C.3.0 - 320 E 6th St — original pdf

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HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PERMITS IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS FEBRUARY 28, 2022 HR-2021-207618 SIXTH STREET NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT 320 E. 6TH STREET C.3 – 1 PROPOSAL Exterior work to the storefront and entry vestibule; new signage. PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS 1) Restore paired multi-light doors at the storefront entrance on the west end of the building. The doors are designed to match a historic photograph but be of code-compliant width, resulting in four rather than five doors within the existing masonry opening. Replace the canopy above the entrance on the existing frame. 2) Install a roll-down gate at the entry vestibule. The gate will mount into the concrete columns at either side of the vestibule and will not disturb the historic canopy. 3) Remove existing non-historic signage, patch and repaint stucco wall above the entrance. Install new sign to screen the roll-down gate. The sign will be approximately 16’ wide by 2’-10” in height. Three options are presented: a. Painted aluminum sign with bulbs to match underside of canopy; b. Painted aluminum sign with flat-cut aluminum letters and indirect lighting; or c. Painted aluminum sign with double-stroke neon to match neon on the canopy perimeter. 4) Replace non-original black tile at the recessed theater entrance with new patterned tile. 5) Replace one entry door with a Dutch door to match existing. Movie theater with three-story brick façade spanning two lots. The section at 320 E. 6th St. contains the theater entrance, recessed beneath a projecting metal canopy with rounded corners, studded on the underside with lights and ringed with neon. Above is a blade sign with lighted letters and neon perimeter. To the west at 318 E. 6th is a storefront entrance flush with the façade, consisting of paired glass doors and stucco infill. At the upper levels, picture windows have replaced the historic multi-light double-hung and casement windows. Window openings are set within recessed brick bands. ARCHITECTURE RESEARCH Jay J. Hegman opened the Ritz Theatre in 1929 at 320 E. 6th St. and expanded the theater to its current configuration encompassing 318 E. 6th St. in 1937. Architect Hugo Kuehne designed the 1937 theater. It was the first in Austin planned specifically for talking pictures. The theater originally served only white customers; later, it became the first integrated theater in Austin, though Black patrons were restricted to the balcony.1 It continued in operation as a movie theater until 1964, after which it went through a period of vacancy and later operated as an adult theater. Beginning in 1974, the building served as a live music venue, and it was once home to Esther’s Follies. Between 2007 and 2021, it was the downtown location of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema.2 J. J. Hegman was born in 1883 in Galveston and arrived in Austin in 1915 after operating a theater in Temple, Texas. He opened the “old” Queen Theater on Congress Avenue in 1916, then persuaded Major George W. Littlefield to build a new, larger theater in 1920, the “new” Queen, also on Congress Avenue. The Queen was the first theater in Austin solely dedicated to showing motion pictures; all the other theaters also featured stage shows. Hegman also opened the Crescent and Star theaters in the 1920s. He ran afoul of local authorities in the early 1920s for showing movies at the Queen on Sundays, in violation of Texas blue laws, which prohibited many businesses from operation on the Sabbath. He was fined for his violations, and in 1924, sold the Queen Theater. His son, Elmo W. Hegman, started off as a projectionist in his parents’ theaters, and later became the manager of the family’s theater business.3 1 “Austin's Newest Theatre Enjoys Business,” Austin Statesman, Nov. 7, 1929, 14; Richard Whittaker, “What Next for the Former Alamo Ritz Location?” Austin Chronicle, July 2, 2021, https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2021-07-02/what-next-for-the-former-alamo- ritz-location/, and Monique Monroe, “Harlem Theater,” EASTside Magazine, https://www.eastsideatx.com/harlem-theater/. 2 “Ritz (Austin, Texas)”, Wikipedia article, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritz_(Austin,_Texas). 3 Steve Sadowsky, staff report to the Historic Landmark Commission for the demolition of 4714 Rowena Street, October 26, 2020, C.3 – 2 DESIGN STANDARDS The City of Austin’s Historic Design Standards (March 2021) are based on the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and are used to evaluate projects in National Register districts. The following standards apply to the proposed project: Repair and alterations 11. Commercial storefronts Standard 11.3 indicates that, when working on a storefront that has been removed, the new design and materials should be compatible with the scale and style of the building. It is further recommended that an altered storefront should be restored to its design during the period of significance when documentation exists. The proposed work entails restoring the paired entry doors on the western portion of the building. The design will be altered to provide