THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO Historical Resources Board DATE ISSUED: November 7, 2003 REPORT NO. P-03-348 ATTENTION: Historical Resources Board Agenda of November 21 , 2003 SUBJECT: ITEM 6 - Historic Resources Inventory Update of The Centre City Core APPLICANT: City Centre Development Corporation LOCATION: Various addresses within the Centre City Core survey area, generally bounded by Union Street, A Street, Twelfth A venue, E Street east of Sixth A venue and Broadway west of Sixth A venue, Centre City, Council District 8 DESCRIPTION: Consider the designation of 37 sites within the Centre City Core area as Historical Resource Sites STAFF RECOMMENDATION Review the Historic Resources Inventory Update of the Centre City Core Area and staff report recommendations and: 1. Designate 28 properties under various HRB CRITERIA, as indicated on the attached spreadsheet; 2. Note and file nine properties not meeting hi storic designation criteria; and 3. Affirm new California Historical Resources Status Codes for all surveyed properties, including eligibility to the National Register of Histmic Places for five properties. -~~ -~ Planning Department ¥ of 202 CStreet, MS 4A • Sa n Di ego, CA 921 01·3865 DIVERS ITY Tel (619) 235·5200 Fax (619) 533·5951 •11"-CiS lli A.. T:lGtiH:~ BACKGROUND This item is being brought before the Historical Resources Board by the Centre City Development Corporation (CCDC) to pro-actively determine significant historic properties for planning purposes associated with the update of the Centre City Community Plan in advance of re-development. This Historic Resources Inventory Update of the Core Area incorporates the findings of two previous surveys, one conducted in 1980 by Dr. Ray Brandes and a second, conducted in 1989 by Marie Lia. This new survey re-evaluates properties included in the previous surveys and updates their findings based on current condition and new information. Because of the passage of time, some properties that are now over 45 years of age are included in this survey that were not part of the two earlier efforts. New California Historical Resources Status Codes have been assigned to all surveyed resources, based on the State Office of Historic Preservation's recent revisions and re-naming of the former National Register Status Codes. HRB staff and Gretchen Wahab, of Gensler Associates acting as extension of staff, have recently overseen the completion efforts for the survey and the resulting products. With the exception of the notices sent to property owners for this hearing, any and all public outreach to the property owners has been conducted by CCDC. ANALYSIS The attached materials consist of: • a consultant prepared survey; • a staff prepared spreadsheet; • supplemental information that includes staff recommendations; and • photographs of surveyed properties, grouped by property type and arranged by age, from earliest to latest. The Historic Resources Inventory of the Centre City Core (Attachment 7) is organized by address, starting with lettered streets. Directions, like West Broadway and West C Street, are located after Broadway and C Street. A separate Table of Contents (Attachment 6) indicates the property address and page number, for easy identification within the document. Each surveyed property has also been assigned a number, located in the upper right hand comer of the Primary Record Form, for identification on maps and supplemental reports. All building numbers correlate with the sequential numbers assigned in the survey document. Staffs summary analysis is located on the spreadsheet in Attachment 1, where properties are grouped by historic status (National Register Eligible; Locally Designatable; and Note and File), property type, and age, from earliest to latest. Each property's historic status is indicated for 1980, 1989, and 2003, with additional columns comparing consultant findings and staff findings. Major alterations are noted in the "Comments" column, along with observations of additional contributing resources. The photographs (Attachment 3) are noted for alterations and special designation recommendations. - 2- In general, staff and CCDC's consultant are in agreement that all properties proposed for designation are significant under HRB CRITERION C (Architecture). The biggest difference between the consultant's findings and staffs findings are staff's recommendations for designation under additional HRB Criteria, addressed in the supplemental staff report. (See Attachment 2 & 4) In a few situations, staff and the consultant disagreed over the level of integrity of a proposed property. As all surveyed properties are compromised to some degree, this difference of opinion is understandable. Divergences in recommendations are outlined below. National Register Eligible Properties #7. Pickwick Hotel. Staff recommends designation under HRB CRITERION A (Businesstrransportation) for its association with the Pickwick Corporation, and local and national transportation history for its later association with the Greyhound Bus Lines. #15. Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Building. Staff recommends designation under HRB CRITERION A (Businesstrechnology) for its association with the San Diego telecommunications industry, and under HRB CRITERION D (Master Architect) as a fine example of the Los Angeles-based architects John and Donald Parkinson who should be established as Master Architects Parkinson and Parkinson. #17. YWCA Building. Staff recommends designation under HRB CRITERION D (Master Architect) as being representative of the work of Master Architect Frank Stevenson. #19. San Diego City Library. Staff additionally recommends National Register eligibility status for this civic monument as a rare example of the Late Modeme Style (HRB CRITERION C). The library is also significant for is contribution to the cultural life of San Diego (HRB CRITERION A), and as being representative of the work of Master Architect William Templeton Johnson (HRB CRITERION D). Local Designation Eligible Properties #8. Kress Department Store. As a rare local example of the Streamlined Modeme style, staff supports designation under HRB CRITERION C (Architecture), despite significant modifications. Staff also recommends designation under HRB CRITERION A (Business/Commerce) for its association with national chain store retailing, and HRB CRITERION D (Master Architect) as a late work of nationally noted Kress store architect Edward Sibbert who should be established as a Master Architect. #12. Hamilton Fine Foods. Staff recommends designation under HRB CRITERION D (Master Architect) as being representative of the work of Frank Phillips Allen who is already established as a Master Architect. #13. Rowe Market Building. Staff recommends designation under HRB CRITERION D (Master Architects) as being representative of the commercial work of Master Architects Lincoln Rogers and Frank Stevenson. - 3 - #21. Plaza Hotel. Staff recommends designation of only 1041 4th Avenue under HRB Criterion C (Architecture). Staff also supports designation of the rooftop and banner signs at 1037 4th Avenue, as well as the green tile Art Deco fa<;ade under HRB CRITERION C (Architecture). Staff does not support designation of the rest of the building at 1037 4th Avenue because of its lackluster design and awkward, top-heavy proportions that detract from its neighbor at 1041 4th Avenue. #23. Vegetarian Cafeteria and Bakery/House of Nutrition. Staff recommends designation under HRB CRITERION A (Business/Health) for its association with the health industry in San Diego. #29. Carnegie Apartments. Staff recommends designation under HRB CRITERION D (Master Architects) as being representative of the work of Master Architects, the Quayle Brothers. #30. Ed Fletcher Real Estate Office. Staff recommends designation under HRB CRITERION B (Historical Person) for its association with the Senate career of real estate magnate Ed Fletcher. #35. Harwood Tichnor Rental Property. Staff supports designation under HRB CRITERION C (Architecture) for the residence only, as a rare example of a late 1880s Victorian vernacular house in the Core area of Downtown San Diego. California Historical Resources Status Codes The State Office of Historic Preservation previously established the National Register Status Codes to reflect historic eligibility for properties. These status codes have just recently been revised, and are now known as the California Historical Resources Status Codes (Attachment 5). The new codes are being utilized in the current surveys. Under the spreadsheet column "1980 NR" are the status codes previously assigned by OHP for various properties resulting from the survey at that time. Now that the comprehensive survey is being updated for the Centre City Core area, it is the appropriate time to detennine whether status codes should be changed. Under the spreadsheet column "2001 Lia" are those codes recommended by CCDC's consultant, while under the column "2003 City" are those codes being recommended by HRB staff. Reasons for the codes that are proposed to change are included under the "Comments" column and in some cases further explained in the attached Supplemental Staff Report (see Attachments 1 & 2). Staff is recommending that the HRB affirm the status codes under "2003 City" as being appropriate for the various properties. Non-Historic Properties The remaining nine properties listed at the end of the spreadsheet are not recommended for local designation. All of the properties have lost their original architectural integrity, and are not significant