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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnalysisCity of Miami Planning Department Historic Preservation Division ANALYSIS FOR PRELIMINARY EVALUATION FOR DESIGNATION APPLICANT: Iris Escarra, Esq. PROJECT ADDRESS: 609 Brickell AV. COMMISSIONER DISTRICT OFFICE: Downtown-Brickell COMMISSION DISTRICT: District 2 (Damian Pardo) STATUS: Individually Designated FILE NO.: PZ-23-16792 ZIP: 33131 HEARING DATE: 7/2/2024 TDR/TDD ELIGIBLE: No COE on file A. GENERAL INFORMATION: REQUEST: Pursuant to Section 23-4(c)(8) of the City Code of Ordinances, as amended, the Applicant is requesting an Amendment to the Historic Designation Report for the individually designated site known as First Presbyterian Church located on a parcel zoned T6-48A-0 "Urban Core Transect Zone" at 609 Brickell Avenue. Section 23-4(c)(8) states the Board may amend any designation by following the same procedures as set forth in Section 23-4 "Designation of historic resources, historic districts, multiple property designations, and archaeological sites and zones". The subject property is located within the plat of Amended Map of Brickell's Addition and the Downtown-Brickell Net Area. The site is located on the east side of Brickell Avenue, south of the intersection of Southeast 6 Street. The property extends from Brickell Avenue eastward to Biscayne Bay. (Complete legal description is on file with Hearing Boards). Reference Folio: 0102100301010 Lot Size: Approximately 132,708 sq. ft. B. BACKGROUND On June 17, 2003, the City of Miami Historic and Environmental Board (HEPB), pursuant to Resolution HEPB-2003-36, designated the subject property located at 609 Brickell Avenue, also known as "First Presbyterian Church" as a Locally Designated Resource. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 1of15 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The subject property is an individually designated historic resource. Pursuant to Goal LU-2, 2.3 and 2.4 of the Miami Neighborhood Comprehensive Plan the City will preserve and protect the heritage of the City of Miami through the identification, evaluation, rehabilitation, adaptive reuse, restoration, and public awareness of Miami's historic and archeological resources. The Applicant's request for an amendment to the historic designation report for the individually designated site known as First Presbyterian Church, located at 609 Brickell Avenue is found to be in partial accordance with Chapter 23 of the City of Miami Code of Ordinances and the Miami 21 Code. C. PHOTOS: Historic Photograph (West and South Elevations c.1950): Historic Photograph (West Elevation c.1957) K. Kalmis 05/20/24 First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 2 of 15 Current Photograph (West Elevation): \\,',14,i1 \IANN\s%s 111111 7kc 1 \\k, FIRST PRESBYTFRIAN CHURCH K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 3 of 15 Current Photograph (West Elevation) K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 4 of 15 Lester W Geisler Elevations, June 1962 K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 5 of 15 Current Photograph (school addition East and South Elevations) K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 6 of 15 D. NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS: ZONING Subject Property T6-48A-0; Urban Core Transect Zone Surrounding Properties FUTURE LAND USE DESIGNATION Restricted Commercial Maximum of 500 D.U. per acre NORTH: CS; Civic Space Transect Zone Parks and Recreation N/A SOUTH: T6-48A-0; Urban Core Transect Zone Restricted Commercial Maximum of 500 D.U. per acre EAST: N/A (Biscayne Bay) WEST: T6-48A-0; Urban Core Transect Zone Restricted Commercial Maximum of 500 D.U. per acre E. ANALYSIS: The following is a review of the request pursuant to Section 23-4 of the City Code of Ordinances. The General Information and Comprehensive Plan section of this report is hereby incorporated into the analysis and its corresponding criteria by reference: Analysis: The First Presbyterian Church is a four-story masonry edifice executed in the Mediterranean Revival style of architecture with elements of the Romanesque mode. The church building was designed to house 1,200 worshippers and was completed in 1949. The First Presbyterian Church is a cruciform -plan building supported by a masonry structural system. The exterior walls are clad with a combination of stucco and native keystone, and its roof is covered with standing seam copper. A two-story school building addition is located directly behind the church and is physically connected to the main structure. The exterior of First Presbyterian Church is characterized by a projecting central section that features three arched entrance portals and terminates in a gable roof. The central gable is perpendicular to the wings of the two-story sections that flank it on the north and south. Decorative brackets emphasize the shallow eaves of the roof overhang. The wing to the north of the entrance is the Flagler Memorial Chapel, whose interior contains salvaged portions of the original First Presbyterian Church building constructed in 1900. The chapel is the most decorated portion of the church and features compound arches in relief carried on rectangular pilasters that frame the stained-glass windows. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 7 of 15 The wing that extends to the south of the central entrance reflects a simpler architectural vocabulary tied more to then -current preferences in style. The two-story section contains three evenly spaced windows on the first and second floor. Their only embellishment is a cutout in the lintel of the second -floor windows, and a simple band course that divides the stories. The sanctuary of the church rises to a height of four stories and terminates in a gable roof running in an east -west direction. The side elevations feature broad planes of stuccoed surface embellished by bands and moldings of cast stone. Narrow windows that are framed by an arch springing from pilasters in relief are regularly spaced along the side elevations. The altar is situated within a semicircular apse end, and behind it is a two-story portion that contains meeting rooms. An educational wing or annex was added to the east elevation of the Church, its current configuration represents multiple phases of construction. In 1953 a one-story L-shaped addition was added. Between 1962 and 1963 a second story was added to the original L- shaped addition, and a U-shaped, two-story addition was inserted into the void creating an enclosed courtyard. An annex was added to the north of the church in 1946. The two-story, hipped -roof educational addition is clad in stucco with a standing -seam metal roof, the fenestration is symmetrical, balanced, and comprised of mostly metal, casement windows. Surface ornamentation visible to the public include applied quoins, belt courses, Tuscan columns, simple piloti, and metal railings featuring sections with intersecting, metal oval forms set between runs of vertical metal pickets. The west elevation features a cantilevered marquee of exaggerated scale while the east elevation features a two-story colonnade with flanking, exterior stairs. The eastern third of the property is comprised primarily of an asphalt parking lot. The boundaries of the historic resource encompass all that property acquired by, and historically associated with, the 1940's purchase by the Church with the explicit intent to house a larger congregation, provide additional educational facilities and expand church amenities. Per the historic designation. "The First Presbyterian Church is situated on a three - acre parcel of land that is located between Brickell Avenue and Biscayne Bay, between SE 6th Street and SE 7th Street", and The building and grounds are a rare exception to the streetscape of Brickell Avenue's high-rise office and condominium buildings". The resource was found to possess integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association; and is eligible for designation under the following criteria: 3. Exemplifies the historical, cultural, political, economic, or social trends of the community. The First Presbyterian Church houses Miami's oldest congregation, having been organized in April 1896. While this is the third location for the congregation, it has met continuously since its founding. Henry M. Flagler, the individual responsible for providing a railroad link to Miami, provided the lots and funding for the erection of a permanent church building in 1900. The First Presbyterian Church was made K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 8 of 15 nationally known by William Jennings Bryan, who was a member of the church and taught a Sunday School class there. 5. Embodies those distinguishing characteristics of an architectural style, or period, or method of construction. The First Presbyterian Church represents an exceptionally fine example of late Mediterranean Revival styling in Miami with elements of the Romanesque mode. While the Mediterranean Revival style was popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s in South Florida, its appearance as late as 1949, the year the First Presbyterian Church was constructed, is rare at mid-century. The visual composition of the church is architecturally noteworthy for its stylistic features and use of local materials. The applicant is requesting as "part of the Church's strategic plan to create an endowment for the continued maintenance and operation of the historic church building on the Church Property. In furtherance of this strategic plan, the Church seeks to amend the Designation Report to include to encompass only the property which contains the original church structure (the "Church Property) and remove the rest of the property (the "Educational Building and Surface Parking Lot)", i.e. the boundary would be redrawn to terminate ten (10) feet from the east wall of the church structure thus all structures and improvements east of the original church structure would be removed from the designation. In support of the request, the applicant has submitted a report by R.J. Heisenbottle Architects, P.A. and Jorge L. Hernandez, Architect, which provides an opinion on the architectural and historical significance of the church building and the lack of significance of the additions and parking lot. The report states the design of the church is inspired by both "the vocabulary of monastic churches and complexes of the Italian Romanesque and Spanish "Romanico" style", as well as "paying homage to the Neoclassical high -style character"of the Church's previous Flagler Street building. With regard to the addition, the report describes it as "strangely eclectic and dissonant. The clashing of elements more closely associated with the Mid -Century modern style, counter - positioned to stout disproportioned Tuscan colonnades, creates a dissonance within the architecture of the educational building that also clashes with the architecture of the church. This creates a disorder and lack of unity when church and educational buildings are seen together. This may have resulted from the phased design and construction schedule that produced the finished building, the vicissitudes of the commissioning, and other circumstances currently unknown to us. Nevertheless, the design of the Educational Building is far inferior to the skilled and novel composition that Geisler crafted when designing the church building. The Educational Building lacks "integrity of design." The report goes on to suggest a cantilevered