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Home My WebLink About4 CorrespondenceQuhplaw Quarter Association 1315 South Scott Street • P.O. Box 165023 • Little Rock, Arkansas 72216 • 501-371-0075 • FAX 501-374-8142 PRESIDENT October 30, 1995 Judith Faust PRESIDENT-ELECT Scat Mosley Mr. John Bush, Chair Little Rock Historic District Commission c/o Department of Neighborhoods and Planning VIc�PRES[DENTs 723 West Markham Street Jim McKenzie Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Mark Zoeller TREASURER Dear Mr. Bush: clay Patty SECRETARY The Quapaw Quarter Association urges members of the Little Rock Historic District Commission not to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) for the demolition Linda Sue Sanders of Curran Hall, located at 615 East Capitol Avenue in the MacArthur Park Historic District. oARD of DIRECTORS Mary Jane Bailey As you know, Curran Hall is one of the few antebellum homes still standing in Eric Spencer Buchanan Little Rock. It also is remarkably unaltered, having served as a single-family home Paul Enterer since its construction in 1843. Although the house is severely deteriorated, interest Donna Gay in its rehabilitation remains high. In particular, officials of the Little Rock Susan cordon Gunter Convention and Visitors Bureau have seriously considered acquiring Curran Hall Rat'iJ�s for rehabilitation as the Little Rock Visitors' Center. Susan Maddox Jim Metzger Unfortunately, the Convention and Visitors Bureau has been stymied by the Curran Beth Peck -Cooper Hall property's $200,000 asking price. This price makes acquisition prohibitive and Renfe Rule is not supported by the sale prices of comparable properties in the area around Curran Hall. I am enclosing a copy of a letter I recently sent to one of Curran Hall's owners, ExEcunwDIRE= Joan Tate Huot, concerning the house and the issue of property values in its vicinity. Since Mrs. Huot's application for a COA is based on the contention that Cheryl Nichols the Curran Hall property would be easier to sell —and worth $200,000 or more if Curran Hall were demolished, it is very important for the Historic District Commission to carefully consider accurate information on property values in the Curran Hall area. As the enclosed letter states, the QQA obtained information from a local appraiser on recent sales of vacant properties near Curran Hall. The sale prices of properties considered comparable to Curran Hall ranged from $1.60 to $2.78 per square foot. At $2.78 per square foot, the Curran Hall property —which contains 17,800 square feet —would sell for $49,484. Mr. Bush 10/30/95 Page 2 The COA application says the $200,000 asking price is based on the price paid by the U. S. Postal Service for property across the street from Curran Hall. However, the post office property sold for about $6.00 per square foot, which would translate into $106,800 for the Curran Hall property, just over half the asking price. In addition, we do not believe the sale of the post office property is comparable because it involved two full blocks of vacant property, for which the U. S. Postal Service was willing to pay a premium in order to construct a new post office near the central business district. Also, the post office property was zoned "General Business," allowing more intensive use than Curran Hall's "High Density Residential" zoning. We believe the value of the Curran Hall property derives from the interest that exists in saving Curran Hall. If the house is demolished, the property will become just another piece of vacant property in an area where there are vacant properties that have remained unsold for years. If real demand for vacant properties existed in the Curran Hall area, prices would be much higher than $1.60 to $2.78 (or even $6.00) per square foot. Curran Hall recently was boarded by a Naval Reserve Unit of "Seabees" and is secure for the time being from trespassers. The same reserve unit has agreed to provide the labor for stabilizing Curran Hall, if the house is sold for rehabilitation. Given the interest that exists in the rehabilitation of Curran Hall and the low demand for vacant property in the area, the QQA urges members of the Historic