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Madison Street Steps "". :- ~:I. ~'f 1___________ 1977 PROFESSIONAL AWAR~C; PROGRAM Entry Form: Complete and mail(. ..h entry and $50.00 no later than 5 p.m.~ . .arch 14, 1977 to: Executive Director American Society of Landscape Architects 1750 Old Meadow Road McLean; Virginia 22101 The information below will be used for publicity purposes and awards certificates for winning entries. PLEASE CHECK ACCURACY of spelling, titles, addresses. PLEASE PRINT ALL INFORMATION. r:, \'0- Category of Entry: Park and Recreation Planninq Project Name: Madison Street Steps Address: David L. Dahlquist (M) (Name of firm or agency) 411 Fischer Building Location: Dubuque, Iowa Planning & Zoning (Req. Ia. L.A.#4)city of Dubuque, I~ Landscape Architect(s): Phone:3l9+556-3456 City: Dubuque State: Iowa Zip 52001 Directed historlcal research, site survey, existing structural inventory, development of proposed recon- struction design, renderings, and cost estimation sum- mary. Extent of Involvement in Entry: Architects: Extent of Involvement in Entry: Owner: Ci ty of Dubuque, Iowa Completed original construction of steps in 1918. Extent of Involvement in Entry: Currently maintains public R.O.W. upon which the steps exist. Contractor: Extent of Involvement in Entry: . ..>.... ~~ Other Consultants to be Included in the Credit Line; List Extent of Their Involvement in Entry Larry Dunkin (P & Z Staff): Graphics and rendering Sandy Welsh{A) (P & Z Staff): Historical Research Edwards Precast Concrete Co., Dubuque, IA: Detailed cost estimation It is the intent of the Awards Committee to' notify leading publications of the award winners. Please list, below, local newspapers, etc., that should receive press release packets (limit to three): Name Des Moines ~eqister & Tribune Address 715 Locust Street Des Hoines, Iowa 50304 Name Teleqraph-Herald Address 8th Avenue and Bluff St. Dubuque, lowa 52001 Name Address I have read the background information related to the 1977 Awards Program and understand that should I be chosen a winner, I am responsible for reimbursing the Society for the preparation of my exhibit panel(s). I understand that all material will become property of ASLA for publicity purposes. A, 17t,/fJ~'!/~;;A~ . - .f2t;(ljttd/-L~aA'-Yi(? ~lt_-== Authorized by j->ignature) .lhitdl6,,/f77 >'"\~ '. J '-- '--' David L. Dahlquist Name typed or printed Date -=~.. CONTENTS GENERAL DESCRIPTIVE TEXT "LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE" MAGAZINE TEXT ELEVBN BLACK AND WE ITE PHOTOGRAPHS EIGHTEEN COLOR SLIDES AREA MAP PROPOSED RECONSTRUCTIOn PLAN PROPOSED ELEVATIOn LARGE SCALE PROPOSED RECONSTRUCTION PLAN LARGE SCALE PROPOSED ELEVA~ION GENERAL DESCRIPTIVE TEXT MADISON STREET STEPS IHTRODUCTION On the northern perimeter of downtown Dubuque there remains an ex- cellent example of how one designer of the early 1900's, G. A. Heyne, solved the access proble~s that are unique to this eastern Iowa community. Built on the side of a wooded bluff, the Madison Street Steps were originally built as a pedestrian link between the dm'lntown area and the Madison Hill residential district. The orig- inal steps were built of wood, and requiring almost constant repair, were replaced in 1918 with the current concrete structure. This structure was quite different from the serviceable wooden steps. Not only did it provide a functional use, it,was also an object of' sculptural beauty. Urns filled with flowers and shrubs, a spiral flight of steps, ornate light fixtures, and a panoramic view of Dubuque combined to make the steps a significant structure unsur- passed in its elegance and beauty. Total cost of the project in 1918 was $2,980.97 and took almost. one year to complete. Today, all that remain are remnants of a once imposing structure and they are now partially closed to public pedestrian traffic. PROCESS Realizing the potential for a significant focal point for the Dub- uque area, a task force of city officials and consultants met in October of 1975 to discuss the feasibility of reconstructing the steps. It was agreed to pursue the project in the interests of re- constructin0 the steps for its functional, historical, and sculp- tural values. The project development was discussed in terms of the sequence of actions toward the completion of the steps construc- tion and the following sequence was established: 1. Establishment of design responsibilities in the Planning and Zoning Department. 2. Physical survey of the existing steps. 3. Preparation of preliminary design of steps, preliminary costs, and display rendering. 4. Securement of necessary funds both private and public. 5. Preparation of final construction drawings. 6. Bidding process and contract awarding. 7. Construction, and 8. "Big Bash" opening. [~ RESEARCH In November of 1975 the Planning and Zoning Department with the assistance of the City Engineering Department began the initial task of conducting an on-the-site survey. The survey was completed in the spring of 1976 with centerline alignments, post and platform lcoations, rock levels, cliff faces, and other physical elements , located and then transferred to a base map. From this map a pre- liminary plan and elevation drawings were developed. A color slide file of the steps and the surrounding vicinity was also established. [~-, A summary of the field survey positioned the Madison Street Steps within the platted right-of-way of Main Street beginning at a point approximately one-hundred-thirty feet north of 17th Street to a cul-de-sac at the south end of North Main Street adjacent to 11adison Park. The lower portion of the steps, consisting of four fliqhts of steps and four landings, is currently passable and provides the only access to a residential property. From ~~is point upward to the North Main cul-de-sac, the structure has deteriorated to the extent that several concrete support posts and step