Neptune Theatre decorative detail / Photo: Historic Seattle
In a close vote (6:2:1), the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board designated the Neptune Theatre as the newest Seattle Landmark on November 14. MAin2 reported on the nomination in an earlier post.
The Board also voted to nominate the Chiarelli-Dore House, a modernist residential gem in the Maple Leaf neighborhood designed by architect James Chiarelli.
Neptune Theatre, 2012 / Photo: Historic Seattle
Seattle Landmarks
Landmarks Preservation Board Meeting, Wednesday, November 14, 2012:
This meeting is open to the public and takes place on Wednesday, November 14 at 3:30 pm, Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave, 40th Floor, Suite 4050/60. Download the agenda (LPB52512.)
–Neptune Theatre: The LPB will decide whether to designate the Neptune Theatre in the University District. The Board voted to nominate the building at its October 3 meeting so that its members could take a closer look at the structure in person to assess the level of physical integrity. At the October 3 meeting, the owner brought an attorney and an architect to argue against nomination claiming the building lacks integrity and how it does not meet any one of the six designation standards. The nomination was submitted by Larry Johnson of The Johnson Partnership who prepared it pro bono as an advocacy effort–he believes the Neptune should be recognized and protected as a Seattle Landmark. Read more about his thoughts on the theatre in his firm’s blog. Historic Seattle offered public testimony at the October 3rd meeting supporting the nomination of the Neptune Theatre, citing the building’s significance as a community landmark in a city where few historic theatres (built as theatres) remain in neighborhoods. The building has sufficient integrity to convey its significance.
You may download the landmark nomination on the Seattle Historic Preservation Program’s website under “Current Nominations.” It includes an excellent section on the development of theatres in Seattle.
If you support the designation of the Neptune Theatre as a landmark we urge you to attend the meeting to speak in favor of the nomination. You may also email your public comments to Erin Doherty, Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator, at [email protected]. (more…)
Fashioncraft Building, Seattle / Photo: Karin Link, Seattle Landmark Nomination Form
At its meeting on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board designated the Fashioncraft Building (2022 Boren Avenue) as the newest Seattle Landmark in a unanimous 9-0 vote. The landmark nomination was prepared by cultural resource consultant Karin Link for the Seattle Historic Preservation Program. The nomination was prepared as part of the 2007 Downtown Historic Resources Survey which identified the property as potentially eligible for landmark listing. Download the nomination here (look for 2022 Boren Avenue).
The building owner, Recovery Cafe, acquired the property in early 2010. Recovery Cafe staff and board members enthusiastically supported the nomination and designation. The organization retained the services of David Peterson of Nicholson Kovalchick Architects to present additional information about the significance of the building as it relates to the economic heritge of the city. The Schoenfeld Brothers, the original building owners, are often described as founders of Seattle’s modern clothing industry. The building (constructed in 1929) was used to house a business that manufactured neckties. Presentations by Ms. Link and Mr. Peterson made the case for designating the building under three designation standards–C, D and F. (more…)
334 Boren Avenue N., Boren Investment Company Warehouse / David Smith Furniture. Photo: Eugenia Woo
The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board (LPB) will decide whether to designate the Boren Investment Company Warehouse (334 Boren Ave N, Seattle) as a Seattle Landmark on Wednesday, October 19, 2011. The LPB nominated the property in a 5-3 vote at its September 7 meeting. The October 19 meeting is open to the public and is held in the Municipal Tower, 700 5th Ave, 40th Floor, Room 4060. Members of the public may provide public comment at the meeting. We encourage you to attend if you care about the future of South Lake Union, its heritage and neighborhood character. You can download the nomination here under 334 Boren Ave N. The agenda is available here.
The property is threatened by planned new development on the entire city block which also includes the designated landmark Troy Laundry Building (311-329 Fairview Ave N). The Seattle Times sold the entire block to Touchstone Corporation which plans to redevelop the site. To date, Touchstone has twice briefed the Architectural Review Committee of the LPB, presenting preferred alternatives that preservation advocates view can do way more to preserve both the landmark Troy Laundry building and the historically significant (and we hope soon-to-be-designated) Boren Investment Company Warehouse.