District Commission to reject the argument that the Curran Hall property would be more valuable without the house. Instead, we hope the Commission will do what it can to encourage Curran Hall's rehabilitation as the Little Rock Visitors' Center. Sincerely, (VCheryic�hohs Executive Dir or Enclosure cc: Little Rock Board of Directors Charles Nickerson Tom Carpenter Cy Carney Jim Lawson Tun Polk October 27, 1995 Mr. John Bush, Chair Little Rock Historic District Commission 723 W. Markham Little Rock, AR 72201 Re: Curran Hall, 615 E. Capitol Ave., Demolition Request Dear Mr. Bush: This is to urge you to deny demolition for Curran Hall at your November 2,1995 meeting. This significant antebellum structure and grounds are highly important to the MacArthur Park Historic District, the city and the state. Of approximately 18,000 surveyed historic properties statewide, around 300 are dated as built by 1865. Pulaski County has 30 of these, with 24 in Little Rock. The outstanding character of this house and grounds was recognized by the Historic American Building survey which documented the property in 1985. It was noted by the Smithsonian in 1981 when their horticulturist took cuttings of the historic plants. The property is also proposed for reuse by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau as a Visitors' Center. Curran Hall's architectural and landscape quality would enhance the image of the city and encourage downtown redevelopment. If adjacent vacant lots were acquired, they could provide service space. As a community using the best of the past for a better future, we cannot afford to lose this house and grounds. The Preservation Subcommittee of the Future Little Rock Neighborhoods Task Force identified demolition as a primary threat to revitalizing the central city. Please deny demolition and recommend the City reuse the property. Several groups are assisting this effort. The Quapaw Quarter Association will accept tax-deductible donations for Curran Hall. Individual "Friends of Curran Hall" want to work for its preservation. The Naval Reserve Seabees have boarded the structure. Together these efforts could create an outstanding example of preservation. Sincerely, Nancy LovSe, Chair, Preservation Subcommittee Future Little Rock Neighborhoods Task Force 2000 Magnolia Ave. #322 cc: Future Little Rock Neighborhoods Task Force City of Little Rock Board of Directors and Staff Friends of Curran Hall, Quapaw Quarter Association Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau Westside School Ad Hoc Planning Committee Attachments: Curran Hall HABS Drawings Sheets 1-4, 1985 y�F$G o��Pm�zn" c'<b4m oEiAygg��.Diy A,;a m�D �mE~In bj i�mm OT m r{p1p a n > rr .c ae Apir'> > W2g 24 Bmi R>F �mr?mi��A flTfo=�Lmi�Py� �p�y7�Rm 55 TE .Do �ym��+N' '2 s^ gRs'�•� �� Cm� 7smb p �p�yx� �gi '4m 1� Zb y{�� t n6O � O-�1 p��O � �Pm Tx Co~� 2y� A wy T)t An * �� O r !' fi A Z N O � i y - D w Z T D D •T C A �> Tx n pOp r'u ��=��m Lf=ftJA'�r<_p zyT_� my�pO== m n �wppo�8yoo�l�i�asxa �4�� P # �i Q xn n oti yR o' aE �m x <y�oEE?p Qio xyr A�Sa p3yey� fTo zo �n off' pp �y+(�r yp ��m� mo iiE z5>lnn fOn y..nTC�IA <oo m`^ _ Sa�Tmn`��I�StiS 0TD Z �imZ nhZ> py[L _ O CmOyp S �pSS �( am_ > ✓m Sv K >> m �Oe�rOmy D��Qa N��zn S9-102g0* xAcfO�C =E=F y�mymPD��p�F��p�>AN > T €x-� y�'tys m /p� fn w�2p ITID (13 xA oiq�>yf�f'� H ��y"'�E$i�iPor �Tig'2�'xwa,Fy'az` tlF� oomIhx5�9. >�IT 0 �nF{� Ami7nw�$iioFmi�oR mo woT Iz o F, p szs��1 co pQppi i s3 $o=EoR�� igg$nz�a L5m Ezi OZ yyyo �! a m?DynO�-mi rF�� 4=� os>aT � �So aII� ifo a � � n f� u s • rwmnau • _. I u?7u ft L ...�o.c..o.c.n t '° U`n Gt"'m •'"a' urns •oa ru..ao m.r�r .wu.a�s •�.ac.o..w.R� t 8 _ _ ury wrcr ♦a• iweEw �1eS u v • rc�rnvut�o •w,ud,s C FRAN ae t,�st e.nTa mrrr HA'L �r � 6 YOA� •.wV�r a - JE -- "M --,ET 11 OE I FAI .TT[=^ � m r m D O Z LUHHAN HALL VS E"T C-TOL STREET - LITTLL ROCK - •YL.SKI COORTT - ARKANi m D 1 m r m z z �a H P B u or. ...mcvue .n.ras I CURRAN HALL �� n sn us+ wm 3nKn lrtnL ion ww w Quapaw Quarter Association 1315 South Scott Street • P.O. Box 165023 • Little Rock, Arkansas 72216 • 501-371.0075 • FAX 501-374-8142 PRESIDENT October 20, 1995 Judith Faust PRESIDENT-ELECT Scott Mosley Joan Tate Huot 53 Hadley