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Hollywood Building owner declines easement; board considers facade grant to restore iconic sign
Summary
The owner of the Hollywood Building declined a proposed perpetual easement to protect and maintain an historic sign. The downtown board will ask the design committee whether a shared facade grant (city paying up to half) might secure a renovation instead.
Board members told colleagues at the April 15 meeting that the owner of the Hollywood Building declined a proposed perpetual easement that would have required the owner to maintain a historic sign in exchange for the city funding an upgrade.
Staff said the owner’s concern is that a perpetual easement could leave unclear future maintenance obligations or city oversight; the owner declined to proceed rather than request specific changes. The design committee had previously recommended an easement and staff said the city previously approved funding up to $20,000 for the project; board members recalled an estimated total cost of about $18,000.
Because the easement is now off the table, staff asked whether the design committee wants to pursue a different approach: a traditional facade grant that would pay part of the sign renovation cost (for example, splitting the expense). Board members said a matching grant would not create the perpetual protection an easement would have provided but could restore the sign’s appearance for a decade or longer.
The board did not vote on a new funding commitment at the meeting and asked the design committee to weigh whether to pursue a matching-grant path.
