The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously on Wednesday to designate Norms restaurant on La Cienega Boulevard as a historic-cultural monument.

The approval came nearly five months after the Los Angeles Conservancy called for the designation because of plans it believed were pending to demolish the restaurant.

“We are excited. This sets the stage for the next step, which is to negotiate a long-term agreement with the landlord,” said Mike Colonna, president of Norms Restaurants LLC, the restaurant’s operator. “I am cautiously optimistic that this will now move forward in a manner that will maintain our tenancy.”

The property owner, Norman Cienega LLC, purchased the site last year and obtained a demolition permit. An attorney for the property owner said plans are being considered for developing the property around the restaurant, and the intention was to have the permit in hand when those plans moved forward.

Colonna said he could not discuss specifics, but confirmed that the property owner is working on plans that are in the early stages for the surrounding property that would include Norms at the site.

The conservancy contended the restaurant is historic due to its Googie architecture, it being an example of the work of the architectural firm, Armet & Davis, and that it is part of the fabric of Los Angeles. Norms restaurant has been open at 470 N. La Cienega Blvd. since 1957.

Councilman Paul Koretz, 5th District, supported preservation for Norms.

“I am very excited [it’s] gauranteed that Norms won’t be demolished,” Koretz added.