C.12.0 - 223 E 6th St.pdf — original pdf

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C.12 - 1 HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PERMITS IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS JANUARY 25, 2021 HR 2020-113802 223 EAST SIXTH STREET PROPOSAL SIXTH STREET NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT Construct a roof deck on a ca. 1872 commercial building. PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS Construct a roof deck atop a single-story commercial building. The proposed deck is two stories in height with a flat roof. It is clad in stucco and features full-height operable glass panels at the first floor and recessed glass-and-stucco enclosures at the second. It is surrounded by a metal guardrail that meets the parapet at the San Jacinto elevation and is set back approximately 43 feet from the 6th Street elevation. Metal stairs at the north elevation allow access to the upper deck. ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH 1-story, 2-part commercial block with applied stucco and brick veneer over historic brick. Its Sixth Street façade features operable multi-lite windows, a brick veneer cornice below the parapet in the Art Moderne style, and fabric awnings. Its San Jacinto façade features several arches with brick infill, suggesting an interpretation of the Texas Vernacular Arched style described in the Sixth Street Design Guidelines. 223 E. 6th Street was constructed between 1872 and 1885 as a commercial structure. The Sixth Street National Register District nomination form suggests that its build date was 1872; the Sanborn map from 1885 shows active construction on the site from that date, suggesting that the 1872 structure was altered or replaced. The building’s first owner-occupant was P. G. Roach, a relative of O. Henry, who operated a grocery store there before renting it out to brothers Isidore and Morris Michaelson in 1889. Roach eventually sold the property to Benjamin H. Smith and William B. Brady, who moved their eminently successful boot and shoe business to the building from 1891 to 1900. In 1894, they completed an extension to the store to increase the size of their sales floor. Smith & Brady shared the space with Deen & Deen Grocers, as well as Henry Vranian, a fruit stand operator. Grocers William W. Deen and his partner Thomas B. Walling took over the entire space after Smith & Brady’s 1900 departure. Deen and Walling sold groceries, liquor, coffee, and crockery from 223 E. 6th Street until around 1905, when R. B. Walling took over as a dry goods salesman. He remained only until around 1909, when Bohn-Shelby Dry Goods moved into the building. They commissioned storefront modifications around 1911. By 1916, the Profit- Sharing Stamp Company occupied the other half of the building at 221 E. 6th. Bohn-Shelby became the Shelby Dry Goods Company around 1920, and the Stamp Company left the building around 1922. Shelby remodeled the storefront in 1929, but went out of business by 1932 as the Great Depression set in. Grand Leader Dry Goods occupied the shop briefly from 1932 to 1935. In 1935, Assad K. Hage, a well-known Texas businessman from Syria, purchased and remodeled the store. He operated a department store there for nearly 30 years, dying shortly after his retirement in 1955. The Commonwealth Life and Accident Company and Academy Army Surplus Company occupied the building after Hage’s departure. It was purchased  C.12 - 2 again in 1959 by Groner’s Department Store, who reworked the storefront and removed the partition between 221 and 223 E. 6th. After Groner’s, the building housed the Disabled American Veterans’ Thrift Store and ABC Plan Loans from the late 1960s to the early 1990s. STANDARDS FOR REVIEW The Sixth Street National Register District Guidelines are used to evaluate construction projects on buildings within the district. Applicable guidelines include: 2.26. Minimize the visual impact of rooftop uses as seen from the street. 2.27. Set activities back such that they are not visible from the sidewalk below. At a minimum, they should be set back the height of a one-story building. The roof addition, including guardrail, is set back about 43’ from the street at the main 6th Street elevation. It is slightly visible from 6th Street and fully visible from San Jacinto Street. 3.55. Preserve the historic character of the roof line. Altering an existing historic parapet line is inappropriate. 3.56. Set a new roof terrace back from the building front. Roof terrace railings and furniture should be placed well behind the parapet. 3.57. Avoid clutter on roofs that will be visible from the public way. Locate mechanical equipment away from view. Trees should be set back. The proposed addition does not alter the parapet line. It is set back from the building front on 6th Street, including railings. 3.63. An addition should be compatible in scale, materials, and character with the main building. Using a similar material is appropriate. In some cases, a simpler, less noticeable material also may be appropriate. They should be in proportion to the historic building. The proposed roof deck uses “simple” materials––stucco, glass, and metal. However, its scale is potentially overwhelming when compared to the proportions of the existing building. 3.64. It should be set back from the primary, character-defining façade. A roof-top addition should be set back substantially, to preserve the perception of the historic scale of the building. If a roof- top addition is appropriate, a minimum set-back of 25’ is recommended. An addition to a one- story building should be set back a greater distance than that of a two-story structure, to minimize its visual impact. The proposed addition is set back around 43’ from the primary façade. 3.65. The addition should be subtly distinguishable in its design from the historic portion. 66. It should be designed to remain subordinate to the main structure. Its materials, finish and details should not call attention to the addition. The addition should not alter, damage or obscure character-defining features. The proposed addition is distinguished by its modern fenestration patterns, cladding, and massing. It does not significantly alter or damage character-defining features at the main elevation. Its materials and details are understated, though its position atop the historic building and relative height compared to the single-story historic building do not appear subordinate. The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation are also used to evaluate new construction projects in National Register historic districts. Applicable standards include: 2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of historic materials or alteration of features and spaces that characterize a property shall be avoided. The proposed project does not remove historic material, though it may affect the streetscape by adding visible height to a one-story corner building. 