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Attachment C Application MaterialsAPPLICATION FOR HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION City of Boulder - Planning & Development Services --1739 Broadway - P.O. Box 791-Boulder, CO 80306 APPLICANT INFORMATION Preparer: Leonard Segel, Executive Director for Historic Boulder Inc Organization:: Historic Boulder, Address: 1200 Broadway, Suite 314 City: Boulder State: CO Zip Code: 80302 Phone/Email: 303-444-5192 leonard@historicboulder .org Preparer: Kathryn Barth, for Friends of the Bandshell and Friends of the Teahouse Organization: Friends of the Bandshell and Friends of the Teahouse Address: 2940 20th Street City: Boulder State: CO Phone/Email: 720-273-4476 Zip Code: 80304 khbhboulder@ya hoo .com I certify that the information and hibits herewith submitted are true and correct to the best of my knowledge. 1 Signature of Applicant(s):����-=-==-i,__=:�;;-===i�'----Date:5k./.-2oz.3 Signature of Applicant(s ):�� fl , �Date: s/z1 / 2/)2--3 The applicants acknowledge the city is on the ancestral homelands and unceded territory of Indigenous Peoples who have traversed, lived in and stewarded lands in the Boulder Valley since time immemorial. Those Indigenous Nations include the: the Di De'i (Apache}, Hinono'eiteen (Arapaho), Tsistsistas (Cheyenne), Numunuu (Comanche), Kiowa, Cariks i Cariks (Pawnee), Sosonih (Shoshone), Oc'eti S'akowin (Sioux), and Nuuchiu (Ute). We honor and respect the people of these Nations and their ancestors. DESCRIPTION 1.Proposed District Name: Civic Center/City Park Historic District (working title -final name to be determined by City Council). Attachment B - Application Materials 2 2. Boundary Description: Map Legal description of properties taken from County Assessor's website: Municipal Building: BLKS 11 & 12 & TRACK ADJACENT TO BLK 11 ON THE WEST – BOULDER O T & PT LOT 9 SMITHS ADDITION TO BOULDER & VAC RIVERSIDE ST & 10 TH & 11 TH ST limited on the west end by a southern extension of the eastern right of way of 11 th Street. Bandshell,Bandshell seating and adjacent park: Block 13 Boulder O T Southern Central Park: ALL LOT 1 & 3-7 & PT LOT 2 BLK 1 SMITHS GROVE CENTRAL PARK Limited on the south by the left bank of Boulder Creek. Atrium Building: (Historically built as the Midland Savings and Loan) LOTS 4-5-6 & ½ VAC ALLEY BLK 14 BOULDER O T Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse: LOTS 1-3 & 7-12 BLK 14 BOULDER O T 1340 CANYON The Plaza between the Atrium and the Teahouse: not landmarked but included To create a more continuous land area with the historic properties east of 13 th St. City Transfer and Storage: LOT 1-6 & LOTS 7 & 8 LESS PT SOLD BLK 2 SMITHS GROVE – not including The southern block. Attachment B - Application Materials 3 3. Boundary Justification: This boundary incorporates five landmarked city-owned properties, the full extent of the historic Central Park, and the plaza between the Teahouse and the Atrium Building. The proposed historic district provides area integrity by combining these significant properties in a cohesive whole and celebrates the sense of place. The proposed boundary intentionally includes the parking lots to the east of the Atrium Building, Teahouse, and the City Storage and Transfer buildings. Proposed development on these properties should be reviewed for potential impact on the historic structures and features. The applicants do support change here that is sympathetic and respectful to the adjacent historic buildings, especially as the city begins to repurpose their buildings. 4. Physical Description: The proposed Civic Center/Central Park Historic District is located in the heart of Boulder with views of the mountains and bordered by Boulder Creek along parts of its western and southern boundary. It incorporates five previously landmarked sites: the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, the Glen Huntington Bandshell and its amphitheater seating and site, the Atrium Building, the Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse and the City Transfer and Storage Building. All of these would be contributing structures to the district. Number of buildings in the proposed district: Five. Primary Buildings: Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, Glen Huntington Bandshell with its amphitheater seating, stone retaining wall, paths and landscaped berm, the Atrium Building, Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse, City Transfer and Storage Building. Additional Historic Features: The proposed historic district importantly includes the full extent of the historic limits of City Park which is the ‘glue’ that links the other properties. The park retains contributing historic landscape features, including mature groves of trees, two championship trees, sidewalks, open lawns and views. How many do you consider to be historic/contributing to the character of the district? All five buildings, park structures and historic landscaping listed above. SIGNIFICANCE Period of Significance : 1906-1998. This time frame begins with the construction of the City Storage and Transfer Building (1906) and ends with the public opening of the Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse (1998). It showcases the manifestation of the