Design Review Board

Level 1: Minor alteration of an existing building/structure

11-B-19-DT

Applicant Request

This proposal is to clean, retouch and paint the existing masonry façade, install new metal and glass suspended canopy on the Gay Street façade, remove existing double hung windows and replace with new aluminum windows, remove existing decals on the ground floor storefront glazing and restore transom glazing with a back lit frit pattern based off the historic photos, replaced existing storefront at the promenade with a moveable partition wall and retail entry for the ground floor tenant and new private entry for uptairs tenants, enlarge one window opening on the rear of the building for each upper floor to install a door, and install one new metal balcony on each of the upper floors.

STOREFRONT (GAY STREET ELEVATION)
Remove existing product decals and repair/re-apply frit to glazing per the original design. The spandrel glass is to be backlit per the original images provided on plan sheet A-111.

CANOPY (GAY STREET ELEVATION)
Remove existing fabric awning and install a new pre-finished metal and opaque glass canopy. The canopy will be supported by pre-finished metal canopy support rods and embed plates mounted to the face of the building. LED strip lighting will be located on the underside of the canopy, along the building, to illuminate the existing entry signage and sidewalk seating area.

WINDOWS (UPPER FLOORS, GAY STREET ELEVATION)
Remove existing wood, double-hung windows and replace with new aluminum casement windows with similar dimensions, exterior characteristics, and profiles as existing. The existing wood framing around the windows are to be repaired or replaced with aluminum with similar dimensions, exteriors characteristics, and profiles as existing.

MASONRY (GAY STREET ELEVATION)
All existing brick is to be cleaned, retucked, and painted. The existing stone around the storefront on the ground level is to cleaned and repaired as necessary.

STOREFRONT (PROMENADE ELEVATION)
Remove the existing storefront/wall system and install a new moveable/folding glass partion wall system and a secondary entry for the upstairs tenants. The new storefront system will be made of metal and glass. The existing storefront is built over the property line and onto the Promenade structure. The new storefront will not extend any further onto the Promenade structure but will enclose more of the Promenade by squaring off the existing angled wall where the moveable partition wall is proposed.

WINDOWS (UPPER FLOORS, PROMENADE ELEVATION)
Remove existing wood, double-hung windows and replace with new aluminum casement windows in existing openings. The middle windows on each of the upper floors will be replaced with an aluminum door and transom window, which will require the opening to be enlarged by removing brick to the finished floor elevation.

MASONRY (PROMENADE ELEVATION)
All existing brick is to be cleaned and retucked.

BALCONIES (UPPER FLOORS, PROMENADE ELEVATION)
Install new balconies that are approximately 26'-0" wide on all floors and 6'-0" deep at the 2nd floor and 5'-0" deep at floors 3-5. The balconies will have pre-finished metal supports and guardrails, and pressure treated wood decking.

BASEMENT LEVEL (FIRE STREET ELEVATION)
Remove and replace exisitng window with new aluminum casement window in existing opening. Install new doors in existing door opening for future exterior stair, landing and entry vestibule.

Site Info

The Arnold, Henegar, Doyle & Co. Building (circa 1898), also known as the Hope Brothers Building, is within the Gay Street Commercial (National Register) Historic District so the Historic Resources section of the design guidelines do apply. The primary concern is retaining the historic architectural features of the character defining elevation(s) of a building. In this case the, the Gay Street elevation is the only character defining elevation because the rear elevation was not intended to be as highly visible as it is today and was constructed without ornamentation. In the National Register nomination, the building is described as having a Vernacular Victorian Commercial design with Romanesque influences. The rear elevation does not have a distinguishable architectural style.

The existing windows on the upper floors of the Gay Street elevations are single pane, double-hung wood windows, with the exception of the transom windows and arched windows on the 4th floor. The existing windows are a character defining element of the building and the windows should either be repaired or replaced in-kind, which is a recommendation of the design guidelines. Changing the style, size and profile of the windows is not recommended.

The use of a rigid canopy is historically atypical downtown but there were used. Fixed and retractable canvas awnings were much more common on Gay Street but are (were) canopies at the Sterchi Brothers (Lofts) and Farragut Hotel (Hyatt Place), and at least one smaller retail building (jewelry store) on the 600 block where the Centre Square buildings are currently located. Another notable place where canopies are historically more common is along Union Avenue with the Daylight, Pembroke, and Grand Union buildings. The Arnstein Building is also on Union Avenue but its canopy is on the Market Street frontage. The proposed canopy meets the guidelines by being scaled to fit within (above) the opening it shelters and does not cover adjacent wall surfaces, and it is the use of metal is a traditional material for canopies. However, the extensive use of glass and the thin profile are not a traditional shape or material. The board must determine if the proposed canopy, design, materials, shape, form, scale and materials meet the recommendations and intent of the design guidelines for this building and location.

