Design board questions replacement of historic glass awnings at 1100 Spruce Street garage

Boulder Design Advisory Board members reviewed proposed façade repairs and weatherproofing for the city-owned 1100 Spruce Street parking garage and urged staff to revisit some details, especially the planned replacement of historic steel-and-glass awnings with fabric canopies.

City senior planner Alex Pichaz told the board the project is a minor modification review because the garage was originally approved under a 1987 PUD and the proposed work exceeds the $25,000 threshold for DAB review. “1100 Spruce Street is in for a minor modification review for proposed façade changes that will update the existing façade, providing weatherization to certain areas and replacing steel storefront systems that are eroding with aluminum storefront systems,” Pichaz said.

The applicant, PEH Architects, described a package of repairs that includes replacing rusted single‑glazed, site‑built steel storefront at the Spruce and 11th Street frontage, enclosing several openings to reduce water infiltration and partially enclosing open stairwells that currently admit wind, rain and snow. “One of the main areas that we’ve identified that water infiltration is the big, multiple openings along Spruce Street,” PEH principal Chris Murdo said, summarizing the city’s durability concerns.

Chelsea Sullivan, a project analyst with the city’s Community Vitality program, said the choice to use fabric rather than glass awnings rested on cost and long‑term maintenance. “The decision against the glass is kind of twofold. The cost, yes, was one indicator… The other side of it is actually maintaining the asset in the most responsibly responsible fashion from a financial standpoint and from our staff standpoint,” Sullivan said, adding that glass awnings collect water and require frequent cleaning and upkeep.

Several DAB members disagreed with the replacement choice and urged staff to study whether the original steel‑and‑glass awnings could be repaired or adaptively reused. “Why are they losing the glass awning? It’s one of the coolest features in Downtown Boulder, and it’s a big bummer,” said DAB member Steven Eckert. Eckert and others said the glass awnings give the garage a distinctive architectural character that fabric canopies would not replicate.

Other board members raised design questions about awning color and the proposed spandrel panel colors at the pedestrian level. Members suggested several possible approaches: select a single uniform awning color for continuity, provide awning frames and allow individual tenants to supply fabric panels for branding, or omit awnings and leave tenant branding to signage or other elements. Board members also recommended further study of the trash‑alley treatment and durability at the service area.

City staff clarified ownership and maintenance responsibilities: the garage is owned by the Central Area General Improvement District, and leasing authority and exterior maintenance fall to that district (Community Vitality), not the tenants. Mark McIntyre, the planning board liaison, noted that the downtown urban design guidelines allow cloth and canvas awnings in the nonhistoric interface area.

DAB did not vote on a binding action for the project. The board asked staff and the applicant to return with refined options that address: (1) the possibility of repairing or reusing the steel-and-glass awnings versus replacing them with fabric canopies; (2) a more restrained or uniform approach to base spandrel color and awning color to reduce visual clutter; and (3) durable solutions for the alley/trash enclosure and partially enclosed stairways. Staff and the applicant said they would receive the board’s written notes and continue study.

Ending: The board’s comments will be recorded in the meeting minutes and forwarded to planning staff and the project team; staff said the applicant will revise designs and return with additional detail and options in a future submission to address the board’s guidance.