In its review of the landmark nomination, the LPB cannot consider future plans for the Boren Investment Company Warehouse or site. The LPB must base its decision on whether the building meets the designation standards. A property under consideration just needs to meet one of the standards. Historic Seattle, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and neighborhood advocates have been working together to support the nomination and designation of the property. We are also concerned about the future of the building, the Troy Laundry building and the redevelopment plans for the block. We always look for a win-win solution and believe that both buildings can be incorporated into the new development. This has proven to be possible in South Lake Union, the best example of which is the 320 Terry Avenue building, a former warehouse that was later used as offices and has been renovated and adaptively reused for restaurants. In this Vulcan project, new construction was designed and built around a landmark building and more than the facades were preserved–the entire building was preserved. (more…)
Sand Point Naval Air Station Historic District Boundaries / Map from Landmark District Nomination, City of Seattle
On Wednesday, March 16, 2011, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board voted (7-1) to designate the former Naval Air Station Seattle (at Sand Point) as a landmark district. This is the first historic district to be designated in Seattle in over 20 years. The district nomination was submitted by Friends of Naval Air Station Seattle Historic District. The formal designation marked the culmination of years of effort on the part of the “Friends” to seek protection and preservation of the cultural resources and landscape features of the historic site. The significance of the site was obvious to the Board members who also visited the site earlier this month. There was discussion at the Board meeting about whether to include five historic features located on the east end of the site. These former magazine storage structures are closely related to the use of the site but they are not physically contiguous with the western portion of the district which contains the great majority of the resources. Some board members had questions about whether it makes sense to have a discontiguous district separated by a lot of open space. They were split in their discussion but ultimately when it came time to voting for the designation, the Board members included the eastern resources and thus, the City’s first discontiguous landmark district was formed. The one dissenting vote supported the district designation but not with the eastern resources.
The new landmark district met the following designation standards of the Landmarks Ordinance:
A) It is the location of, or is associated in a significant way with, a historic event with a significant effect upon the community, City, state, or nation;
C) It is associated in a significant way with a significant aspect of the cultural, political, or economic heritage of the community, City, state or nation;
D) It embodies the distinctive visible characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or a method of construction;
F) Because of its prominence of spatial location, contrasts of siting, age, or scale, it is an easily identifiable visual feature of its neighborhood or the city and contributes to the distinctive quality or identity of such neighborhood or the City.
Let’s hope this landmark district designation sparks other community and City efforts to nominate and designate more districts in Seattle! So, what’s next?
We reported back in February that the former Naval Air Station Seattle (now commonly known as Magnuson Park) became the first historic district to be nominated in Seattle in over 20 years. Well, it’s up for landmark designation this Wednesday, March 16.
Friends of Naval Air Station Seattle Historic District have worked hard for many years to get to this point. Last year, the district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (with national level of significance). This is the last step. They need your support now to get it designated. There’s no question the district should be designated–the Landmarks Preservation Board unanimously supported nomination last month despite objections from the University of Washington which owns several buildings in the heart of the district. The UW has done a fine job renovating some key buildings in the district and we’d like to see their support for designation. Board members toured the site last week.
Show your support for designation by attending the hearing or emailing your support to the Board. The Landmarks Preservation Board meeting begins at 3:30 pm on March 16 but this item is not scheduled until about 4:30 pm. The Board meets in the Seattle Municipal Tower, 700 5th Avenue, 40th Floor, Room 4060. Download agenda here. To view the nomination report, go to the City’s “current nomination” page. Email comments to Landmarks Preservation Board Coordinator Beth Chave by tomorrow (Tuesday), at [email protected].
Aerial view of the former Sand Point Naval Air Station / Source: NAS Seattle Landmark District Nomination
First Historic District Nominated in Seattle in Over 20 Years
On February 2, 2011, the Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board unanimously nominated the former Naval Air Station Seattle (commonly known as Magnuson Park in Sand Point) as a landmark district. This is huge news because this is the first district to be nominated in Seattle since 1988 when Fort Lawton was designated. Friends of NAS Seattle Historic District (led by Lynn Ferguson) submitted the nomination to the City Historic Preservation Program. Most of the content of the nomination was borrowed from the National Register of Historic Places district nomination prepared by Artifacts Consulting for the City in 2009. The district was listed in the National Register at the national significance level in July 2010.
The district was nominated based on meeting four standards which are highlighted on the Friends of NAS Seattle Historic District’s website. At the nomination meeting, local preservation groups including Historic Seattle, the Queen Anne Historical Society, and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation spoke in support of the nomination. Other supporters of the nomination included former Navy officers who worked or lived on the base. Their testimony was important because they offered direct ties to the historic significance of the site. Seattle Parks and Recreation (as a property owner) cautiously supported the nomination but would like to see flexibility in design review and controls and incentives in the future. The University of Washington submitted a letter to the City objecting to the nomination and would like to see the buildings it owns removed from the district, citing lack of jurisdiction by the City over State-owned property. This is not a matter to be decided by the Landmarks Preservation Board and is not part of the consideration of whether the district should be nominated or not. The designation hearing for the district is scheduled for March 16, 2011. Download the nomination on the City’s website. (more…)
