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Home My WebLink About34-HCJ3 DATE: July 17, 1995 TO: 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. ` 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. l This item went before the Historic Landmark Commission on July 10, 1995. The c� Historic Landmark Commission voted 7:3 to recommend approval of the request. QSy Exhibits are attached. �LJ 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. 10 bc+ �,` File 34-RC: Bequ� ) to delete and remove the HC-L � lstoric NoItTB �'( -Cultural Landmark ereservation Designation —previously L d' �'y - gnation—previously named the HC District) from the King Edward Hotel (LaSalle Hotel) �� Location: 800 Pearl �/r BCALE , \ Applicant: City of Beaumont 1/200 ..� �•. 60 0 ♦ �f . �++ . /`•. � ' ` � � '+ � i Poi+' . � i� � � ,. d 41 II 0 01 40 � •a &,P -004% M 3 Zf - 17IC1 mR F 0 ww- EOP GG EG GE G Gm I;F P C Ero q - hoc SPARE BEAUMONT Inventory DESCRIPTION NO. A—d) _ DIVISION A MAP NO. SE 3 ADDRESS 800 Blk, of Pearl ORIGINAL USE : ❑ residential ❑ single ❑ multiple 2 commercial / institutional ❑ industrial PRESENT USE : ❑ residential commercial / institutional ❑ industrial CONSTRUCTION: ❑ Irome ❑ masonry veneer ❑ other INFORMATION : available STATE HISTORIC RESOURCES INVENTORY' PERIOD SUBDIVISION FDT THEMATIC LISTING ARCS EVALUATION HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE ARCHITECTURAL. RELATION TO N MODIFICATIONS U national 20 ❑ stag 1s ® local 10 STYLE ❑ excellent 40 ❑ good 30 ® Fair 20 ❑ non- descript O EIGNBORHOOD ❑ residential grouping SO commercial grouping 30 ❑ individual TO ® minor 10 ❑ moderate S ❑ extensive O TOTAL 70 OTHER See Supplemental Information RKH:669 } f M Inventory NO. A-42 b SUPPLIMINTAL INFORMATION t 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 Milam 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. 11 lj SOURCES: Beaumont Journal, 2/26/27 J! Beaumont Enterprise, 12/29/27 Beaumont Enterprise, 12/l/56 Beal Journal. 11/12/71 *. BEAUMONT. TEXAS HISTC' }SITES INVENTORY FORM - BEAUMONT H'1RlGAL lJ1IJDRAI►RIC COMMISSION JEF 1. County JVFERSDN City/Rural BEAUMONT BKT 2. Name LaSalle Hotel Wng Edgard and Waterford Hotel) Address 800 Pear( 3. Owner Waterford Associ tes Address 1155 14-10 South. Beaumont OI.4 1 4. Block/Lot Beaumont Lot 179-181 Block 38 SE 3-5 10. Description 5. USGS Quad No. 3094-111 6. Date: Factuat 1927 7. Architect/Builder Contractor 8. Style/Type Sk)McraDer 9. original Use DOMEST Notel Present Use Vacant Site No. CO3 Est. A twelve story, three -pert vertical block of steel reinforced brick and sysonry. The first two stories have a masonry venea'rr. 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 11th 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 floret 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 aband2W. Many windows are brokto. Birds nesting on in structure ammo vagrants may be occupying the buildin . 12. Significance: An important social center for Beaumont from the 1920s-19405, 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 Date (Describe original Site) 14. Bibliography 15. Informantg 16. Recorder D. Bush Date 05-24.89 PHOTO DATA Black and White 35 mn negative YEAR DRUR ROLL FRME ROLL FRM€ 89 1 1 01 , 06 to 01 1 07 VIEW: RECORDED BY: DATE: GENERAL INFORMATIONIPUBLIC 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 INFORMATIONIPUBLIC UTILITIES continued STREETS: Pearl 61.11' ROW Orleans 61.11' ROW Orleans/Pearl Connector 60' ROW College 61.11-75' ROW Wall 61.11' ROW DRAINAGE: WATER: SANITARY SEWER: FIRE PROTECTION: ADEQUACY OF SERVICE: 40' Pavement 40' Pavement 40' Pavement 40' Pavement 44' Pavement 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.