Historic Zoning Commission

Kerns Bakery Individual H Landmark: Level II

4-D-22-HZ

Applicant Request

Revised design of adaptive reuse project for the existing Kerns Bakery Building. Previous proposal approved by HZC in June 2019 (6-Q-19-HZ); revisions driven by requirements of federal historic rehabilitation tax credit program. Scopes of exterior rehabilitation work completed under 6-Q-19-HZ include repair and tuckpointing to exterior brick masonry elements, repair to existing steel multi-light façade windows, restoration of historic Kerns Bakery sign, repair to existing limestone sills and coping on walls.

Façade (west elevation) work not already completed includes the restoration of existing wall sign centered over primary entry, repair and replacement of existing coping, and the installation of a new outdoor dining terrace with a horizontal metal railing, accessible via a multi-light overhead door. New internal metal-clad elevator shaft towards façade elevation.

East elevation: installation of vertical standing-seam metal siding on left half of elevation, new storefront system with metal surround on leftmost bay, new series of aluminum storefront doors. New second-story section clad in vertical standing-seam metal siding, with secondary entry below. In front of the enclosed CMU silo tower, a second-story deck with a tension cable railing is located above two overhead doors at the loading dock.

South elevation: new three-bay storefront system with a flat-roof canopy centered on elevation, including secondary Kerns Bakery signage and a new clerestory addition above, featuring a second-story aluminum storefront system. Multiple bays of garage-door style storefront systems follow, with sections clad in standing-seam metal and horizontal ribbed metal siding; some storefronts feature sloped metal canopies. Second-story deck with horizontal tension cable railing and steps extending along right side of elevation.

North elevation: new storefront systems, repair to existing CMU silo tower, repair to existing steel windows, new aluminum transom windows, and a new aluminum storefront system on the clerestory level. Adjacent to façade, CMU structure to be removed, with a brick-clad deck providing access to an upper level. New aluminum storefront system on rightmost bay below a flat-roof metal canopy adjacent to façade.

Major changes from previous submission: existing silos on the rear elevation (previously proposed to be uncovered) will remain enclosed in existing CMU silo tower. Second-story addition no longer proposed. New Kalwall skyroof and skywall on interior of building. South and east elevations retain historic garage and loading bay configurations.

CONDITION OF APPROVAL PER 4/21/2022 HZC MEETING: 1) revisions required by the NPS to be submitted to staff for approval.

Site Info

The Kerns Bakery building is a red, wire-cut brick building. The building contains a central pavilion of three bays that is two stories in height, with flanking one-story wings. Three central entries mark the first floor of the central pavilion; they are recessed and flanked by square brick pilasters. Each of the three doors contains a full light in a wood frame, with a segmental arched transom of eighteen small panes; the doors and transoms are flanked by small paned transoms. The entries are topped by sixteen-light metal windows with metal awnings. Flanking the central entry bay are bays that contain three windows on the first and second story; with windows also of metal, composed of twelve lights with a central six-light movable section. These windows are marked by soldier courses at the top of the window and below the stone sills. Connecting the windows is an applied detail that creates the appearance of recessed brick. The entry doors are reached by a set of poured concrete steps that are flanked by oversize buttresses. Simple painted metal pipe rails traverse the center of these stairs. Applied oversize letters spell the name "Kerns Bakery" and are located in the cornice above the second-story windows. Flanking the central portion of the building are one story wings on a raised basement, also constructed of brick and matching the materials of the central pavilion. The soldier courses, sills, and brick detail are also present in the wings.

1. The Kerns Bakery building is listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places and as a local historic (H) landmark.

2. Changes to the previous proposal are driven by the applicants' consultation with the National Park Service for federal rehabilitation tax credits. The NPS has noted the following conditions of approval for the project exterior. The applicant is to retain the CMU structure enclosing the silos, instead of exposing the silos as previously proposed, noting the CMU structure's acquired significance. The roof of the 1931 garage must remain enclosed instead of exposing the trusses and structural system (interior) and cementitious panels may not be added to the rear of the garage roof. Metal cladding may not be added to the south and east elevation unless it existed historically. The historic garage/loading bay openings must be retained in their historic configuration, and most proposed awnings were required to be removed. The initially proposed front patios and the one-story rooftop additions were also discouraged by the NPS.

3. While these scopes of work may have been determined appropriate by the HZC and staff under the local historic overlay, the NPS adheres to the most stringent interpretation of the Secretary of the Interiors Standards for Rehabilitation for tax credit projects. Therefore, the proposed modifications proposed in the drawings dated 1.28.22/revised 3.2.22 meet the Secretary of the Interiors Standards, which are also the adopted design guidelines for the property.

4. The applicants have submitted a revised proposal for further review and are awaiting comments from the NPS. Minor revisions may be necessary to signage, rooftop features, and other elements. Provided the revisions meet the design guidelines/SOI Standards, staff could approve additional modifications recommended by the NPS, recognizing the strict interpretation of the Standards for tax credit projects.