The storefront on the Gay Street elevation is not being modified other than to remove the existing applied decals (advertisements) and restoring the transom glazing with a back lit frit pattern. Since this is based on historic documentation, this meets the guideline recommendations. The space in the storefront displays will be reused as a mailroom for the tenants and for stairs that provide access to the basement level. Only the handrails for the stairs will be visible from the sidewalk because the stairs go down, so visibility into the space will not be blocked as recommended by the guidelines.

On the rear of the building, the proposed window replacement, door installation and balconies can be supported by recommendations from the National Park Service because this elevation is not character defining for the building. In order for the balconies to be installed, an easement must be approved by City Council since they extend over public right-of-way. A potential concern that the applicant may need to address before City Council approval is the potential damage to the Promenade roof by anything that may fall or be thrown off the balconies. If the board approves the balconies but applicant decides not to install them, staff is recommending that the window openings not be enlarged and a window be reinstalled rather than the proposed door.

The rear storefront along the Promenade is currently constructed on the Promenade structure but the proposal will increase the enclosed area on the Promenade the existing rear wall that is angled back toward the building is squared off. This storefront system must be approved by the City of Knoxville and/or City Council before they can obtain permits.

Applicable guidelines:

Section 1.C.2. (STOREFRONTS)
Throughout downtown, historic buildings present a front elevation with an individual facade that is usually 25-35 feet wide. The storefronts are divided horizontally into three sections: bulkheads, solid or opaque, usually 18-24 inches tall; a plate glass storefront window 6-8 feet tall; and above it, a clear or patterned glass transom.
GUIDELINES:
2a. Restore and maintain storefronts as they were originally.

Section 1.C.4. (WINDOWS)
Appropriate window appearance is significant in finishing a rehabilitation project. From a preservation standpoint, the first and best answer when determining a treatment for windows is to repair rather than replace them. If that is not possible, replacing only deteriorated portions is the next best alternative to total replacement. It is possible to replace window sills, rebuild all or parts of window sashes, and replace window glass, making original windows energy efficient and functional.
GUIDELINES:
4a. Repair rather than replace historic windows.
4b. Replace windows if repairs are not possible with matching windows, including duplicating design, operation, material, glass size, muntin arrangements, profiles, and trim.
4c. Insert windows with the same pane configuration, materials and size as other buildings of the same general construction date, if no original windows are present.
4d. Maintain the relationship of solids to voids with new construction that is similar to other buildings in the district, including the typical width, height, spacing, and horizontal alignment of windows.

Section 1.C.5. (MASONRY)
Masonry features should be retained and repaired; materials, including mortar, should match the original mortar in color and composition. Mortar joints should be sized and struck to match the original. Belt courses, string courses, dripstones, quoins and contrasting brick and stone are common. These features should be preserved and repaired if necessary, and should be introduced on infill buildings.
GUIDELINES:
5a. Repair masonry with stone or brick and mortar that match the original.
5b. Do not paint masonry that has never been painted.

Section 1.C.8. (AWNINGS)
Awnings are allowed on historic buildings when they are appropriate to the building and are designed with traditional shapes, forms, and materials. If awnings are used, their overall size, shape, and projection from the building must be in proper proportion and scale to the building and contained within the window or door they shelter, and not cover adjacent wall surfaces. Canvas is usually the appropriate material for awnings.
GUIDELINES:
8a. Allow awnings in traditional shapes and materials.

Section 1.C.9. (LIGHTING)
Storefront windows may be lit with interior fixtures, entrances may be lit with overhead fixtures, and gooseneck fixtures can be used to highlight signs. Illumination may also be used to wash the building in light, emphasizing its distinctive architectural finishes.
GUIDELINE:
9a. Use indirect lighting of the building facade where appropriate.

Section 1.C.11. (INAPPROPRIATE PRIOR CHANGES)
Buildings may have been altered over time; some of those alterations may be inappropriate. In planning exterior rehabilitation, inappropriate changes should be reversed.
GUIDELINE:
11a. During rehabilitation of historic buildings, restore components to the original or an approximate design.