awning on the south elevation "appears to be about to topple the overall structure" and the two-story loggia on the east elevation "seems disconnected from the general architectural language of the building". The report states, "At K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 9 of 15 the east building. On the first floor, brut -paired Tuscan columns are inserted into an abstract composition- a box- like porch with a second -story Mid -Century Modern metal guardrail more typical of ubiquitous modern apartment buildings from the 40s, 50s, and 60s. The pencil -thin metal columns of the second floor seem visually incapable of supporting the roof and are unexplainable as the continuation of the brut Tuscan columns below." With regard to the Designation Criteria, per the applicant's report, "the First Presbyterian Church building's is eligible for designation because it possesses architectural significance, maintains integrity in design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association and meets criterion 5 due to its embodiment of the distinguishing characteristics of a style, period, or construction method." The report goes on to assert "The Church stands out in the architectural heritage of the City of Miami. The Church building combines and embodies distinguishing characteristics of the Mediterranean Revival and Neoclassical architectural styles. The Mediterranean Revival style was prevalent in South Florida in the 1920s and 1930s, making its use in 1949 particularly distinctive." Findings: The Applicant's Letter of Intent states that the application is part of the Church's strategic plan to create an endowment for the continued maintenance of and operation of the historic church building and as such is requesting an amendment to the Designation Report to include only that portion of the property that contains the original church structure and removing the rest of the property. Despite this assertion, the Applicant has not provided documentation of a framework or mechanism that provides for the perpetual preservation of the historic church. Nor has the Applicant demonstrated how the current parameters of designation preclude the creation of said endowment. Furthermore, a review of City records indicates that, as the Applicant has not filed a request for a Certificate of Eligibility, the Applicant has not pursued utilization of the City's Transfer of Development Rights or Transfer of Development Density programs, either or both of which provide mechanisms for the maintenance and continued preservation of the church structure. The Applicant proposes the resource is eligible solely under Criterion 5 as, "The Church stands out in the architectural heritage of the City of Miami. The Church building combines and embodies distinguishing characteristics of the Mediterranean Revival and Neoclassical architectural styles. The Mediterranean Revival style was prevalent in South Florida in the 1920s and 1930s, making its use in 1949 particularly distinctive. The Applicant's contends that the "Designation Report incorrectly asserted that the First Presbyterian Church met criteria 3 because of "its significant for its association with Miami's oldest congregation, Henry M. Flagler and William Jennings Bryan." However, since the Church building was constructed well after the death of both Henry Flagler and William Jennings Bryan, that structure cannot convey the earlier history associated with these persons." K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 10 of 15 Staff find this conclusion erroneous and is contradicted by the Applicant's own report which concludes, salvage from the previous church structure was incorporated into, and specifically guided, Geisler's design; "The design of the Flagler Memorial Chapel's exterior draws direct inspiration from the original church on East Flagler Street". Staff finds this provides for a direct continuum of association of persons related to the historic development of the Church and historical, cultural, political, economic, or social trends of the community. Staff finds the Church significant under Criterion 3 The Applicant concludes the School Annex does not retain "integrity of design" conflating integrity with congruence. It is important to recognize integrity, as used in the context of historic designation, expresses the retention of a resource's essential physical features that enable it to convey its historic identity. It does not, as the Applicant asserts, relate to design composition or aesthetics. Furthermore, while the Applicant posits that the design of the School Annex is "flawed" and does not follow the "cannons of spacing distances... the language of classical architecture requires," the Applicant's report describes a modernized pastiche of the Regency period, Late Regency Moderne. Late Regency Moderne shares contextual roots with both the Art Deco and Art Modern movements, endeavoring to be modern but utilizing a different vocabulary of abstracted and historicized Neo-classical ornamentation. High -style examples such as Royal Poinciana Plaza, Regency Park, and St. Mary's Hospital in Palm Beach would have been familiar to Geisler. Working in this new vocabulary, he successfully designed a stylistically unified structure from multiple phases of construction. Furthermore, his design introduced both an auto -centric -specific threshold to the south elevation, as well as creating a secondary edifice that engages the church parking lot and embraces Biscayne Bay beyond. This mid-century interpretation of classical elements represents a building of its own time that contextually relates to the stricter classicism of the existing church structure. Staff finds that the School Annex, is significant as an example of Late Regency Moderne architecture and remains substantially unaltered from Geisler's 1962 Regency Moderne design and therefore retains integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. However, Staff agrees that the School Annex does not rise to the level of architectural or artistic significance pursuant to Section 23-4(b) as it relates to religious properties and therefore should be considered a non-contributing addition to the original church structure. The Applicant contends that the paved parking lot is a non-contributing feature of the historic resource. While the Applicant has provided little evidence to the contrary, it should be noted that within the greater context of Post -War America, as auto -centric development and society grew, so did the requirement for facilities, including religious institutions, to provide access to parking. