L A N D M A R K S P RESERVATION C OMMISSION S t a f f R e p o r t 2580 Bancroft Way The Bancroft Center REFERRAL NOVEMBER 2, 2017 Demolition Referral: Use Permit (#ZP2017-0083) to demolish an existing, single-story, approximately 18,144 sq. ft. commercial building erected in 1963, including the 44-space subterranean parking garage, and to demolish 5,856 sq. ft. of the rear portion of the existing Fred Turner Building, City of Berkeley Landmark No. 49 to construct a new mixed use building in the C-T district. I. Application Basics Parties Involved: Property Owner: Landmark Properties, Inc. 455 Epps Bridge Parkway Athens, Georgia 30606 II. Permit Applicant: Background Dave Johnson Johnson Lyman Architects 1375 Locust Street, #202 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 On May 26, 2017 the applicant submitted a Use Permit application to demolish the existing single-story, 18,144 sq. ft. commercial building constructed in 1963, including the 44-space subterranean parking garage, and 5,856 sq. ft. of the rear portion of the existing Fred Turner Building, City of Berkeley Landmark No. 49, and to construct a new 171,100 sq. ft., eight-story mixed use building. Overall, approximately 24,000 sq. ft. of floor area would be demolished. The main façade of The Fred Turner Building would be repaired, rehabilitated, and incorporated into the new building. The residential component of this proposal includes 122 new dwelling units for students including studios and units up to six bedrooms. The commercial component would include approximately 11,000 sq. ft. of ground floor commercial space. More information about the project can be found here: https://www.cityofberkeley.info/planning_and_development/zoning_adjustment_board/2580_bancroft.aspx 1947 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704 Tel: 510.981.7410 TDD: 510.981.7474 Fax: 510.981.7420
2580 BANCROFT WAY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 2 of 7 November 2, 2017 Pursuant to Berkeley Municipal Code (BMC) 23C.08.050.C, any application for a Use Permit to demolish a non- residential building or structure which is 40 or more years old shall be forwarded to the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for review prior to consideration of the Use Permit for demolition. Given the lack of a current, City-wide comprehensive historic resource survey, the referral requirement is understood to address the potential for the loss of unidentified significant properties. In considering the proposed demolition of a structure, the Commission will weigh the potential to meet the significance criteria for COB Landmarks and Historic Districts in the City s Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 3), which are relatively specific and appear to align with the California Register. The Commission will also weigh the potential to meet the broader COB Structure of Merit criteria, which can include structures that are neither individually architecturally distinctive nor associated with significant people or events but may qualify as contributors to identified districts, areas, or clusters. The LPC may initiate a designation or take no action based on the significance criteria, but still forward comments regarding potential project conditions such as relocation, salvage, and/or photographic documentation to the Zoning Adjustments Board for consideration in its action on the application. II. Historical Resource Status The subject building does not appear on the National Register of Historic Places, California Register of Historical Resources or the State Historic Resources Inventory. III. Historical Resources in Project Vicinity The subject building shares the same parcel as the Fred Turner Building (State of California designation P-01-005148) and City of Berkeley Landmark, located at 2546-2554 Bancroft Way. The Fred Turner Building is individually eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally, the Hearst Gymnasium for Women, City of Berkeley Landmark, located at 1129 Bancroft Way confronts the subject property across the street. The Hearst Gymnasium for Women is also listed on the State Historic Resources Inventory (SHL-0946-0006) and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The next nearest City of Berkeley Landmarks include the Durant Hotel, City of Berkeley Landmark, located one block southeast of the subject property at 2600 Durant Avenue, and The University Art Museum, City of Berkeley Landmark, located one block east of the subject property, at 2626 Bancroft. The University Art Museum is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION 2580 BANCROFT WAY November 2, 2017 Page 3 of 7 Figure 1: Vicinity Map 2580 Bancroft Way
2580 BANCROFT WAY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 4 of 7 November 2, 2017 Figure 1: Photograph of Bancroft Center, view: north façade III. Property Description and Evaluation The following information is included in the historic resource evaluation (HRE) for this property that was prepared by Michael Hibma for LSA on August 7, 2015; please see the reference document to this report, which is provided as an attachment to the EIR Scoping report for tonight s LPC meeting. Description: The subject property is located on the south side of Bancroft Way, on the block between Bowditch Street and Telegraph Avenue, in the Commercial Telegraph (C-T) district. This approximately 28,400 sq. ft. parcel contains two, single-story, multiunit commercial buildings; The Fred Turner Building, constructed circa 1940 at 2546-2554 Bancroft, and designated City of Berkeley Landmark #49, and the Bancroft Center, built in 1963 at 2558-2580 Bancroft Way. The two existing buildings have a total of nine commercial tenant spaces, occupied by food and retail establishments. There are also 44 existing parking spaces in the below grade parking garage, accessible by way of ramp located on Bancroft Way east of the existing Fred Turner Building.
LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION 2580 BANCROFT WAY November 2, 2017 Page 5 of 7 The subject building, the Bancroft Center, has a very low pitched or a flat roof and is clad in sections of exposed aggregate concrete that are divided by paired, vertical, smooth-textured concrete pilasters. Portions of the façade, facing the street are clad in textured stucco or screen walls of circular glass block. Building entrances are covered by large, full-length projecting boxed eaves and accessed from the public right-of-way by three separate sets of short concrete steps. The individual commercial spaces are irregularly spaced and generally flanked by decorative concrete and glass screens or by full-height plate glass windows. Entrance doors consist of wood double doors with double-paned glass set in arched frames. The building is a very modest example of Modern/Brutalist style architecture. The building was designed around a central open courtyard space and adjoining water feature, however both elements have been significantly altered or removed. In addition to these alterations, the interior spaces have been remodeled and five original bubble skylights were subsequently filled or replaced. Other alterations to the building include new windows and siding along the main street facing façade, the reconfiguration of the concrete steps and the addition of metal railings, the removal of the original Joseph Magnin signage sometime in the 1980s, and removal of the original Bancroft Center letter script affixed to the concrete at the right of the courtyard steps. The HRE provides a description of the project setting- including the Southside neighborhood - as well as the building s history and architectural context, which is briefly summarized below. History: In the HRE, LSA provides a summary of the building permit history. The HRE states that the original building permit was not located and is presumed to be lost or misplaced, however according to microfiche records, the original architectural plans of Bancroft Center as designed by noted architect John Hand Ostwald, dated October 21, 1963, proposed to demolish three building and build the extant single-story, multi-unit commercial retail building with underground parking in this location. Background research did not identify a builder for the building. While this building does possess some of the general architectural characteristics of Modern/Brutalist design, is located in the Southside neighborhood, and is associated with mid-century growth in the area and the University of California Berkeley s campus, this architectural style is well represented in the existing building stock of Berkeley, Alameda County, California, and nationwide. In addition, the building has undergone a series of alterations beginning in the 1980s that have altered the building s original form, design, and related landscaping attributes, and diminished its architectural qualities. Detailed building and permit history, and further explanation of the building s historic context are provided in the evaluation; see the Attachment to this report for details. Significance Criteria: The subject building has been evaluated based on the criteria of the National Register of Historic Places, California Register of Historical Resources and the Landmarks Preservation Ordinance (LPO/BMC 3.24), and found to be ineligible
2580 BANCROFT WAY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION Page 6 of 7 November 2, 2017 for listing on the Registers as well as for consideration as a City Landmark or Structure of Merit. For the purpose of conducting this historic evaluation, staff has defined the period of historic significance for this property as date of the subject building s construction (1963) until 1967, in accordance with the practice of the National Parks Service, and as 1963 to as late as 1977 to be consistent with the regulatory criteria for demolition control prescribed in BMC Section 23C.08.050. Owning to the building s commercial use and period of significance, this property is linked to a historic context that is best defined as Berkeley s commercial development. This evaluation of the property s historic significance, therefore, analyzes the significance criteria within the theme of commercial development. With respect to the National and State Register criteria, Hibma found that the building s architectural design is a modest and not exceptional - example of the brutalist style that has been altered since its construction and, thereby, lacks the quality of historic integrity (NR Criteria C/State Criteria 3). Hibma describes the building s architect, John Hans Oswald (1913-1973), as having a prolific portfolio (which includes a building addition for Old City Hall, a City Landmark building) though with no evident adherence to style. Oswald also served on several local boards, including municipal review boards. A study of persons associated with this building revealed a list of property owners and commercial tenants, but none who have played a decisive role in Berkeley s commercial development or history, and no one of national or state-wide prominence (NR B/State 2). This site is not known to have the potential to yield information about pre-history or precolonial civilization (NR D/State 4). For all of these reasons, Hibma concludes that the building is not eligible for Register listing. Similarly, Hibma and staff conclude that the building does not meet the LPO criteria for consideration as a City Landmark or Structure of Merit (BMC Section 3.24.110). The LPO criteria closely aligns with the National and State Register criteria, giving value to architectural merit as well as historical, educational and cultural significance. As described in the HRE and summarized briefly above, the building lacks associations with a significant architectural style, period or architect (BMC Section 3.24.110, Paragraph A.1), and with persons of City-wide importance for their participation in historic events or social and cultural movements (Paragraphs 2 and 4). No available information from the California Historical Resources Information System indicates that the property is expected to provide information about this area s pre-history (Paragraph 3). And, due to its lack of significant associations with design, events or persons important to Berkeley during the period of significance, the subject building is not an exemplary visual representation of Berkeley s commercial development during that time. As a potential Structure of Merit (BMC Section 3.24.110.B, Paragraph 2), the building fails to meet the LPO criteria related to exemplifying good architectural design; similarity with the age, style and size of nearby City Landmarks; and associations with events that are historically significant to the City or the Southside neighborhood.
LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION 2580 BANCROFT WAY November 2, 2017 Page 7 of 7 IV. Recommendation Consider the extent to which the building appears to meet historical resource criteria and Take No Action pursuant to Section 23C.08.050.C Reference: 1. Historic Resource Evaluation for 2580 Bancroft Way, prepared by Michael Hibma of LSA, August 7, 2015* *This document is provided with LPC Agenda Item 5-A for EIR Scoping Prepared by: Fatema Crane, Senior Planner; fcrane@cityofberkeley.info (510) 981-7413 Alison Lenci, Assistant Planner; alenci@cityofberkeley.info (510) 981-7544