masterplan design of the firms of Olmsted Brothers Landscape and Saco DeBoer for Central Park and its surroundings, construction of the Glen Huntington Bandshell and its amphitheater seating, the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building, the Atrium Building and most recently the Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse. Statement of Significance : Historic Boulder, Inc. and the Friends organizations are combining their efforts to advocate that this culture-enhancing neighborhood in the heart of Boulder be recognized as a historic district. The historic, architectural, and environmental significance of each of the included properties has been well documented in the city’s record on the landmarking of each of these five properties and in recent studies and memoranda referenced below. Attachment B - Application Materials 4 1) Historic Significance : This district is unique and significant. The five historic properties within the proposed boundary tell a continuous story of the rich evolution of Boulder. The proposed district would safeguard and highlight our cultural, economic, social and political heritage of the past decades of Boulder’s history. The timeline below outlines the dates of construction, the historical persons and events, and distinction of each structure in the development of Boulder’s community . A. The Boulder Creek corridor was a key resource for the ancient indigenous Arapahoe and Ute tribes. The Mahaffy Cache of stone tools dating from 13,000 years ago were found along a tributary of Gregory Creek. B. Within the first twenty years after settlers’ arrival in 1858, this specific area was at the junction of several important rail transportation lines. By April 1873, the Colorado Central Railroad ran from Golden through Boulder toward its connection with the Union Pacific. The depot was at 21st Street between Pearl and Spruce, but a spur was constructed along Water (now Canyon) Street to Ninth Street. C. From 1905 to 1924, Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects, the most famous landscape and planning company in the U.S., provided the master plan for this park area. Some of the original layout and plantings remain from the Olmsted plan. The Olmsted firm designed one hundred parks including Central Park in New York City, the U.S. Capitol Grounds in Washington, D.C., Jackson Park in Chicago and created the idea for the National Parks system beginning with Yosemite. D. From 1927 to 1955 the most famous landscape and planning company in Colorado, the firm of Saco DeBoer, elaborated on the master plan for this civic area. Many of the original building locations and plantings remain, including the Bandshell, its amphitheater tiered seating and the Municipal Building. DeBoer designed many other parks including the Denver Botanic Gardens, Red Rocks near Morrison, Legion Park in Boulder; parkways including Speer Blvd; neighborhoods including Bonnie Brae and the Glens in Lakewood; and DeBoer guided the adoption of the first zoning code in Denver and Boulder. Attachment B - Application Materials 5 E. The City Storage and Transfer building, constructed in 1906, served the downtown area from 1906 to 1961 as a hub for the distribution of goods into the central business district. An early 20th century factory/warehouse, it stands representative of the city’s industrial past. Since 1972 the building has had another vibrant chapter as the home of the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (“BMOCA”). It was designated a city landmark in 1992. Historic Photo courtesy of the Carnegie Library for Local History (Boulder County Assessor) F. The Glen Huntington Bandshell was built in 1938 by the Lions Club during the Depression years in Boulder as a gift to the community for cultural and social gatherings. It includes the dramatic Art Deco stage and backdrop as well as the rows of amphitheater seating which mirrors the rainbow-like shape of the Bandshell. The architect, Glen Huntington, was responsible for many stately traditional residences in town and is the “grandfather” of Modern architecture in Boulder having also designed the County Courthouse, Boulder High School, the Huntington Arms apartments on Uni Hill and the first modern residences. The Bandshell, its amphitheater seating and site are a designated city landmark as well as one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places. Aerial View of Central Park 1940 Attachment B - Application Materials 6 G. The Penfield Tate II Municipal Building was completed in 1952, in the location identified by a 1923 Olmsted landscape and DeBoer master plans. The architectural design is by the firms of James Hunter and Hobart Wagener. Its progressive Modern design signaled that Boulder was striving to become a center of innovation after WWII. It has been a designated city landmark since 2009. Opening ceremony of the Municipal Building 1952, photo courtesy of the Carnegie Library for Local History. H. The Atrium Building has had two vital lives. Designed by Hobart Wagener and constructed in 1969 as the Midland Savings and Loan bank, made it possible for the working class of Boulder to afford to purchase homes in town. In the 1980s it became an important government office building for the City of Boulder. It was