code compliant door widths within the existing masonry opening. The doors otherwise match a historic photograph. Recommendations in this section include reconstruction of other missing features where documentation exists. The proposed work entails replacement of existing non-original black tile with patterned tile at the recessed entrance. Staff suggests use of solid tile to avoid distracting from the building’s historic features. Further, staff encourages restoration of the missing striped wainscot flanking the entrance. These recommendations are not requirements, and the proposed work meets the applicable standards. SIGN GUIDELINES The City of Austin’s Guidelines for Signs in National Register Historic Districts or at a City Historic Landmark are used to evaluate signs in National Register Historic Districts. The following guidelines apply to the proposed project: Number of signs One sign is allowed per building, or façade module for buildings with multiple tenants. The historic Ritz sign should not be counted within this total as it does not directly advertise the current business. The proposed sign meets this guideline. Sign size Flush-mounted signs are allowed a maximum height of 2 feet and a maximum size of 20 square feet. The proposed sign exceeds this size. The sign is designed to span the width of the entry vestibule. This will allow it to screen the roll-down gate from view and mount to the side columns without disturbing the canopy. The height of the sign is proportionate to the width, and the sign is not out of scale with the façade. Staff recommends the commission approve the sign. Sign design, coloring and materials The sign is a simple rectangular shape in painted metal. The sign will be three colors: black and white, with green lighting in the second or third options to match the green neon on the canopy. The proposed sign meets these guidelines. Lighting Neon signs The second option with indirect lighting most clearly meets the letter of these guidelines. However, the building has restored pre-1950 neon lighting, making the third option with neon an appropriate alternative. The first option with exposed bulbs also relates to the historic canopy. Any of the options are compatible and would be appropriate for this building. Sign placement The proposed sign will be over the main building entrance in compliance with this guideline. It will not impede the view of historic features of the building Sign mounting The proposed mounting will mount into the plastered concrete columns, which can be repaired, and will avoid damage to the canopy. Summary The proposed work meets the applicable guidelines or otherwise merits approval. https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=349036. C.3 – 3 PROPERTY EVALUATION The property is located within the Sixth Street National Register district. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building retains moderate integrity. Prior modifications include replacement of the windows, replacement of the bank of doors into the tenant space at 318 E. 6th, removal of a decorative wainscot, and installation of tile in the entry vestibule. 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). Staff has evaluated the property and determined that it meets two criteria: stylistic influences. a. Architecture. The building is a good example of a Depression-era movie theater, with restrained Art Moderne b. Historical association. The building is significant as one of relatively few surviving movie theaters of this era. c. Archaeology. The property was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. d. Community value. The property does not appear to 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. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Comment on and release the plans. LOCATION MAP C.3 – 4 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos C.3 – 5 Photograph from applicant, 2022. C.3 – 6 Occupancy History City Directory Research, February 2022 1959 318 Ritz Theatre (warehouse) 1952 318 Ritz Theatre (warehouse) 320 Ritz Theatre 320 Ritz Theatre 320 Ritz Theatre 320 Ritz Theatre 320 Ritz Theatre 1947 318 Bankston’s Shoe Shop (shoe repair) 1941 318 Bankston’s Shoe Shop (shoe repair) 1939 318 Bankston’s Shoe Shop (shoe repair) 1932 318 A.T. Smith (Cleaner) Bankston’s Shoe Shop (shoe repair) 320 Ritz Theatre 1929 318-20 S. N. Key (physician) Note: prior to construction of current building Historical information C.3 – 7 Historic photograph of the Ritz Theatre, ca. 1930. Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, accessed via Cinema Treasures website, http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/10194/photos/242114. C.3 – 8 Texas Historical Commission, Historic Property, Photograph THC_06-0987, date unknown, accessed via University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth674745/. C.3 – 9 Advertisement for Ritz Theatre, Austin American, Oct. 13, 1929, A6. C.3 – 10 “Austin's Newest Theatre Enjoys Business,” Austin Statesman, Nov. 7, 1929, 14. C.3 – 11 “Ritz Is Among Newer Theaters: Has Seating Capacity Of 800 Persons,” Austin American, June 5, 1938, A6. Permits C.3 – 12 Sewer service permit, 1937 Sewer service permit, 1955 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps C.3 – 13 Sanborn 1935, sheet 4 Sanborn 1961, vol 1, sheet 4