New Parking Ramp Work Session_Staff MemosTHE CITY OF DUbUgUe
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi
2007
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Work Session -October 5, 2009
Parking Ramp Design Work Session
DATE: September 30, 2009
The City Council had directed staff to examine the feasibility of building two new parking
ramps in downtown Dubuque, one at 5th Street and Bluff Street, and one behind Fire
Headquarters at 11 West 9th Street. Further examination of the costs and funding
sources has caused the City to concentrate efforts at 5th and Bluff and to put the parking
ramp behind Fire Headquarters at 11 West 9th Street on hold for now.
The City Council had appointed a design review committee for the ramp design and
hired the architectural firm of Straka/Johnson to design the ramp with Desman
Associates.
After meeting several times and reviewing multiple design options. This resulted in the
choice between. a structure designed with historic context and one with a modern
appearance.
Six members of the committee selected the historic design as their top choice and four
of the committee members selected the modern design as their top choice.
Straka/Johnson is recommending the historic design.
I respectfully recommend Mayor and City Council approval of the historic design, as
selected by the majority of the design committee and as selected by Straka/Johnson
Architects, as their top choice.
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Michael C. Van Milligen ~~-,~ 1
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Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Tim Horsfield, Parking System Supervisor
THE CITY OF ~ Dubuque
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Masterpiece on the Mississippi ~ ~ ~!
2007
October 1, 2009
To: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
From: Tim Horsfield, Parking System Supervisor
Subject: New Ramp Committee -Facade Selection
Introduction
This memo is intended to provide you with information regarding the design committee's
recommendation for the new ramp at 5t" and Bluff.
Discussion
On Tuesday, September 29, 2009, the Parking Ramp Design Committee met with the
purpose of making a final recommendation to you regarding the design features of the
new ramp located at 5t" and Bluff.
After extensive discussion and a presentation by Straka Johnson Architects, it was
decided that each committee member would from the six options, select their favorite
three options and then rank only those three in priority from 1 being their favorite to 3
being the least favorite. We then assigned a value of 5 points for first, 3 points for
second and 1 point for third.
The tabulated vote results are as follows. (I have attached a colored copy of the
options for your review.)
Option C = 31 points (6 top rankings and 1 # 3 choice)
Option E = 31 points (4 top rankings, and combination of 2's and 3's to = 31)
Rather than revote using only these two options, it was the committee's
recommendation to send these results to you as they stood.
In a conversation with Marty Johnson from Straka/Johnson, we had indicated that as
the architect of record, we wanted their recommendation separately. They have
indicated that their recommendation will be Option # 3.
CITY OF DUBUQUE, 5~ AND BLUFF PARKING FACILITY
Architect's Recommendation -Exterior Facade
SJA Commission No: 09031 October 1, 2009
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As Architects serving the Dubuque community for nearly 30 years, Straka Johnson Architects, PC
has been commissioned to develop exterior facade concepts for the proposed new Parking Facility at
5~' and Bluff Street. This section of downtown Dubuque is an eclectic mix of large and small
commercial facilities, residential properties, the Historic Federal Building, St. Raphael Cathedral,
Washington Park, and the quintessential bluff that borders historic Downtown Dubuque.
The proposed ramp is a significant structure that commands the entire site currently accommodating
surface parking, and bounded on the east by Bluff Street (currently one way south), 5`Y' Street (two
way) that ascends the bluff, Washington Park Place (Mary of the Angels) on the north, and a large
limestone retaining wall on the west that accommodates the change in grade from the lower river
basin to the highland above.
Singing with the Choir
Numerous concepts were developed for the exterior of the facility which were presented to the
Committee, with one of the most highly regarded concepts proposing to sympathize with the
boutique row house nature of Cable Car Square to the south, the modular Second Empire
architecture of Mary of the Angels to the north, and the Victorian grandeur of such Dubuque icons as
the Redstone, striving for a harmonious blending of styles and massing to complement the historic
fabric of this area of Dubuque. This concept, as you will see, is not intended to be a replication of
historic character, but a contextual suggestion ofdays-gone-by. The rhythm of the `storefront' bays
breaks the shear bulk of the building into manageable horizontal segments, the stepped facade
reduces the overall height of the building to complement proximate structures, and the glass enclosed
vertical circulation elements on the northeast and southeast strive to soften the those boundaries. The
overarching philosophy of this design is to provide a facility that blends with the neighborhood-that
sings with the choir -rather than creating an icon - a soloist -that stands out as a unique and
dominating edifice.
If von build it, they will come [to appreciate it]
The other most highly regarded concept that was presented to the Committee is a contemporary
rectilinear facade with elements that recall the Art Deco/Post Constructivism style of structures to
the east and north, at the same time being a thematic and obvious parking structure, in its essence.
The base of the east facade provides a tactile pedestrian-scale element with arched storefronts to
contrast with the straight-lined functional aesthetic - a ubiquitous and apparent parking ramp -
above. There is a sentiment that the Dubuque Community in general may see this solution as an
iconoclastic diversion from the neighborhood context of the area, but that `if you build it, they will
come [to appreciate it]', especially if the Community is enlightened and educated on the ability or
desire to create a new and vibrant aesthetic, vis a vis a contemporary visage in an otherwise historic
district.
Straka Johnson Architects, P.C. Desman Associates
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Architect's Recommendation
As Architects, we have been trained to see beauty and value in symmetry and asymmetry, context
and conflict, and have taken all comments and critique of the Committee into account in formulating
our recommendation to the City Council and Community in general. While we are cognizant of the
fact that `fake-historic' is not an architectural style, nor a philosophy to be embodied, we feel there is
a precedence -and need - in this community and around the world for designing facilities that
compliment rather than clash with their environments. Great architecture yields buildings that are
appreciated, supported and valued by the collective community -trained and untrained citizens of all
walks; good architecture strives to create unique and/or bold statements of individual vision and
preference.
There are individual buildings, and building types in general, that are well-suited opportunities for
creating an icon or unique art form for a community like Dubuque (ref. Grand River Center), and a
parking facility can clearly fit this genre. There are also districts, neighborhoods, and microcosms in
Dubuque that are exemplary candidates for making such an artistic statement, but we don't believe
that the 5~' and Bluff site is the right location for that statement. The City of Dubuque has many
parking ramps; some of them are very attractive, and some of them are ... well, some of them are
very amactive. We believe that the traditional theme of Concept C yields an opportunity for the City
to provide a parking facility that is beautiful, contextual, and a complementary addition to the
neighborhood and community in general.
For these reasons, Straka Johnson Architects, PC recommends to the Dubuque Ciry Council that
Concept C -which is reminiscent of traditional downtown Dubuque architecture -should be
accepted as the concept-of-choice, and developed into this important and visible feature of the
Community.
Best regards,
1 ~k~'~.J2~~
Ken Johnson, AIA
Straka Johnson Architects, P.C. Desman Associates
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