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Home My WebLink AboutCOA application 9-2-1999CROMWELL A"rrECTS ENGINEERS August 24, 1999 Mrs. Ann Guthrie Little Rock Historic District Commission 615 West Markham Street Suite 100 Little Rock, AR 72201 RE: Arkansas Arts Center New Gallery Addition Certificate of Appropriateness Application A/E Project No. 96-002 Dear Anne: Enclosed is our application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new small gallery at the Arkansas Arts Center. Our application includes eight (8) copies of each of the following: • Completed application form a Wall section • Narrative description of project a Building section • Colored rendering of north elevation 0 Site plan • Elevation Recorded plat • Plan All drawings are 11" x 17" size. All are approximately 1/8" = l'-0" scale except for the survey plat, site plan and wall section. I understand that you already have a 24" x 36" plan. Notifications to surrounding property owners were issued by Certified Mail the morning of August 20. All receipts, certifications and the Notice of Affadavit sent to each owner will be presented prior to the September 2 commission meeting. Thank you for your assistance in preparing this application. Please call if you need additional information. Sincerely, Kent W. Taylor, AIA Project Manager KWT/cs cc: Mr. Townsend Wolfe Mr. John Pagan Mr. Eugene P. Levy Mr. Mark Wellborn CROMWELL TRUEMPER LEVY THOMPSON WOODSMALL, INC. 101 S. SPRING STREET LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS 72201-2490 (501) 372-2900 FAX (501) 372-0482 ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER New Gallery Addition Narrative for Little Rock Historic District Commission Submittal Purpose and Intent A new gallery is proposed, primarily to serve as the permanent home for a collection of historical artwork. These artworks are small -scaled and require a more intimate and traditionally designed space for their display. Principal Design Elements and Materials The Lobby, Museum Shop and Restaurant portions of the major Arts Center Addition currently under construction are composed of a series of fourteen 25 foot square modules. The modules step down in height from the southwest down to the north and east. Each module is capped by a flat roof. Centered in each module is an 11 foot square clerestory monitor with a low pyramidal roof, bringing light into the building. The 'modules' have no rooftop projections besides the monitors. All electrical and mechanical systems are interior. Exterior walls are formed of precast concrete column covers, spandrels and parapet surrounding large tinted glass windows. The proposed new gallery consists of two of the same 25-foot modules, added to the east end of the lobby. These modules will match the height of the shortest existing modules (approximately 17'-4" from floor to top of parapet). Exterior design of the new modules will be identical to the other modules, except that the glass in the windows and monitors will be opaque. This is a requirement to protect the fragile artwork. The proposed gallery will have one exterior fire exit. There will be no exterior access into the gallery. Relationship to Site The proposed gallery will integrate seamlessly into the much larger (30,500 SF) addition already under construction. It fits into and extends north out of a niche formed between the north wall of the existing Rockefeller Gallery and the lobby under construction. The distinctive stepped roof and clerestory windows of the Rockefeller Gallery extend above the new gallery and will remain visible. The proposed site is currently disturbed by the construction, but was planned as a lawn area with low plantings around the new construction. The same design will be followed with the proposed gallery. Plans do not include removal of any trees. The new gallery is set back over 36 feet from the existing circular drive through the north end of the park. The addition under construction extends as close as 27 feet to the drive. Arkansas Arts Center Little Rock Historic District Commission Submittal August 23, 1999 Page 2 Neighborhood Im act The proposed new gallery should produce little traffic increase. It does not block any views of the MacArthur Park grounds or of the Arsenal Building. Construction Dates Begin: September 1999 Completion: March-April2000 It is anticipated that the construction will be done concurrently with the last phases of the on -going major addition project. This should minimize construction traffic. Final completion of site and landscaping work should not be delayed. FROM : NEIGHBORHOOD_PROGRRMS_CITY_LR. PHONE NO. : 5019185225 Aug. 13 1999 02:15PM P4 f s LITTLE ROCK IUSTOPK D I S T R I C T APPLICATION FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS Application Date: � �. �� 1. Date of Public Hearing: _!�C�� day of 1999 at P.M. 2. Address of Pro a Arkansas Arts Center, 501 E. Ninth, Little Rock, AR P i't3'= 3. Legal Description of Property: See attached property plat • Little Rock Parks & Recreation 4. Property Owner (Name, Address, Phone, Fax): Department, City Hall, 500 W. Markham, Suite 100, Little Rock, AR 72201 Attn: Brian ay, - ax S. Owner's Representative: Kent W Taylor, Cromwell Architects Engineers 6. Project Description (additional pages maybe added): _Addition of 14001- sa . f t . of Qallery to the Arts Center. Gallery will be located at the east end of the 31,500 sq.ft. addition currently under construction. The gallery will closely resemble the add1tion currently being built. 