Hord Coplan Macht
The Heritage at Old Town revised renderings, provided by the developer.
At a meeting of the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) on Wednesday night, developers of The Heritage apartments were told to go back to the drawing board, again.
The Heritage is a series of brick garden style apartment buildings built in the 1970s as part of an urban renewal project. The buildings are comprised of a few 3 story and one 6 story building and feature significant open, green spaces around them. It is one of the few affordable places to rent a one or two bedroom apartment in Old Town and is currently home to many low-income and HUD tenants.
The BAR only has purview over two of the nine blocks of the development. At Wednesday’s meetings, they approved the demolition of 450 S. Patrick St., 900 Wolfe St. and 431 S. Columbus St. after they were confident sufficient notice has been served to tenants and neighboring residents.
Members of the public attempted to argue that the existing buildings have historic significance and should be studied more before being torn down, despite the fact that they are less than 50 years old. They also argued that retention of the buildings would make the City a more attractive and desirable place to live which is part of the City’s Zoning Ordinance, §10-105(B).
The BAR members disagreed, saying that the current buildings do not have any unique architectural or historical significance. They argued that it is the area the buildings are located in that is historically significant, not the buildings themselves.
It was the site of a historically African American neighborhood known as “The Bottoms.” The BAR believed that the area’s rich cultural history and significance could be respectfully interpreted as part of the design and architecture of any new buildings and open spaces that are constructed in that location.
Approving demolition of the existing buildings is where any agreement between the BAR and the project applicants ended. Architects with Hord Coplan Macht presented new renderings of the proposed buildings based off of feedback from the BAR given at their meeting on July 15. The new buildings will reach heights of 7 stories or 79 feet and taper down to 4 stories along the street. The architects said they pulled inspiration from other Old Town buildings adding in bays, balconies, brick and window detailing, walk ups and a mew or break in the building to allow pedestrians to see from Alfred Street to Patrick Street. They also attempted to add greater openness, lightness, richness and reduced scale to the façade of the buildings.
Both the public and members of the BAR tore into the new design, saying they did not see much of a difference from the previous design. They agreed that the buildings were too large and not in keeping with the character of Old Town. Many attendees of the meeting said that the buildings looked similar to all the other buildings designed by the architects and looked like they could be found in Ballston, Rockville and any other part of the country. The BAR unanimously agreed that the architecture, mass, style and height were not appropriate for Old Town.
They told the developers to start again and come back with plans that reflects the rich history of not only Old Town, but also the cultural and historical significance of the neighborhood. They referenced projects like those in the Parker-Gray district that although modern, still pay homage to their historical context. The BAR also requested additional materials like 3D renderings that would help them be able to see the true impact of the proposed development on surrounding buildings.
The chairman of the BAR said that they take their job seriously because their decision on design of any new buildings would set a precedent for the remaining seven blocks of the project that are outside their purview.
