 The economic downturn in downtown Los Angeles, as retailers and commercial interests shifted their assets to the booming suburbs, caused many vacancies throughout the 1970s through early 1990s.How the Metropolitan Building fared during this period is not known, however, in 1995, a building permit notes that the building is "only occupied on the ground floors".In 1985, the last remaining ownership interest in the building held by a Mueller family member was sold.