7. Estimated Cost of Improvements: $300, 000 8. Category of Work: I --- II III X IV 9. Notification Requirements: Yes (properties within 150 feet) No 10. Signature of Owner or Representative: or Historic District Commission Action (to be completed by staff: _ Denied _ Deferred T Approved _ Approved with Conditions Staff Signature: NOTE: Approval by the Little Rock Historic District Commission does not excuse the applicant, owner or representative from compliance with any other applicable codes, ordinances or policies of the City of Little Rock unless expressly stated by the Couunission or staff, Responsibility for identifying such codes, ordinances or policies rests with the applicant, owner or representative. Little Rock Historic District Commission ♦ Department of Housing and Neighborhood Programs 615 W. Markham Street, Suite 100 ♦ Little Rock, AR 72201 ♦ Phone: 501-244-5420 ♦ Pax, 501-399-3461 7 May 1998 LRHDC Meeting Staff Report and Recommendations, pane 2 ADDRESS: 501 East Ninth Street APPLICANT: Arkansas Arts Center Cromwell Architects Engineers Mark Wellborn, project architect REQUEST: Construct a 31,500 square foot addition to the existing facility for a new entrance, gallery and office spaces BACKGROUND: The Arkansas Arts Center operates as a regional art museum, offering exhibition galleries, theatre, library, classrooms, studios, restaurant and museum store. Contemporary arts and crafts are displayed at the Decorative Arts Museum on 7th and Rock. In 1966, the Arts Center's visitation was approximately 360,000 and there were 8,200 enrolled in its museum school classes; traveling and community outreach programs are offered. The Arts Center is the largest structure in the park and has been at this location since 1937. The present building was constructed in 1962 by Cromwell Architects; the same firm was employed for the facility's two gallery additions in 1981 and in 1990. PROJECT DESCRIPTION: The information packet contains a project description, grasscrete and lighting info, plat map, site demolition and layout plans, three colored elevations and wall section details. An analysis of the expansion is presented in the staff concerns section. The Arts Center expansion is approximately 31,500 square feet, with an estimated cost of $9.5 million. The expansion is generally to the northwest, not going beyond the north loop, but eliminating the northwest connector between the loop and parking on the west. The addition alters primarily the facility's north and west elevations, but retains the general rhythm, massing and scale of the existing structure. The exterior materials reflect the existing, using brick and precast concrete. The north and west elevations step back from the street as the height of the building increases. The stepped height, starting at approximately 15', rises in increments until reaching approximately 39 feet. Horizontal planes on the north are complemented by window bays, which on the ground elevation open the dining areas up to 9th Street. On the west, there are no windows on major vertical surfaces (except for the entrance) due to the interior use as galleries. The entrance is approximately 39' in height and is constructed of precast concrete and window panels. STAFF CONCERNS: There are concerns about how the expansion will effect the site, neighboring land uses, existing and potential car and pedestrian traffic and visual perspective. This project has not been reviewed by the city, which is an in-depth review process of issues such as building codes, public safety, traffic, parking and landscaping. 7 May 1998 LRHDC Meeting Staff Report and Recommendations, page 3 0 Curb Cuts -- There are two proposed curb cuts on the north loop for service purposes: the western -most is for exhibits and the other to the east is for the dumpster. The dumpster's location is due to the proximity of the Vineyard, the facility's restaurant, at its new location. The western -most curb cut is approximately 65' from 9th Street and is approximately 60' wide. This entry will be utilized on an infrequent basis for delivering and shipment of exhibits; the composition of the driveway is grasscrete pavers (see information packet). The dumpster curb, about 60' to the east, is about 30' wide. The new curb cut on the east side of Commerce, between 10th and 11th streets, provides an additional entrance to the site and parking lot. This curb cut, while not aligned with 11th, is aligned with the facility's existing driveway on the south side. The intersection at 10th and Commerce (east side) will be widened to approximately 60 feet. 0 Parking -- The existing parking is located south of the facility and along the east side of Commerce. Due to an increase in the facility's square footage, the required addition of sixty-three (63) parking spaces will be sited in the same area (along Commerce) but taking in more land towards the north and 10th Street. There is a setback of approximately twenty (20') feet between the new parking and the street. The required landscape plan has not been reviewed by the City; but additional landscaping would minimize the visual impact that increased parking will have on the residences across the street. 