B.6.0 - 907-09-11 Congress Ave — original pdf

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B.6 - 1 HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS MARCH 22, 2021 C14H-1986-0015, C14H-2004-0008 GRANDBERRY BUILDING AND MITCHELL-ROBERTSON BUILDING CONGRESS AVENUE HISTORIC DISTRICT 907, 909, AND 911 CONGRESS AVENUE Review of a plan to deconstruct, store, and re-erect historic building façades. PROPOSAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS Catalog and store, then re-erect the historic building façades as part of a redevelopment project at a later date. Per the applicant, stabilization of the buildings in place is not technically feasible. The project received preliminary approval from the Historic Landmark Commission on January 26, 2015 and June 25, 2018, pending development of more detailed plans for treatment of the façades. ARCHITECTURE Three two-part commercial blocks sharing party walls; buildings are boarded at the street level. At the second floor, the Grandberry Building at 907 Congress has two-over-two light windows with decorative hood moulds, and the Mitchell-Robertson Building at 909 Congress has one-over-one windows and corbelled brickwork at the cornice. STANDARDS FOR REVIEW The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation are used to evaluate projects on historic landmarks. The following standards apply to the proposed project: 2) The historic character of a property will be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided. 5) Distinctive materials, features, finishes and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved. 6) Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence. While deconstruction and reconstruction of a historic landmark is not a recommended treatment, intensive intervention is necessitated in this case due to major, longstanding conditions. Provided the project entails sufficient care to document, dismantle, store, and re-erect the buildings using original materials to the greatest extent feasible, the project will meet the applicable standards. COMMITTEE FEEDBACK Consider stabilization of building façades in place rather than removal and reconstruction; provide a detailed condition assessment or other analysis of the buildings’ conditions; and pay particular attention to keeping the corbelled brickwork on the Mitchell-Robertson Building intact. Committee members expressed concern regarding having the buildings down for an indefinite period prior to the redevelopment. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Support the project in concept but require detailed plans, including a timeline for reconstruction, prior to final approval.  B.6 - 2