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 11 of 15 Staff finds that the provision for, and construction of parking significant as a representation of historical, cultural, economic, and social trends of Miami's Post -War development. However, Staff agrees that the parking lot does not rise to the level of architectural or artistic significance or historical importance pursuant to Section 23-4(b) as it relates to religious properties, and therefore should be considered a non- contributing feature. The Applicant's report notes that the property is within a high -probability Archaeological Conservation Area (ACA). It states that the proposed amendment to the boundaries of the First Presbyterian Church historic designation is not intended to amend the property's location within the ACA nor preclude future requirements pursuant to such overlay. However, it is imperative to note that the Applicant specifically requests that following any amendment to the boundaries of the designation, "any hardscape and landscape improvements to the Access Easement area along the south side of the Historic Church Property be approved via a Standard Certificate of Appropriateness." Furthermore, the Applicant failed to include in their report that the subject property is adjacent to the Mary Brickell Park locally designated archaeological site, part of the larger 8DA12 Miami Midden site which includes the Miami Circle and the recently designated 444 Brickell Ave Historic Sites. Staff finds the Applicant's request to amend the exiting boundary to eliminate that portion of the site that may be likely to yield information important in prehistory or history, as well as the request to specifically limit approvals within the access easement area to Administrative -level, potentially limits future Historic and Environmental Preservation Board purview and may circumvent the process of public engagement relating to decisions of said Board and is antithetical to City Code of Ordinance Sec. 23-1(a) the intent of which is to preserve and protect the heritage of the city through the identification, evaluation, rehabilitation, adaptive use, restoration, and public awareness of Miami's historic, architectural, and archaeological resources. The Applicant's report contends that the property consists of Lot 2 of the Plat and an unplatted parcel of land which was formerly submerged and later filled in connection with the extension of the bulkhead line c.1920. They conclude that that the 2003 Designation Report incorporated areas that do not contribute to the understanding or preservation of the integrity of the historic Church building and that the filled parcel was not included in the legal description of the designation report and is therefore not historically designated. Staff finds that the while the legal description in the 2003 Designation Report, as an oversight, fails to include that portion of the site that was filled, the Designation Report describes the property as three acres and the Site Map identifies the entirety of the subject property, thus including the riparian rights of Block 103. Furthermore, the Applicant's report concedes that the Brickell Avenue property was chosen as it satisfied the Church's need for future growth, was suited to the congregation's need to allow for additional wings as membership grew, and that the resource maintains integrity of design, materials, workmanship, feeling, association, and setting. The fill project occurred nearly three decades prior to the Church's acquisition and as such this filled K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 12 of 15 K. Kalmis 05/20/24 portion the property appears to be integral to allowing the Church to provide additional, requisite amenities to serve the congregation. The 2003 Designation Report clearly states that, "the building and grounds are a rare exception to the streetscape of Brickell Avenue's high-rise office and condominium buildings. The rarity of the resource combined with the quality of its architecture and history creates a rare opportunity to save a most unique resource." Pursuant to The National Park Service, National Register Bulletin, Technical information on the National Register of Historic Places: Defining Boundaries for National Register Properties: Boundaries should include surrounding land that contributes to the significance of the resources by functioning as the setting. This setting is an integral part of the eligible property and should be identified when boundaries are selected. For example, do not limit the property to the footprint of the building, but include its yard or grounds; consider the extent of all positive subsurface test units as well as the landform that includes the archeological site. Historic Boundaries: Use the boundaries shown on historic plats or land- ownership maps (such as fire insurance or real estate maps) Natural Features: Use a natural feature, such as a shoreline, terrace edge, treeline, or erosional