Heritage commission finds former City Hall at 19 West Birch eligible; requires architectural documentation, Indigenous-led interpretation and Malpais stone in‑k

The Heritage Preservation Commission on Wednesday accepted a revised Phase 1 cultural resource study that finds the former City Hall at 19 West Birch Avenue eligible for local and National Register consideration and required additional mitigation and documentation before any demolition is approved.

The commission’s motion—approved unanimously—accepted the consultant Cornerstone Environmental’s revised report with minor corrections, and required a Phase 2-level architectural documentation package (measured drawings, archival‑grade photography, as‑built/elevation drawings), interpretive mitigation developed in coordination with the City’s Indigenous Commission, and proposals for incorporating Malpais stone (preferably exterior and, if feasible, salvaged) into the replacement design. The commission also directed that the Phase 1 and any Phase 2 reports be archived for public access (city library and/or city website).

Cornerstone said its follow‑up research tied the building to mid‑20th‑century civic functions and to social‑history events involving early American Indian Movement protests and related local civil‑rights inquiries. Caitlin Stewart, Cornerstone’s owner and director, told the commission, “Historic preservation is an iterative and collaborative process of research, field work, law and city code, and implementation with…