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Home My WebLink About34-HCP3 DATE: July 10, 1995 TO: Historic Landmark Commission, Planning Commission and City Council FROM: Stephen C. Richardson, Planning Director SUBJECT: Request to remove the HC-L (Historic -Cultural Landmark Preservation Designation from the LaSalle Hotel building and property. FILE: 34-HC STAFF REPORT The Planning Director recommends approval of this request. The City of Beaumont recently acquired the LaSalle Hotel building and intends to demolish the structure. The property will then be used for parking for the postal facility that is located nearby. j While several attempts to rehabilitate the structure have been made over the years, none have proven viable. Therefore, the structure has deteriorated to a point that is a detriment to the downtown area. The building's construction is such that the ceilings are too low to install conventional air conditioning ductwork. In addition, there is a serious asbestos problem with the building and the elevators are in need of replacement. The cost to bring the building up to current codes is cost prohibitive. The structure was built in 1927, during the second Spindletop oil boom. The structure received a National Register designation in July, 1984. Exhibits are attached. PUBLIC NOTIFICATION Notices Mailed to Property Owners: 17 Responses in Favor: Responses in Opposition: LEGAL DESCRIPTION FOR ORDINANCE PURPOSES Being all of that property which was granted the Historical -Cultural overlay zone on 9-25-84 by City Council Ordinance No. 84-117, being Lots 175, 176, 179, 180, 181, portions of Lots 177, 178, 182 and 183, Block 38, Beaumont Original Townsite, Tract A (closed Wall Street), and that southeast part of Lot 184, Block 39, Beaumont Original Townsite, lying south of and abutting the Orleans -Pearl Connector, also lying west of and abutting Pearl Street. r 3y-/,/G 4 - f/C_. Pile 34-RC: Request to delete and remove the HC-L (Historic NORTH -Cultural Landmark Preservation Designation —previously named the HC District) from the King Edward Hotel (LaSalle Hotel) Location: 800 Pearl_ BCAL0 to to ' t \ \4 BARE BEAUMONT...................................... Inventor DESCRIPTION NO. A_42' DIVISION A MAP NO. SE 3- ADDRESS 800 slk. of Pearl ORIGINAL USE : ❑ residential ❑ single Cl multiple A commercial / institutional ❑ industrial PRESENT USE ❑ residential commercial / institutional ❑ industrial CONSTRUCTION: ❑From• ❑ masonry 91 veneer ❑ other INFORMATION : available STATE HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY I' PERIOD SUBDIVISION FDT THEMATIC LISTING ARCS EVALUATION HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ARCHITECTURAL. RELATION TO N MODIFICATIONS U national 20 ❑ state 15 ® local 10 STYLE Cl excellent 40 ❑ good 30 ® fair 20 ❑ non- descript O EIGHBORHOOD ❑ residential grouping 30 commercial grouping 30 ❑ individual 10 ® minor t0 ❑ moderate 5 ❑ extensive 10 TOTAL 70 OTHER See SupplementaL Information BK H :669 Inventory ') NO A-42 SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION i King Edward Hotel The King Edward Hotel, formerly the La Salle, was built in 1927 for $1,000,000. It was a duplicate of the Ben Mi lam Hotel in Houston, but had 12 stories instead of 10, with 237 rooms, each with individual baths. The woodwork is largely Texas gum. The building was extensively re- modeled and modernized in 1956 when P. E. Dumas Milner purchased it for $300,000. The architects on the remodeling project were Biggs, Wier & Chandler with the firm of Stone & Pitts of Beaumont. The name was later changed to the King Edward Towers when the building was converted into a residential hotel. J�SOURCES: Beaumont Journal, 2/26/27 Beaumont