9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction shall not destroy historic materials that characterize the property. The new work shall be differentiated from the old and  C.12 - 3 shall be compatible with the massing, size, scale, and architectural features to protect the historic integrity of the property and its environment. The proposed addition is distinguished by its modern fenestration patterns, glass and stucco cladding, and its rooftop massing. Its materials and details are understated. Its height and position atop the existing historic building are incompatible with and may overwhelm the streetscape. 10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction shall be undertaken in such a manner that if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired. If the addition were removed, the building’s essential form would be mostly unimpaired. The proposed project partially meets the standards. STAFF COMMENTS The Sixth Street National Register District nomination form does not list contributing or non-contributing properties, though it describes this building in Item 7, Section 8(f): “223 East 6th, built ca.1872, is an early one-story brick commercial building. The main facade has been altered, but there are nice arches along the east facade of the building.” Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain moderate to low integrity. 3) Properties must meet two historic designation criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). The property may demonstrate significance according to City Code: a. Architecture. The building displays characteristics of the Art Moderne, Vernacular Storefront, and Texas Vernacular Arched styles. b. Historical association. The building is associated with Smith and Brady Boots, Bohn-Shelby Dry Goods, and A. K. Hage Department Store. c. Archaeology. The building was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. d. Community value. The building does not possess a unique location, physical characteristic, or significant feature that contributes to the character, image, or cultural identity of the city, the neighborhood, or a particular demographic group. e. Landscape feature. The property is not a significant natural or designed landscape with artistic, aesthetic, cultural, or historical value to the city. COMMITTEE FEEDBACK Reduce visual impact by lowering the penthouse roof height, emphasizing horizontality in the design, and setting the addition far back from the San Jacinto and Sixth Street elevations. Take material and placement cues from a previous design approved by the Commission in 2014. The applicant has incorporated some Committee suggestions to improve transparency. STAFF RECOMMENDATION LOCATION MAP Comment on designs for new construction, concurring with Committee suggestions, and release the permit upon completion of a City of Austin Documentation Package.  C.12 - 4 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos C.12 - 5  C.12 - 6 Occupancy History Source: Applicant, 2020 City Directory Research, Austin History Center By City Historic Preservation Office, July 2019 1885 Building appears on Sanborn map, labeled as “being built (to be T. Sto)” 1885 221 E Pecan: Peter G. Roach Grocery 1887-88 223 E. Pecan cor. San Jacinto: P.G. Roach restaurant, bakery, grocery 1889 223 E. 6th: I. Michaelson and Bro. Grocers; wholesale grocers, liquors, western produce 1891 223: Smith and Brady boots and shoes, manufacturers and dealers 1893 1895 221: Deen & Deen groceries 223: Smith and Brady boots and shoes, manufacturers and dealers 221: Deen & Deen groceries 223: Smith and Brady boots and shoes, manufacturers and dealers 1897-98 221: Deen & Deen groceries 223: Smith and Brady boots and shoes, manufacturers and dealers 223: Henry Vranian fruit stand 1900 221-23: Deen & Walling groceries, produce, coffee roasters, china, crockery, glassware 1903 221-23: Deen & Walling groceries, produce, coffee roasters, china, crockery, glassware 1905 221-23: R.B. Walling Dry Goods C.12 - 7 1909 1910 1906-07 223: R. P. Wright & Co 221: Bargain Furniture House 223: R. P. Wright & Co. Dry Goods 221: Bargain Furniture House 223: Bohn-Shelby Dry Goods 1912 221-23: Bohn-Shelby Co. dry goods 1914 221-23: Bohn-Shelby Co. dry goods 1916 221-23: Bohn-Shelby Co. dry goods Profit Sharing Stamp Co. 1918 221-23: Bohn-Shelby Co. department store Profit Sharing Stamp Co. 1920 221-23: Shelby Dry Goods Co. Profit Sharing Stamp Co. 1922 221-23: Shelby Dry Goods Co. Profit Sharing Stamp Co. 1924 221-23: Shelby Dry Goods Co. 1927 221-23: Shelby Dry Goods Co. 1929 221-23: Shelby Dry Goods Co. 1932 221-23: Grand Leader dry goods 1935 221-23: A.K. Hage dry goods 1937 221-23: A.K. Hage Department Store 1939 221-23: A.K. Hage Department Store 1941 221: Assad K. Hage Department Store 1944 221: A.K. Hage Department Store 1947 221-23: A.K. Hage Department Store 1949 221-23: A.K. Hage Department Store 1952 221-23: A.K. Hage Department Store 1955 223-25: Commonwealth Life & Accident Co Academy Army Surplus Store 1959 223: Vacant 1962 223: Groner’s Department Store 1965 223: Grover’s Department Store 1968 223: Disabled American Veterans Thrift Store 1973 223: ABC Plan Loans  1977 223: ABC Plan Loans 1981 223: ABC Plan Loans 1986 223: ABC Plan Loans 1992 223: ABC Plan Loans Biographical Information C.12 - 8 Historic photo included in Sixth Street Design Guidelines document, ca. 1885-1900 THC photo, ca. 1980 C.12 - 9 The Austin Statesman, Apr 1, 1930 The Austin Statesman, Oct 14, 1959  C.12 - 10 The Austin Daily Statesman, Oct 25, 1891 Austin Daily Statesman, Apr 19, 1894  C.12 - 11 Austin Daily Statesman, Jul 2, 1894 Austin Daily Statesman, Mar 10, 1898  C.12 - 12 The Austin Statesman, Jan 26, 1904 The Austin Statesman, Mar 11, 1906  C.12 - 13 The Austin Statesman, Jan 1, 1919 The Austin Statesman, May 4, 1928 The Austin Statesman, Jul 27, 1929  C.12 - 14 The Austin Statesman (1921-1973); Apr 20, 1934  Building Permits C.12 - 15 Remodel permit, 12-9-55 Remodel permit, 2-13-59 Roof repair permit, 1-23-64  C.12 - 16 Remodel permit, 2-20-73 Remodel permit, 4-8-75