VICE-PRESIDENTS Lowell, Massachusetts 01853 Jim McKenzie Mark Zoeller Dear Mrs. Huot: TREAsuRER Clay Patty As you may know, the Quapaw Quarter Association (QQA) is Little Rock's historic preservation organization. We are very concerned about the fate of your family SECRETARY home, Curran Hall at 615 East Capitol Avenue, and hope that you will work with Linda Sue Sanders us on an option that appears to hold hope for the home's rehabilitation. — BoARD of DmEcroRs Curran Hall is considered one of Little Rock's most important historic buildings. Not only is it one of our few remaining antebellum homes, but it is largely unaltered Mary Jane Bailey (unlike its contemporaries in the MacArthur Park neighborhood: Trapnall Hall, the Eric Spencer Buchanan Pike -Fletcher -Terry House, and the Fowler House). However, because of Curran Paul nasGayr Hall's condition, efforts to find an individual willing to undertake its rehabilitation Susan Gordon Gunter have not been successful. Kathi Jones Robin Loucks About fourteen months ago, the QQA approached the Little Rock Convention and Susan Maddox Visitors Bureau about the possibility of Curran Hall being acquired for Beth Pe m Mek-Cooper rehabilitation as the Little Rock Visitors' Center. Convention and Visitors Bureau Renie Rule officials were very receptive to the idea for several reasons: they liked the idea of saving a historic landmark, interstate access to the Curran Hall site is good, and a visitors' center in Curran Hall could share parking with the new U. S. Post Office across the street. ExEcu nvE DIRECTOR Because of other pressing concerns, Convention and Visitors Bureau officials just Cheryl Nichols recently focused on trying to acquire Curran Hall. They intended to offer $50,000 for the property but were informed that the asking price is $200,000. This price makes acquisition prohibitive and does not appear to be based on a realistic understanding of property values in the area around Curran Hall. Your application to the Little Rock Historic District Commission for a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) to demolish Curran Hall states that you believe it is impossible to sell the property with the house standing but that the property would be worth $200,000 or more if the house were gone. At the hearing on your COA, the QQA will present information which we believe indicates just the opposite is true: there will be little demand for the property if it is vacant; the property's value derives from the interest that exists in saving Curran Hall. Mrs. Huot 10/20/95 Page 2 We understand that the Curran Hall property contains 17,800 square feet, so the $200,000 you feel you could get for the property if it were vacant works out to about $11.24 per square foot. The QQA obtained from a local appraiser the enclosed information concerning sales of vacant property in the vicinity of Curran Hall. As you can see, vacant properties in the area recently have sold for between $1.60 and $2.78 per square foot. At the high end of that range, $2.78 per square foot, the Curran Hall property would sell for $49,484. Your COA application also states that the $200,000 asking price is "based upon the comparable land sale for the real property that was sold directly across the street from [the Curran Hall] property." We believe the sale of the land across the street from Curran Hall is not comparable for at least two reasons. Most important, the U. S. Postal Service was willing to pay a premium for the property because it was the only large vacant parcel available in the area where the new post office had to be constructed. (Even so, at the price paid by the Postal Service, about $6.00 per square foot, the Curran Hall property would sell for $106,800, just over half the asking price.) In addition, the post office property was zoned for more intensive use, "General Business" as opposed to Curran Hall's "High Density Residential." Finally, Curran Hall itself is generating the interest that exists in the property. If the house is demolished, the property will become just another small vacant parcel in an area where several small vacant parcels have remained unsold for years. The low demand for vacant property is