| Tax
benefits of historic districts lure companies downtown
Virginia is rich
in history, and our citis have fine examples of architecture
dating back to the 1700s. These historic districts are
seeing a dynamic renaissance as companies take advantage
of federal and state tax incentives to renovate historic
properties and locate businesses back downtown.
Virginia Business
July
2004
Project: Canal
Crossing (circa 1897 and 1948)
Location: Richmond
Square Feet: 110,000
Cost: $13 million
Architect: Baskervill & Sons
Developer: Fulton Hill Properties
Canal Crossing, located in the historic
Shockoe Bottom area of downtown Richmond, is an 110,000-square-foot
adaptive reuse design project by Baskervill & Son.
Fulton Hill Properties retained the company as the design
architect to provide architecture, engineering, and
interior design services. Canal Crossing includes two
adjacent buildings —a two-story former tobacco-warehouse
with 28,000 square feet on each floor, and a five-story
office building with 10,000 square feet on each floor.
Tying the two properties together is a 40-foot high,
glass-enclosed atrium. The property features office
and retail space, and will serve as a gateway to the
new Canal Walk in Richmond. In addition to doing the
design, Baskervill & Son moved its headquarters
into the building.
Both buildings are on the National Register
of Historic Places. The warehouse was originally designed
by Baskervill & Son as a tobacco-curing shed for
Philip Morris in 1948. The adjacent five-story brick
building was built in the late 1800s and designed by
Marcellus Wright as a dry goods wholesale warehouse.
The most recent use of the two-building complex was
for manufacturing hot tubs by Hawkeye Spa Company.
In moving from its prior location a few blocks away,
Baskervill sought to consolidate its operations on a
single floor and centralize support space and functions.
The company wanted a light and open work environment
with many collaborative spaces for teams to function
efficiently. Also, Baskervill wanted to retain and reveal
as much of the original building and character as possible,
while showcasing its design abilities with a very limited
budget.
Project: Suffolk
Center for Cultural Arts
(circa 1922, formally Suffolk High School)
Location: Suffolk
Square Feet: 74,000
Cost: Approximately $16 million
Architect: CMSS Architects PC
Developer: TBD
A local Suffolk high school is scheduled
for a major renovation that will turn this landmark
building into a new cultural arts center. Originally
constructed in 1922 in a Classic Revival style, the
building will undergo a complete restoration of the
existing façade and an adaptive reuse of the
interior.
The school’s auditorium will be
remodeled into a 500-seat, professional performing arts
theater. Planned refurbishments include a raised stage
house, dressing rooms, scenery shops, storage areas,
catwalk, control booth, automatic orchestra pit, new
lighting and a theater lobby. A 500-seat exterior amphitheater
will provide an option for outdoor performances. Studios
for dance, music, pottery, photography and art are incorporated.
Additional features include a ballroom,
art galleries, a café, gift shop and senior center
complete with clubhouse, an arts and crafts area and
dining area.
A public/private partnership between
the City of Suffolk and a private foundation is taking
advantage of historic tax credits to help fund the project.
Project: Shenandoah
Hotel Renovation
(circa 1911)
Location: Roanoke
Square Feet: 27,000
Cost: $4 million
Architect: Hayes, Seay, Mattern & Mattern
Inc. (HSMM)
Developer: Center in the Square
Constructed in 1911, the Shenandoah
Hotel was once a prominent building in downtown Roanoke
until it was abandoned several decades ago. The hotel
had fallen into disrepair and was considered by many
to be an eyesore in the now revitalized historic market
district. That was until a consortium of city, state
and private organizations called Shenandoah Hotel Associates
LP, purchased the building and retained HSMM Architects
to renovate the structure. The renovations encompassed
architectural, structural and mechanical improvements.
Due to the building’s age, lead paint and asbestos
removal were also important considerations.
Today the hotel provides residential
space for Roanoke’s Mill Mountain Theatre, including
single- and double-occupancy efficiency apartments,
a lounge and a rehearsal space. The renovation is another
milestone in the renaissance of Roanoke’s downtown
district.
Project: Academy of Fine Arts
– Performing Arts Center
Location: Lynchburg
Square Feet: 80,000
Cost: $18 million
Architect: Commonwealth Architects
Developer: The Academy of Music Performing Arts
Center, LP
The project includes the rehabilitation
of the historic Academy of Music Theater, which originally
opened as a vaudeville theater in 1905 and quickly became
a favorite venue for entertainers from New Orleans to
New York City. With the emergence of movies and television,
the theatre closed in 1958. Commonwealth Architects
is now working to bring this historic performing arts
complex back to life.
The rehabilitation and new construction
project will transform the present theater into a performing
arts center that will serve as a central resource for
arts and entertainment in the Lynchburg area. The center
will occupy approximately two acres, spanning two blocks
of Main Street. The new facility will incorporate four
existing buildings and will provide parking and a new
service drive with loading dock. Sixth Street, adjacent
to the existing theater, will be closed to traffic and
redesigned into a landscaped pedestrian courtyard with
pavers, waterfalls and a series of steps descending
to a new Price-Clements studio theatre below, located
in the Price-Clements building.
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