Title
Approval of Community and Economic Development Funds for Interpretive Signage
Description
Request to recommend approval of $30,000 from the Community and Economic Development Department (CEDD) for Interpretive Signage related to the Hotel St. James. There is no impact to the General Fund.
THIS ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.
Report
Summary
Suns Legacy Properties LLC owns the property where the Hotel St. James once stood at Madison and First Streets in downtown. The hotel was constructed in 1929 and served the working class. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. These hotels for the working class played an important role in the development of downtown Phoenix in the early twentieth century. The city made two attempts to list the hotel on the Phoenix Historic Property Register, but the property owner withdrew them from City Council consideration because they did not want designation. Suns Legacy Properties LLC acquired the property in 2007 and requested demolition in 2012. They agreed to save the front third of the building to repurpose it. In 2015, the hotel was de-listed from the National Register of Historic Places. In May of 2021, they requested demolition of the remaining portion of the hotel. Suns Legacy Properties LLC agreed to donate $20,000 toward interpretive signage in order to mitigate the loss of the building. Prior to demolition on Aug. 3, 2021, they allowed the city to salvage materials from the building to incorporate into the interpretive signage.
The cost of the interpretive signage is $50,000; $30,000 of CEDD funds would provide the match necessary to prepare, fabricate and install the interpretive signage. North Wind Resource Consulting has an on-call contract with the City for historic preservation services and will provide the preparation, fabrication, and installation services.
Financial Impact
The $30,000 of CEDD funding is available in the Downtown Community Reinvestment Fund, and would be used along with a $20,000 donation from Suns Legacy Properties LLC, if accepted, to prepare, fabricate and install interpretive signage related to the Hotel St. James. There is no impact to the General Fund.
Location
Public right-of-way within the Warehouse Character Area of the Downtown Code
Council District 7
Department
Responsible Department
This item is submitted by Deputy City Manager Ginger Spencer and the Planning and Development, and Community and Economic Development departments.