0 Car and pedestrian traffic -- The new curb cut on Commerce, by not being aligned with 11th, may be an advantage in terms of slowing traffic along both 11th and Commerce streets. On 11th, from Cumberland east there are no stop signs for two blocks. There are no north/south stop signs on Commerce for three blocks, from 1-630 north to 9th. With the new entrance orientated towards 10th and Commerce, traffic will increase along both streets. There are stop signs every block for the east -west traffic along 1.0th; however, the widened entrance at 10th may be for school bus entry. The use of this entrance for school buses is a traffic, pedestrian and neighborhood concern. From 1-30 west on 9th, there is only one stop light at Cumberland, and the intersection at 9th and Commerce is a difficult one due to traffic and placement of garbage cans. Access ramps for east and west 1-630 are located at Commerce, Cumberland, Main and Louisiana streets. Public bus routes are along 9th, 11th, Commerce, Cumberland and Scott streets. Along the east side of Commerce, a sidewalk will be constructed from the curb cut (north of 11th) to the 10th Street entry; this will replace an existing concrete walkway. While there is no existing sidewalk on the east side of Commerce from 10th north to 9th, a new sidewalk (approximately 240' in length) would improve the site. I 7 May 1998 LRHDC Meeting Staff Report and Recommendations, page 4 0 Tree removal -- The facility expansion planning team and the city Parks and Recreation department have discussed the existing and proposed landscaping (the land is owned by the City and Parks & Recreation manages it). The city department takes no exception to the trees' removal and has approved the project's proposed landscape plan. Trees slated for removal are located on the north and northwest sides. The largest are 46" and 36" oaks; several magnolias will be removed along the north side (see site demolition plan). While this removal is a staff concern, it is not detrimental to the project. 0 Visual perspective -- While it is customary to have a structure's main elevation orientated towards a street, the Arts Center's main entrance is on the south, facing away from 9th Street. The expansion offers the visitor a focused main entrance towards the west. The northwest expansion retains the open areas along 9th by not extending beyond the loop. The expansion opens up more to the north through window placement, and its stepped facades de-emphasize the rising height away from the ground elevation. While the proposed expansion does not meet the general architectural character of the neighborhood nor the district's design guidelines, it is important to note that the expansion complements the structure and carries over similar architectural elements. The existing structure does not and never has had the detail or character of a historic district; it serves as a public facility and focus in the historic district. The addition reflects the character of an 1960s structure in a sympathetically and sensitively fashion. NEIGHBORHOOD IMPACT AND REACTION: The Arts Center is located on the eastern boundary of the MacArthur Park Historic District, which is a National Register Historic District and is the city's only local ordinance historic district. Consulting the city's land use map, the Arts Center is located due east of a predominantly residential area; single-family structures are small scaled and sited on 45 - 50' wide lots. There is a four -storied multiple family structure (condominiums) on the northwest corner of 10th and Commerce; the remaining 900 block of Commerce is multiple family, not exceeding two stories. The 1000 block of Commerce is single family and 1100 block is the site of the Parkview Apartments. Along 9th, there are two single family residences, three multiple structures (two of which are vacant) and a fire station. Within the historic district, there are fifteen public in While only three are vacant (Eastside, the Arsenal and Curran Hall), there are three facilities that have undergone recent rehabilitation and improvements (Kramer School, the fire station and the UALR Law School). Around the historic district's perimeter, there are additional public institutions: two churches; a nursing home; Rockefeller School; a post office (constructed in 1995); rehab apartments and a proposed public transit transfer station. The proposed use for the Arsenal is as a military museum. The Art Center's expansion was presented to the MacArthur Park Neighborhood Association in 1997. 7 May 1998 LRHDC Meeting Staff Report and Recommendations, Letters of support for the Arts Center expansion were submitted by: St. Edward's Catholic School; UALR School of Law; Bylites, inc.; Rockefeller Incentive School; STAFF RECOMMENDATION: It is the recommendation of staff that the proposed expansion project be approved with the following conditions: 0 a sidewalk be installed on the east side of Commerce from 10th to 9th streets 0 that a landscape plan be approved but with additional plantings to minimize the effect of parking on the east side of Commerce 0 the mitigation of the loss of trees in excess of 24" DBH are compensated by the planting of trees of sufficient size and number (following a specified formula) 0 landscaping be added on the west and northwest elevations to minimize the visual impact of stepped brick walls with no openings 0 the new lighting along the west elevation be a directed beam towards the ground as opposed to a reflective type 0 school bus entry be limited to the park's southwestern entries along Commerce and not at the 10th Street intersection. 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