Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Building Restoration topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission approves south‑wall restoration, fire‑egress upgrades at 111–113 W. Harrison
Summary
The commission approved stabilization and exterior repairs at 111–113 W. Harrison, authorizing scaffolded arch repairs, window replacements and two code‑compliant fire egress doors.
The Historic Preservation Commission approved a certificate of appropriateness for restoration and exterior improvements to the south wall of 111 and 113 West Harrison Avenue at its Nov. 3 meeting. The work approved addresses structural stabilization, arch repair and changes to a chained double door to provide required fire egress.
Benjamin Kennedy, who identified himself as the applicant, told the commission the building has been stabilized after engineers and contractors injected resin "similar to what they use on highways" to bring subsiding walls back up to grade. "We've already injected resin into the ground...The building is now stable," Kennedy said, and requested permission to erect scaffolding, repair arches and replace damaged windows and a chained double door with two standard push‑to‑open egress doors to satisfy the fire marshal.
Kennedy added that some portions of the south wall are an addition (probably mid‑20th century) rather than original 1891 fabric and that later, larger façade work — including removing and rebuilding the primary north facade — will be a separate, more expensive project. He told commissioners he had obtained three estimates for the full façade work and that the average was about $350,000 to remove and reinstall the primary façade.
Commissioners pressed for clarity on which windows would be infilled and what work would remain subject to future review; the applicant pointed to photographs in the engineering report to identify the four window sections and the specific windows targeted for infill and replacement. The commission moved and approved the application; the record shows the vote carried (6–0).
Why it matters: The approved work addresses immediate safety and structural concerns (stabilization and compliant egress) while acknowledging that more extensive façade restoration will require another filing and a longer schedule and larger budget.
What’s next: The applicant may return with a subsequent application for façade removal/rebuild and awning replacement. Work permitted by this approval can proceed under the city’s historic‑preservation process and building/fire‑code inspections.
