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Commission recommends design review approval for Chrysler Hall improvements, asks ARB follow-up on historic details
Summary
The commission recommended approval of design changes at Chrysler Hall, including a new loading dock, a staircase with an ADA ramp, replacement of select curtain wall systems and roof membrane, while requiring details coordinated with Virginia Department of Historic Resources to return to the Architectural Review Board.
The City Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of design changes for the Chrysler Hall complex at 201 East Brambleton Avenue, subject to Historic Resources coordination and ARB review of final details.
Planning staff told commissioners the Architectural Review Board had voted to recommend approval, provided that details worked out with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources (DHR) be returned to the ARB for further review and approval. Staff noted the project is eligible for rehabilitation tax credits.
Why it matters: Chrysler Hall is a public performance venue whose exterior and interior work — including new service access and changes to storefront lines — affect downtown pedestrian access, backstage operations for productions, and the building’s historic fabric.
Project elements described by staff include a new rear loading dock sized to accommodate up to four trucks and trailers for productions, a new staircase along East Charlotte Street that will include an ADA-accessible ramp to the plaza at Scope Arena, targeted curtain wall replacement and cleaning of masonry, expansion of the first-floor curtain wall on the north and south elevations to enlarge lobbies, and a replacement roof with a similar membrane system. Staff said "bird safe glass is under consideration but not currently proposed." After staff presentation, commissioners had no additional questions and voted to recommend approval, forwarding the ARB condition that DHR-coordinated details return to the Architectural Review Board.
Next steps: The planning commission's recommendation will be forwarded to city council; the ARB and the applicant will coordinate with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources on the specified details before final submission to the council.