Enterprise, 12/29/27 Beaumont Enterprise, 12/l/56 Beaumont Journal, 11/12/71 S. BEAUMONT, TEXAS HISTORIC SITES INVENTORY FORM - BEAUMONT HISTORICAL LANDMARK COMMISSION JEF 1, County JEFFERSON 5. USGS Quad No. 3094-111 Site No. 003 City/Rural BEAUMONT LBMi 6. Date: Factual 1927 Est. 2. Name LaSalle Hotel (King Edward and Waterford Hotel) } Address 800 Pearl 7. Architect/Builder Contractor 3, owner Waterford Associates Address 1155 IH-10 South. Beaumont 77701-4731 4. Block/Lot Beaumont Lot 179-181 Block 38 SE 3-5 10. Description 8. Styte/Type Skyscraper 9. Original Use DOMESTIC/Hotel Present Use Vacant A twelve story, three-part vertical block of steel reinforced brick and masonry. The first two stories have a masonry veneer'. The three bays on the first story are covered in plywood, but an ornate metal awning remains over the former motor entrance. There are three sets of paired 3-over-3 double hung sash windows on the 2nd through IIth stories. Plate glass is used in the 12th story windows. There are Beaux Arts -inspired masonry crests above the 2nd, 3rd and 4th story windows. Masonry quoins extend from the 3rd through 12th floors. A masonry stringcourse carved to look like a balustrade with floral entablature separates the 10th and 11th floors. This design, topped with a masonry crest, is repeated on the parapet. 11. Present Condition Poor. The building is abandoned. Many windows are broken. Birds nesting on/in structure and vagrants may be occupying the building. -' 12. Significance: An important social center for Beaumont from the 1920s-1940s, the building is one of Beaumont's earliest skyscrapers and is still one of the city's tallest buildings. Listed as a contributing building in the National Register's Beaumont Commercial Historic District and Beaumont Historical/Cultural Landmark Designation. 13. Relationship to Site: Original X Moved 14. Bibliography Date (Describe Original Site) 15. Informant 16. Recorder D. Bush Date 05-24-89 PHOTO DATA Black and White 35 mn negative YEAR DRUB ROLL FRIG ROLL FRIIE 89 1 1 01 1 06 to 01 1 07 VIEW: RECORDED BY: DATE: G GENERAL INFORMATION/PUBLIC UTILITIES APPLICANT: City of Beaumont PROPERTY OWNER: Same STATUS OF APPLICANT: X Owner _Prospective Buyer Tenant Other LOCATION: 800 Pearl LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Being all of that property which was granted the Historical -Cultural overlay zone on 9-25-84 by City Council Ordinance No. 84-117, being Lots 175, 176, 179, 180, 181, portions of Lots 177, 178, 182 and 183, Block 38, Beaumont Original Townsite, Tract A (closed Wall Street), and that southeast part of Lot 184, Block 39, Beaumont Original Townsite, lying south of and abutting the Orleans - Pearl Connector, also lying west of and abutting Pearl Street. EXISTING ZONING: CBD-HC-L PROPERTY SIZE: .93 acres +/- EXISTING LAND USES: Vacant Hotel FLOOD HAZARD ZONE: Zone "C" SURROUNDING LAND USES: SURROUNDING ZONING: NORTH: Postal Facility CBD EAST: Municipal Facilities CBD SOUTH: Commercial CBD WEST: Commercial/Parking CBD COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: Commercial Activity Center OTHER PHYSICAL FEATURES: None GENERAL INFORMATION/PUBLIC UTILITIES continued STREETS: Pearl 61.11' ROW 40' Pavement Orleans 61.11' ROW 40' Pavement Orleans/Pearl Connector 60' ROW 40' Pavement College 61.11-75' ROW 40' Pavement Wall 61.11' ROW 44' Pavement DRAINAGE: WATER: SANITARY SEWER: FIRE PROTECTION: ADEQUACY OF SERVICE: There are adequate storm sewers in College, Pearl, Orleans and Wall. There are adequate water lines in College, Pearl, Orleans and Wall. There are adequate sanitary lines in Pearl, Orleans and Wall. Fire protection is provided by Station #1, 747 College Street. Services and utilities are adequate.