designated a city landmark in 2022. I. The Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse, completed 25 years ago, is the embodiment of the global outlook of Boulder and the Sister Cities Program. The building is a symbol of détente in the Cold War as a gift from Tajikistan, a former Soviet bloc republic. The richly ornamented architecture expresses the Persian and Islamic traditions of Tajikistan and Central Asia. The teahouse was designated a historic landmark in 2020. It is the first building in Boulder to have both the exterior and interior protected. Photo courtesy of the Boulder Visitors Bureau Attachment B - Application Materials 7 Grouping these properties into a historic district with one designation would celebrate a unique timeline of the eclectic development of Boulder. This historic district creates an excellent opportunity to tell the story of Boulder in a microcosm to citizens of Boulder and the tens of thousands of people who visit this area every year. Recognition by Authorities: “ The Improvement of Boulder, Colorado ” by Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. is a recognized authority to determine whether a district has historic interest and value. Olmsted’s visionary recommendations are manifest in the proposed district, in particular the land around the creek and the placement of the Municipal Building. “ Frederick Law Olmstead, Jr. - Maker of Parks-Planner of Cities ” by Beverly Halperin Carrigan notes the early efforts of Boulder citizens to implement Olmsted’s recommendations and plans. Report commissioned by the city, “ The Historic Context and Survey of Modern Architecture in Boulder, CO, 1947-1977 ” by Michael Paglia, Leonard Segel and Diane Wray, includes two of the properties in this proposed district as worthy of National Landmark status: the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building and the Atrium Building. Recent assessment commissioned by the city, by the landscape architecture firm Mundus Bishop (Tina Bishop) confirmed the historical significance and integrity of the Bandshell and its setting in Central Park - the amphitheater seating, stone retaining wall, mature groves of trees, sidewalks and paths, open lawn, views and landscaped berm - extending to the north edge of the irrigation ditch. The “ Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse Historic Context and Survey ” by Kathryn Barth and Laura Ramsey further explains the historic architectural and environmental significance of this proposed district. “ Boulder’s Central Park Old-Growth Trees ’ - Research by Randy Cantu for Historic Boulder, Inc.” demonstrates significant integrity of the plantings in the park to the original plans by Olmsted. The significance of the proposed district is endorsed by applicants Historic Boulder, Inc., Friends of the Bandshell and Friends of the Teahouse. 2) Architectural Significance : The design elements that compose the proposed district are well documented. They include planning, architecture and landscape elements summarized briefly, as follows: A. The Civic Center/Central Park Historic District and its surroundings were laid out by two important firms Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architects and Saco DeBoer. It is the focal point in a larger Boulder Creek area design that runs along Boulder Creek from Eben G. Fine Park to Boulder High School. It is characterized by a central open lawn area with intermediating features such as an array of carefully arranged trees, the White Rock irrigation ditch and the amphitheater seating for the Bandshell. The 1923 Olmsted plans included the proposed location for a civic government center where the Municipal Building is currently located. Attachment B - Application Materials 8 B. The City Storage and Transfer Building is a utilitarian mercantile structure typical of a warehouse district. It has a simple form of brick with sandstone sills at the windows that has weathered well over the years. A corbelled cornice crowns the front façade at the parapet. C. The Glen Huntington Bandshell is a dramatic geometric design made of concentric arcs that radiate both at the stage and in the amphitheater seating. Its Art Deco style is inspired by the Grant Park Band Shell located in Chicago. D. The Penfield Tate II Municipal Building is an excellent example of the “International Style”, an early and important movement in the history of modern architecture. It is characterized by horizontal bands of windows on the front building, vertical slots of windows on the west addition, a flat roof, and a dramatic central building block that was originally the entrance to the building. The primary façade of the building exterior features repetitive unornamented cement panels and accents of local sandstone. E. The Atrium Building is a simple and expressive Mid-Century Modern design. Its strong geometry consists of a monumental pyramid-shaped roof that appears to hover above the ground, lightly supported by a series of sandstone columns. The pyramid at the apex of the roof crowns the building and supplies ample daylight to the interior spaces. F. The Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse design has expressive and utilitarian aspects. The dining area is enclosed in a richly ornamented form that expresses the Persian and Islamic traditions of Tajikistan and Central Asia. The teahouse is richly decorated inside and out. The kitchen and other service areas are located at the rear in an unornamented addition. There is a formal handicapped accessible path flanked by roses that thrive in the similar climates of Tajikistan and Boulder. The gently sloped path leads to the main entrance and is flanked by lower level, trellis-shaded, outdoor dining areas. 