LR commission told demolition OK not needed
The owner of 712 E. 11th St. in Little Rock does not need the permission of the Little Rock Historic District Commission to demolish structures on the property, commission members were told Thursday.
The reason is that the owner, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is a state entity and enjoys a number of statutory immunities, Deputy City Attorney Sherri Latimer told members during a meeting.
As a result, the university does not have to do whatever the Historic District Commission dictates, Latimer said.
The attorney said she spoke with a university representative prior to the meeting and informed the individual that the demolition item would be pulled from the commission’s agenda.
The representative indicated that they would be in touch with city staff with regard to how they plan to proceed, Latimer said.
The property consists of a Sunday School building constructed in 1908 for the Hunter Memorial Methodist Church and a sanctuary addition constructed in 1959, according to a city write-up of the application for demolition.
Designed by the architectural firm of Charles Thompson in 1898, the Sunday School building displays “eclectic style influences, including Neoclassical and Mission styles,” the write-up says.
After the congregation relocated to 3301 Romine Road in Little Rock, and the last service at 712 E. 11th St. had occurred in November 1973, the property was leased to the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, which performed its first play there in 1976.
Eleven years later, the theater company moved to its present-day location on Main Street, according to the writeup. The church later sold the property to ByLites Inc.
The structures are considered to be “non-contributing” with regard to the historic fabric of the MacArthur Park
Historic District. Commission documents attribute this status primarily to front facade alterations to the 1908 building and exterior alterations to the 1959 building.
The application for demolition sought the removal of the 1908 and 1959 structures. The applicant also planned to remove gravel driveways and a parking area, to install landscaping and to repair sidewalks, according to commission documents.
City staff had recommended that the commission deny the application.
The write-up says that the demolition request “is premature to future plans for the site and does not confidently satisfy the consideration of alternatives or fully provide the Commission of all facts and circumstances surrounding the application.”
The demolition request previously was deferred from the commission’s February meeting agenda because of a failure to meet public notice requirements.
Also on Thursday, commission members voted to support the nomination of two sites to the National Register of Historic Places as well as the expansion of one historic district’s boundaries as listed on the National Register.
The sites are the Asher Avenue overpass between Appianway Street and South Thayer Street and the former Red Carpet Inn at 2020 Vance St.
The proposed boundary increase to the Capitol-Main Historic District would consist of the addition of 609 Main St. and 615 Main St.
Commission documents refer to the two sites as the Fulk Estate Building and the Fulk-Arkansas Democrat Building, respectively.
Amber Jones, the chair of the commission, recused herself when the Capitol-Main Historic District item came up, explaining that she wrote the nomination, and then gave a presentation on the proposed boundary expansion to commission members.