Owners Ordered to Restore Downtown Storefront's Curved Glass Window

Updated: 10:24 PM Dec 15, 2009

A downtown Charlottesville shop is slated to become a frozen yogurt store, and the owners say the storefront change was an innocent mistake. Tuesday evening the Board of Architectural Review told the owners they must restore the storefront's curved glass windows.

Posted: 6:30 PM Dec 15, 2009
Reporter: Liz Palka
Email Address: liz.palka@newsplex.com

width:320 and height: 240 and picwidth: 213 and pciheight: 159

Font Size:

December 15, 2009

The owners of a business in Downtown Charlottesville went ahead with renovations and destroyed a curved front window, which did not sit well with some people in Charlottesville who saw the window as historic.

The shop, located at 219 West Main Street, is slated to become a frozen yogurt store, and the owners say the storefront change was an innocent mistake.

Tuesday evening the Board of Architectural Review told the owners they must restore the storefront's curved glass windows. Members of the BAR were upset the windows were demolished in the first place, and were especially shocked the owner and property manager did not seek a permit from them.

One board member called the demolition, "An egregious, egregious mistake. An error."

Another member said, "I think it's removal is inappropriate and it does detract from the character of the mall."

Property owner, Joe Gieck, and property manager, William Rice, say the glass was cracked, and claim it was not the original. However, they said they will work with the BAR so the current tenants can eventually move in.

The BAR has asked Gieck and Rice to restore the original storefront with the curved glass. Preservation and Design Planner, Mary Joy Scala, says she received a call from someone stating they removed the glass during the demolition. Rather than taking the original glass to the landfill, they kept it for themselves. This person told Scala they would make the glass available if necessary.

Gieck deferred his application to restore the storefront until January, so they have time to come up with an accurate design.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Tom Location: Downtown Mall on Dec 16, 2009 at 12:00 PM

The BAR of Charlottesville (and Albemarle for that matter) is rediculous. While I agree it is law that they must be consulted first, I think they are basically bleeding heart liberals that like the power they wield. Those windows were installed in 1947, why that is considered historic is beyond me. There are plenty of modern storefronts on the Downtown Mall and having another one will not detract from the character of the mall. It sounds like to me the BAR is angry because they were not consulted first and are using this instance to make an example so nobody usurps their authority again. Rediculous.

Posted by: Bill Location: Downtown Mall on Dec 16, 2009 at 11:08 AM

Here's an idea. Since the property owner and agent don't care about the historic value of the mall, and are only in it for the money. Let's all boycott their building and any business in it. Let it sit vacant. Toni, you don't get it and you don't know these vultures.

Posted by: Toni Location: Charlottesville on Dec 16, 2009 at 12:06 AM

This has got to be the dumbest solution that I have heard. The front has already been torn down and to restore it back to the original Why? It will not be the original and every one will know that this was reconstructed so the meaning of historical downtown building will never be the historical it was before the contractor demalished the front with out a permit and if he is any good repatable builder he knew he need one. When property goes on the market it should be in the contract that this is an historical part of our downtown. Time to move on. Some people just want to keep the pot stirred Don't people have any thing better than create DRAMA. Historical Society kind of dropped the ball on this one to.

Click here to post or read all 3 comments.

Live News	Weather Now	Desktop Alert
Mobile	iPhone App	Text Alerts
Facebook	Twitter	YouTube