23.0 - 1116 W 6th St — original pdf

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23 – 1 HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PERMITS IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICTS OCTOBER 2, 2024 HR-2024-114445 WEST LINE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT 1116 WEST SIXTH STREET PROPOSAL PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS Revise an HLC-approved plan to reconstruct the façade of a ca. 1927 store building. Façade retention and rehabilitation was previously approved in 2022. 1) Document existing conditions with photos, measured drawings, and 3D scans. 2) Deconstruction and store all salvageable existing material, including original bricks (pavers and ties), doors, and ornamentation (coping stones, metalwork, etc.). 3) Reconstruct the façade using original salvaged bricks and ornamentation, save for portions of the lower canopy, terracotta roofing tiles and upper canopy structure, and window frames that are deteriorated beyond repair. Where deteriorated beyond repair, replace materials in-kind. 4) Consider replacing lower canopy and signage with designs reflecting historic photographs of the building. ARCHITECTURE The 2005 West Line National Register Historic District nomination describes 1116 W. 6th Street as follows: One of a number of Mission Revival-style commercial buildings on the north side of W. Sixth Street, this brick two- part commercial block was built in 1927. A three-bay storefront on the ground floor consists of central double doors flanked by expansive plate-glass windows; an additional door at the end of the facade leads to stairs to the upper floor. The second-story facade, punctured by paired and triple double-hung wood windows, terminates in a shaped parapet. A suspended metal awning covers the sidewalk, and a canted clay tile roof below the parapet shades the second-floor windows. To the east side of the building, a recessed porte-cochere is surmounted by a one-room wing. Centered on the stuccoed front elevation of the wing is a cluster of three windows, and wood stairs lead to an adjacent exterior door sheltered by a metal awning.1 RESEARCH From 1927-1944, the building housed a grocery run by Alexander (Alex) and Annie Junck Fischer, who lived on the upper floor. The Fischers sold the building to Raymond Campi, who also owned the cluster of small commercial buildings on the other corner of the block. Campi operated Capitol Floors until 1955. The building was then occupied by Bill Bunch Flowers, a florist shop run by Gus T. Bunch. The Bunch family lived either in the upstairs half of the commercial building or in the rear house, addressed alternately as 1114, 1114 ½, and 1116-B throughout the historic period, until at least 1968. The house, which appears to be one of the oldest extant buildings on the block, appears to have been rented out by the proprietors of the commercial building since its construction in 1927. Further research may be warranted to assess its integrity. 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 1. General standards The proposed project removes, salvages, and replaces historic materials, then replaces in-kind materials that are deteriorated beyond repair. 4. Exterior walls and trim In-kind replacement is proposed for materials deteriorated beyond salvage; salvageable materials will be used to reconstruct 1 Myers, Terri and A. Elizabeth Brummett. "West Line Historic District." National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination Form. Texas Historical Commission, Austin, October 12, 2005. https://atlas.thc.texas.gov/NR/pdfs/05001166/05001166.pdf 23 – 2 the building’s main façade and 4’ of its side elevations. 11. Commercial storefronts The proposed project reconstructs historic storefront elements from existing historic materials. It retains historic window and door openings and uses a design and materials that are compatible with the scale and style of the building. It uses clear glass in storefront windows to maintain transparency. The proposed new canopies will be replaced based on documentation of the historic features. Summary The project meets the applicable standards. Though rehabilitation is preferred to reconstruction, the proposal’s reuse of historic materials and reconstruction from historic photographs is the next best option. PROPERTY EVALUATION The building contributes to the West Line National Register district. The district nomination recommends it as individually eligible for landmark designation. Designation Criteria—Historic Landmark 1) The building is more than 50 years old. 2) The building appears to retain high to moderate integrity. 3) Properties must meet two criteria for landmark designation (LDC §25-2-352). Staff has evaluated the property and determined that it may meet two criteria for landmark designation: a. Architecture. The building is a good example of a Mission Revival two-part commercial block. b. Historical association. The property is associated with grocers Alex and Annie Fischer. Archaeology. The property was not evaluated for its potential to yield significant data concerning the human history or prehistory of the region. c. Community value. The property was not evaluated for its ability 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. d. Landscape feature. The property is not a significant natural or designed landscape with artistic, aesthetic, cultural, or historical value to the city. COMMITTEE FEEDBACK In 2022, prior to the August 3 approval of the original application, the Committee issued the following feedback: Retain the historic commercial building at 1116 W. 6th Street, rather than demolishing and reconstructing the façade. Maintain the rhythm of the street, using existing patterns as reference. Do not rely on plantings to enhance pedestrian experience. Do not deconstruct the building for use as courtyard entrance. Retain textural details.2 STAFF RECOMMENDATION Comment on plans, encouraging the applicant to design new signage and awnings in-kind with those found in historic photographs of the building. 2 https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=389029 LOCATION MAP 23 – 3 PROPERTY INFORMATION Photos 23 – 4 Applicant, 2022 23 – 5 Permits 23 – 6 Historical information 23 – 7 "Real Estate Transaction 1 -- no Title." The Austin American (1914-1973), Jun 05, 1927, “STATE CONTEST HONORS." The Austin American (1914-1973), Jul 31, 1927, 4 "Austin Groceryman Loses Fingers in Sausage Mill." The Austin American (1914-1973), Nov 29, 1931, 12 23 – 8