scar, which corresponds with the limit of the eligible resource Staff maintains that the boundaries of the historic resource encompass all that property acquired by, and historically associated with, the 1940's purchase by the Church with the explicit intent to house a larger congregation, provide additional educational facilities and expand church amenities. This land purchase, inclusive of filled land, bounded by Brickell Avenue to the west and Biscayne Bay to the east is illustrated by the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and aerial imagery submitted in the Applicant's report. The Applicant asserts that the legal description for the "property that will retain the historic designation goes ten (10) feet east of the historic church building. This additional area is meant to ensure that any future construction on the Educational Building and Surface Parking Lot respects and protects the historic church building." Pursuant to The National Park Service, National Register Bulletin, Technical information on the National Register of Historic Places: Revising Boundaries: Boundaries for listed properties need to be revised when there are changes in the condition of the resources or the setting. If resources or setting lose integrity and no longer contribute to the significance of the property, it is appropriate to revise the boundaries. Staff maintains that the boundaries of the historic resource encompass all that property acquired by, and historically associated with, the 1940's purchase by the Church with First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 13 of 15 the explicit intent to house a larger congregation, provide additional facilities and expand church amenities. At this time, the resource possesses integrity of design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association as designated and therefore Staff finds an amendment to the boundary to be premature. Findings: Partially Consistent F. NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES: Code Compliance No Objection Building No Objection NET No Objection G. CONCLUSION: The application merits further review in accordance with the applicable criteria pursuant to Chapter 23 entitled "Historic Preservation" of the City of Miami Code of Ordinances. Staff finds the request for an amendment to the historic designation report partially complies with applicable criteria as stipulated in Section 23-4. Preservation Office staff notes that additional research by the Applicant may address the question of the potential for the resource to yield information important in prehistory or history. It will also allow the Applicant additional time to provide the Historic and Environmental Board with information regarding the proposed mechanism intended to provide perpetual preservation of the historic church structure. H. RECOMMENDATION: Pursuant to Section 23-4 of the City of Miami Code, as amended, the Planning Department recommends that the request for an amendment to the boundary to the historic designation report for the property located at 609 Brickell Avenue known as the First Presbyterian Church be denied. Staff also recommends denial of the Applicant's request to have all hardscape and landscape work within the Access Easement approved administratively, at staff level. However, Staff recommends approval of the request for an amendment as it pertains to specifically classifying the School Annex and parking lot as non-contributing. Staff recommends that pursuant to an approval of the specific classifications of the School Annex and parking as non-contributing, approval of demolition of all or part of same may be approved Administratively at Staff level with the following conditions: 1. As a significant example of Late Regency Modern architecture, Applicant will provide HABS- Level II -like documentation including (three sets; two hard copy, one digital): a. An outline format report documenting the historical context of the building inclusive of the historical information and physical aspects of the building and the physical history of the building, including significant dates in the initial planning and construction as well as in later alterations, plus names of the designers and suppliers. The report should also include architectural information, with categories intended to produce an analysis and description of the building form as it exists and some discussion of the landscape including designed elements and plan. K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 14 of 15 b. Medium- or Large -format, archival, black and white photographs inclusive of, but not limited to: i. General or environmental view(s) to illustrate setting, including landscaping, adjacent building(s), and roadways. ii. Front facade iii. Perspective view, front and one side iv. Perspective view, rear and opposing side. v. Detail, front entrance and/or typical doorway. vi. Typical window. vii. Exterior details indicative of era of construction or of historic and architectural interest. This shall include the courtyard. viii. Interior views to capture spatial relationships, structural evidence, a typical room, and any decorative elements; these include hallways, stairways, attic and basement framing, fireplaces and mantels, moldings, interior shutters, kitchen (especially if original), and mechanicals. c. "As -built" drawings illustrating the existing condition of a building at the time of documentation, including additions, alterations, and demolitions which have occurred since the building was first constructed. This shall include the courtyard. d. Compendium of historic plans, images, and/or ephemera pertaining to the School Annex. neth Kalmi reservation Officer K. Kalmis First Presbyterian Church, 609 Brickell AV 05/20/24 File No. PZ-23-16792 Page 15 of 15