Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Adaptive Reuse topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board grants one‑month deferral after debate over revised design for 720 N. St. Asaph conversion
Summary
Developers seeking to amend a previously approved office‑to‑residential conversion at 720 North St. Asaph presented simplifications to previous designs and staff gave conditional support; neighbors and several commissioners asked for more work on façade details and retail frontage. The applicant asked for — and the board granted — a one‑month deferral to return with refinements.
Lauren Riley of Walsh Colucci and ADG architect Ginny (Jenny) Crawford updated the board on revisions to the previously approved conversion at 720 North St. Asaph, a 1966 Brutalist office building the team proposes to adapt to residential use. The changes cited include reduced ground‑floor retail, retention of more parking, elimination of a rooftop trellis and second stair, relocation of mechanical equipment, and simplified exterior materials intended to recall the building’s original Brutalist palette while improving constructability.
Riley said the team sought a more economical, simplified exterior that retains vertical symmetry while reducing “decorative” pilasters and unnecessary materials. Crawford said the revised elevation relies on two primary materials (a storefront/metal‑window rhythm and a stone‑look panel in places), and that the updated plan preserves more of the existing parking and modifies the ground‑floor plan to favor marketable retail footprints.
Public comment and board discussion raised questions about the loss of retail square footage on the street, the visual treatment of the Queen/Asaph façade, trash enclosures, and whether the simplified design preserves the building’s character. Several commissioners said the earlier, more articulated design read as more residential and suggested reintroducing elements that recall the original vertical rhythm. Others said the simplified approach could be acceptable if the team returned with richer brick or cast‑stone detail and better activation of the Queen Street frontage.
After discussion the applicant asked for extra time to refine the ground‑floor composition and façade detailing; the board agreed to a one‑month deferral so the design team can work with staff and return with revised materials and storefront plans. No certificate of appropriateness vote occurred at this meeting.
