherlands; His Excellency Obuchi, prime minister of Japan; Her Excellency Mary McAleese, president of Ireland, Excellency Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, president of Iceland; the Honorable Cassio Taniguchi, the Mayor of Curitiba, Brasil; the Honorable Yury Luzhkov, Mayor of Moscow, Russia; former president of USSR, Mikhail S. Gorbachev; and operatic tenor Placido Domingo among others.

The Honorable Cassio Taniguchi, Mayor of Curitiba, Brazil