substantiated by the low prices—$1.60 to $2.78 per square foot —paid for the few parcels that have sold. We urge you to reconsider the position you have taken on the price of the Curran Hall property and to work with the QQA and the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau to make possible Curran Hall's rehabilitation as a visitors' center which will stand as a tribute to your family and to Little Rock's early history. If I may be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me. Sincerely, qChe ichols Executive Dir for Enclosure cc: Fred Lewis Tate Mayor Jim Dailey Charles Nickerson Tom Carpenter Barry Travis Cy Carney Tony Bozynski David Couch ATTORNEY GENERAL OF ARKANSAS Mark Pryor Thomas S. Gay Direct dial: (501) 682-5311 Senior Assistant Attorney General E-mail: tomg@ag.state.ar.us Civil Division Facsimile: (501) 682-2591 VIA FACSIMILE: (501) 399-3461 April 7, 2000 Little Rock Historic District Commission Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs 500 W. Markham Street, #120W Little Rock, AR 72201 Re: Notice of Public Hearing/Curran Hall Gentlemen: The attached Notice of Public Hearing was addressed to the Contractors Licensing Board, in care of Rick D. Hogan, Tower Building, 4th & Center Street, Little Rock. This address was for service upon the Contractors Licensing Board is incorrect. Several years ago, Rick Hogan, while employed in the Attorney General's Office represented the Contractors Licensing Board. However, the Contractors Licensing Board now has an attorney in their office and the Attorney General no longer represents the Board in the ordinary course of business. Notice to the Contractors Board should be addressed to Howard Williams, 61 East Capitol Avenue, Little Rock; AR 72202. By copy of this letter, I am forwarding the attached notice to Mr. Williams. Kindest regards, Thomas S. Ga Senior Assis TSG/nc ant torney General encl. as noted cc: Howard Williams (Facsimile (501) 372-2247) w/enclosure 323 Center Street . Suite 200 a Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 682-2007 @ FAX (501) 682-8084 Internet Website + http://www.ag,state.ar.us/ Fifi� E"LIT71 : ROCK I ESTORIC i DISTRICT NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE THE LITTLE ROCK HISTORIC DISTRICT COMMISSION APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS TO OWNERS OF LAND LYING WITHIN 150 FEET OF SUBJECT PROPERTY LOCATED AT Address: & (5 E General Location: Owned by: I CX: L_a'�tz_ ___R NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness on the above described property requesting the following chances: has been filed with the Department of Housing & Neighborhood Programs. A public hearing on said application will be held by the Histg11 c D strict Commission in the Sister Cities Conference Room, Second Floor, City Hall on �Z.�� , 2000 at =� p.m. ALL PARTIES IN INTEREST MAY APPEAR and be heard at said time and place or may notify the Little Rock Historic District Commission of their views on this matter by letter. All persons interested in this request are invited to call or visit the Department of Housing & Neighborhood Programs at the below -listed address to review the application with planning staff. AFFIDAVIT I hereby certify that I have notified all the property owners of record within 150 feet of the above described property, that subject property is being considered for a Certificate of Appropriateness and that a Public Hearing will be held before the Little Rock Historic District Commission at the time and place described. Applicant (owner or authorized representative): V 0 Name: N41--T2Date: Little Rock Historic District Commission ♦ Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs 500 W. Markham Street, #120W ♦ Little Rock, AR 72201 + Phone: 501-244-5420 + Fax: 501-399-3461 1. s Q M M M C O o c N lC � 'a N fl m m c Y N < cm Nf ,) a N OO n O CCM 3. t °1 r. ` M Y o O � 1D yl d t O 0 Z °C o as c J E cc 'y O 0)> �p c c :o > 0. c c a CD q a N 5 O ry +r = in w = o 0 - a " a = z a " rl w - wza = Ir Lr¢x — w D _ a cc �- Z OW cc w tLaw = V) a tQC1CL7 -_ o Hoorn r IL M CC OOQ-! � Ut03O — w Qworu z ma¢.n N ^ m o �^ a � L w N y >R _ <^ V OR 'pn� .J U ¢ N rw N J L w *�mJ O Q x m J O _J Q O Cc V 3< 0 i