Deane Company, based in Van Nuys, and designed by architect Phillip Daniel of DMJM,[5] which later became AECOM.

Louis Lesser Enterprises were brought in as partners at the beginning of 1959, subsequently becoming the sole sponsor and buying out Deane in June 1961.

[13][14] In 1966, following foreclosure on the loan after it reached $21 million, the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held hearings into investments secured by the FHA, with Barrington Plaza being the first they addressed.

[12] In 1998, the property was purchased by Douglas Emmett, Inc.[15][16][17] On January 29, 2020, a multiple alarm fire occurred at 8:30 am at Barrington Plaza causing 11 reported injuries and extensive damage to the 6th floor.

Douglas Emmett, Inc. had planned to evict residents from 712 rent-controlled units to install fire sprinklers and carry out renovation.

The ruling stated that Douglas Emmett's intention to vacate the building for renovations, with plans to re-rent the units at higher rates afterward, did not align with the Ellis Act's stipulations.

The judge concluded that the landlord had no intention of permanently exiting the rental business, as they planned to continue renting the apartments after completing the refurbishments.