1015 Canal St

District:  Canal Street 

Owner: 1015 Canal LLC 

HDLC Staff: Emily VanDoren

Rating:  Contributing

Applicant: John C Williams 

Permit #: 22-07794-HDLC

HDLC Guidelines:

Section 12, Pages 12 and 23-24 of the Guidelines for New Construction, Additions and Demolition, state that the demolition of all or portions of historic resources within a local Historic District or Landmark site are considered drastic actions, since they alter the character of the area. Once historic resources or buildings that contribute to the heritage of the community are destroyed, it is generally impossible to reproduce their design, texture, materials, details and their special character and interest in the neighborhood. As a result, the HDLC rarely considers the demolition of Significant or Contributing buildings or structures within a local Historic District or on a Landmark site to be an appropriate option. 

Staff Recommendations: 

The applicant has proposed to partially demolish the North Rampart St. multi-wythe masonry party wall and reconstruct it with a new concrete block wall with a stucco exterior finish. The amount of total demolition is approximately 55%, which exceeds the HDLC threshold for demolition and requires Commission approval. The majority of the wall to be reconstructed was originally an interior wall and was exposed when the adjacent building was demolished to provide a demolition staging area for the removal of the Hard Rock collapse site. The removal of the adjacent structure has caused both structural and moisture issues within the remaining wall. Because of the damage to the existing wall, and the minimal impact on the overall character of the building the reconstruction would have, staff recommends approval of the request.