3 ) Environmental Significance : The proposed district, perhaps more than any of the existing historic districts in Boulder, has a considerable environmental aspect, namely the inclusion of the significant landscape design of the park. A. The park design was intentional in the way it provided multi-use public lawns and gathering places for all Boulder citizens. Now that the newly reconfigured civic park to the west has eliminated open gathering places for public events, this aspect of Central Park is even more important to maintain. B. Central Park also includes a significant cultural element with the Bandshell and its amphitheater seating area. For eighty-five years it has provided a social, cultural, and political meeting place for the residents of Boulder. C. Central Park is ringed by stately tall trees that provide beneficial shaded areas during the hot summer months, directing views to the mountains. Some of these trees remain from Olmsted’s 1924 planting plan of the park, including two State Champion trees: a 48” diameter Shumard Oak and a 41” diameter White Oak. D. Boulder Creek and the irrigation ditch are rare water elements in an otherwise arid region. These are well taken advantage of in the layout of the civic center. E. The Civic Center will have an increasingly important role as a natural breathing space for the downtown as the neighborhood densifies with new developments over time, and city functions are moved north to the new Alpine/Balsam area. Attachment B - Application Materials 9 Creating an historic district here is a great opportunity to give a new identity to a challenging area of Boulder. It is a chance to ‘rebrand’ this neighborhood and begin to envision it as the keystone to the redevelopment of this area. This historic district could help vitalize this part of the “East Bookend” redevelopment. This area could be the catalyst to link the Pearl Street Mall with the University of Colorado Conference hotel. It could even have a catchy new name that links its identity as the central heart of Boulder and central part of the civic center. It is not a ‘heavy lift’ to accomplish the establishment of this historic district. The properties defined within the proposed boundaries of the district are already landmarked and are owned by the City. Historic Boulder Inc. and the Friends groups do not believe that a Cultural Landscape Assessment, as recently proposed by the Parks and Rec Department, is necessary to support the already established legitimacy of this historic neighborhood. This historic district should be accomplished during this year 2023. Creating this historic district would demonstrate the City’s conviction about the values that historic preservation gives to the culture and vibrancy of Boulder. Last June 14, 2022, the City Council discussed the potential of this historic district and asked the city planning staff to move forward with the steps to make it happen. In 2013 and 2019 the City produced a report which basically said it was a good precedent if the City “walked the talk” and created landmarks among its own properties. What could be a better demonstration of this stated conviction and policy? Now is the right time to acknowledge the past, present and future importance of this neighborhood. Creating this historic district would provide a holistic approach to city planning by giving Boulder’s cultural and historic resources clear protection and a seat at the table when city departments and private developers begin to reimagine new projects for the “East Bookend” of the civic center area. Historic Boulder Inc. and the Friends Groups are certain that the creation of this Civic Center/Central Park Historic District will benefit the citizens of Boulder for generations to come. Attachment B - Application Materials City Storage and Transfer Building / BMOCA Glen Huntington Bandshell Penfield Tate II Municipal Building Attachment B - Application Materials Atrium Building Boulder-Dushanbe Teahouse Park Lawn and View Amphitheater Seating Attachment B - Application Materials White Oak –Championship Trees – Shumard Oak Bandshell and Park Plaza between Atrium Building and Teahouse Park, Teahouse and BMOCA Attachment B - Application Materials � � 7 (j) 7 0 ® ® @ • . (I) 14--400 ® ® . . . ---NOTE --- For Key fo Planfin9 Lisfand Nofes of Possible Suosfilufes and Modifications See Exp/anafory Typewriffen 5heefs . I 0 Ttll R TEENTtf © ..c::: CJ ..... cS ..::, .� � TNELFTH BOULDER STREET RAILWAY ST. ,2.3-5 .. ® . eY- c,, e de f 0\ \)0 0 © © © © ST. CITY Or 80ULIJ£R-COLORAIJO .____,----, PLANTING PLAN FOR. PARK AT 80ULOE/2 CR.EEK BETWEEN TWELFTH AND THIRTEENTM 5TR..£ETS 50 40 JO Zo to 0 SCALE /''.= 40' 50 100 Olmsted !Jrolhers LandscQpe 1/rchifecfs Morch /0 /921- rile No 3300 Plan No 65 ISO ltJ � � � rr= Attachment B - Application Materials