 In the 1940s the building had been converted into a warehouse, consisting of three floors of open space, making it ideal for FSW's classes and exhibitions.The space was the first arts organization to locate itself in downtown Los Angeles, contributing to the revitalization of the area during the 1970s and 1980s.FSW became the main tenant as the previous smaller tenants left, and decided to hire an administrator and create a board of directors to handle the growth of the organization.