The black granite façade of the former Boxer Learning Center—where the nine-story Landmark Hotel is rising—is one step closer to demolition. At its October 21 meeting, Charlottesville’s Board of Architectural Review (BAR) voted 5-1 to allow developers to tear down the last vestige of the building that once stood at 200 E. Main St. if safety dictates, though in that event, developers would have to replicate it precisely.
The hotel project is backed by wealthy entrepreneur Halsey Minor, though often publicly represented by Lee Danielson. But it was another person, Cliff Harrison, who appeared before the BAR on behalf of the developers. He argued that the façade is unstable and asked for permission to tear it down—if the project required it.
“We would like to be in a position to not stop progress on the site,” said Harrison.
Four years ago when Danielson won BAR approval for the project, he saved the Board the trouble of deciding whether the façade of the former Boxer Learning Center was worthy of protection. When the BAR looked like it was splintering on the issue of its historical significance, Danielson volunteered to keep it.
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Be prepared to say goodbye to this black granite facade. |
Even with new members, the BAR is still torn over the façade’s importance. “The layered quality of the building gives it so much of its appeal,” said historic preservationist Eryn Brennan. She argued that there is “nothing else like this façade on the Mall.”
BAR member Brian Hogg, also a historic preservationist, disagreed about its significance. “Just because it’s old doesn’t mean that you save it,” said Hogg. “I like the shiny black granite. Is it good façade? I’m not sure it really is.” He didn’t think it was worth saving because the building has already been “totally denatured.”
“I think this one has already been killed and it should be put out of its misery,” said Hogg.
Still, some wondered whether letting the developers off the preservation hook wouldn’t inspire future developers to use the same argument to get rid of troublesome but architecturally important elements—leaving the Mall without any original façades. Hogg called the idea “bogus” that the façade would have to come down, arguing that you can engineer anything.
Harrison resented the term “bogus,” agreeing that anything could be engineered but arguing that economically it wasn’t always feasible. (Hogg admitted, “‘Bogus’ was perhaps a little strong.”) “At the very beginning of this project, it would have been much cheaper to take it down and put up something new,” Harrison said, but at this point, it would cost more to replace the granite.
Though the BAR never came to consensus about whether the façade was worthy, it managed to craft a motion that banked on Harrison’s assertion that it would be more expensive to replace the façade than to keep it. All but Brennan voted to allow developers to tear down the façade as long as “all attempts possible” were made to preserve it and it was replaced precisely as it currently stands.
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