The proposal to restore the Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace, in West Palm Beach, calls for wiping out one of the most prominent characteristics of the 1926 church: the entry stairway on the building’s north end.
The request already has failed its first test, city building permit records show. The demolition of the stairway is a key factor in city planner Eric Schneider’s initial permit denial recorded Thursday.
And the proposal, submitted by the Related Cos.’ subsidiary CityPlace Retail, is raising howls of protest from residents concerned that promises made in the 1990s to win city approval are being shattered.
On Tuesday, Stet News published a February rendering showing the stairs cleft in two but surviving. CityPlace called the rendering “outdated,” but did not respond to a question seeking updated designs.
Stet News obtained the developer’s updated plans, submitted to the city April 24, through a public records request.
The proposal is part of Related chief Stephen Ross’ reimagining of CityPlace, which opened in 2000. The entire block north of the church, which featured a movie theater and restaurants, is gone, making way for twin office towers.
By demolishing the broad stairway, shoppers could enter the converted church, nicknamed The Harriet, on the ground floor. CityPlace rebuilt the stairway in 2000 to modern standards, while maintaining the stairs’ historic look and purpose, as it promised to make the church the cultural and architectural centerpiece of its outdoor retail center.
Wiping them out would destroy the building’s historic significance, said Nancy Graham, the former mayor who negotiated the agreement that led to CityPlace’s construction.
“Of course, it would ruin it,” Graham said. “That is part of the structure and appearance. How did the original members of the congregation get inside the church? Fly?”
Historic preservation experts agree.
“Elimination of the entrance stairs, which are one of the most important character-defining features, would surely ruin its eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places,” former West Palm Historic Preservation Planner William Waters said. “As for the local register, the removal would surely weaken arguments to have it designated for architecture.”The city’s building permit review carries this warning: “Route all alteration/remodel plans to Historic (Preservation Department) review. HISTORIC character must be preserved.”
The city’s Historic Preservation Board recently voted to initiate steps to designate the structure on the city’s historic register, a move CityPlace has not supported.
And Schneider’s review said the removal of the stairs is among factors that would force the developers to seek a minor amendment to their development order. He also asked for details on how the renovation, valued by CityPlace at $8.3 million, would meet U.S. Secretary of Interior Standards, as required by the city’s agreement with CityPlace.
Those standards for renovations and rehabilitations spell out how developers can preserve a property’s historic character.
“The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided,” the rehabilitation standards say.“Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture and, where possible, materials,” the renovation standards point out. “Designs that were never executed historically will not be constructed.”West Palm Beach, founded in 1894, doesn’t have century-old buildings like many cities in the North, but many residents have a passion for working to save its architectural heritage from the wrecking ball in an area where growth often outpaces preservation.
Already, an effort is underway to form a Preservation Foundation of West Palm Beach to counteract the ease at which historic buildings disappear.
Instead of stairs, the CityPlace plan by international architectural firm Leo A Daly, calls for “removal of existing north stair, converting that area to new north entry ‘plaza’ for access to future tenant space.”
The existing second-floor entry doors with arched transoms would be removed. The second-level decorative arches and columns would remain.
A ground-level door would be removed and filled. Instead, new impact-rated storefront doors would be installed spanning the area currently covered by the stairs.
Portions of the existing second-floor slab and support columns would be removed, creating an atrium.
CityPlace has not said what retail offerings would emerge from the plan or why ground-floor access on the north side is so important. The church already has ground-floor access on the east and west sides and before opening in 2000, CityPlace extended the building southward to add a restaurant.
The developer’s publicist and attorney did not respond to requests for comment.
The plan calls for about the same amount of developable space as exists now, 25,000 square feet.
About a third would be devoted to dining, a third to kitchen space, with 15 percent for retail and 10 percent for offices, the plans show.
This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach, a WLRN News partner.