supports are absent, only portions of two platforms remain and no steps or handrails are in place. It was impossible to determine the alignment of the extreme upper portion of the steps near the cul-de-sac due to the state of deterioration and the recent construction of the cul-de-sac of ~orth Main Street. [ The elevation change from the first step of the lower portion to the grade of the cul-de-sac of ~orth Main is 81 feet covering a horizon- tal distance of 160 feet. The entire structure contains eight flights of steps and eight platforms of various sizes and dimensions. A complete spiral flight of steps existed at approximately the half- way point. From the upper platform of the spiral staircase, which appears to have been located on the center-line of Uain Street, an interesting view of the Town Clock Plaza (ASLA ~~rit Award, 1973) exists. The original construction consisted of a combination of precast con- crete elements and cast-in-place concrete. At the time that the steps were constructed, work done in concrete was rare and at best very primitive. The use of reinforced concrete and the precast blocks in the Madison Street Steps demonstrates the innovative uses of concrete construction techniques available in 1918. The support posts of various heights for the platforms and st'ep "stringers" were constructed of 1'4" sqtiare precast blocks of 1'0" thickness. A 0'6" circle was formed out of the block to provide space for reinforcing rods and poured concrete. All platform and step "stringers" as well as platforms are cast-in-place concrete. The majority of the plat- forms contained a balustrade serving as an ornamental guardrail; however, only one balustrade presently exists. The original con- struction of step handrails was of iron pipe. Replacement of step handrails has occurred at various times after deterioration of the original work. A lighting system consisting of six fixtures was incorporated with the original construction and ten concrete urns were positioned along the various platforms. ?he lighting posts have been relocated in Madison Park now and most of the urns have been destroyec. The staff concluded that no portion of the existing structure could be salvaged. Aside from the difficulties of incorporating new re- placement concrete construction onto existing elements, numerous structural faults and cracks are noticeable in many of the posts. .These appear to be the result of the original construction technique and the effects of time rather than faulty foundations or shifting rock levels. C-, PROPOSED P.ECONSTRUCTIOi~ The results of the inventory and analysis of the existing steps lead the staff to develop the following design objectives for the recon- struction of the Madison Street Steps: 1. The proposed design would be considered a recreation as opposed to a restoration of the steps. Due to the current state of deteri- oration and lack of original documented drawings, a complete res- toration would be impossible. Likewise, since the entire existing structure is proposed to be removed, the opportunity exists to in- corporate a design and construction techniques which could alleviate some of the difficulties which the original builders were unable to resol ve. 2. Obviously, the original builders of the steps spent considerable effort in locating and establishing areas to serve as sound rock foundations. The proposed design has been developed to utilize these existing rock levels as foundation locations. A relocation of the lower platforms with respect to the curb line of Madison Street has been established to facilitate pedestrian access and provide safe entry onto the site by relocating the original access away from the street. 3. Due to the complexities of conducting cast-in-place concrete construction on this site, the majority of the elements are proposed to be prefabricated concrete and metal elements which can be assem- bled on the site. Likewise, it is intended that many of the con- struction elements will be standardized to facilitate the prefab- rication operations. Working in conjunction with the Edwards Pre- cast Concrete Co., a preliminary appraisal cost and a tentative time schedule were prepared. Total cost of the reconstruction including removal of the existing structure, all proposed concrete work, hand rails, electrical work, and plantings would be approximately L~ [--' $244,000. Removal of the existing structure, manufacturing of molds, casting time and the erection of the new steps is expected to take approximately four months. 4. The visual appearance of the Madison Street Steps and the sur- rounding rock bluff is a fascinating visual amenity of Main Street. Of all the public steps existing in the City, these receive the most public exposure. The steps have provided a landscape focal point no less significant ~~an the Shot Tower, the Fourth Street Elevator, Town Clock Plaza, and the Washington Square Gazebo. Therefore, a design is proposed which will recapture the visual excitement of the original construction. CONCLUSIO~ With the closing of the Madison Street Steps, a rather important pedestrian walkway was lost to the public. Sixty to seventy years ago, people used the steps to walk to and from work, stores and residential areas. Today, the serviceable value of the steps has changed. Although there would be the daily use for walking to work, school, and stores, a significant attraction for recreational pur- poses exists. The physical and visual experience of negotiating the steps will certainly be a pleasant and exhilarating event. With the reopening of the walkway, residential areas of ~orth Main and Clarke Drive can be linked to Jackson Park and downtown through a route other than Madison Street. Conversely, residents of the 17th and Main Street vicinity would have access to Madison Park. Additional- ly, the new steps would have wide-spread appeal to visitors of the City in that a number of panoramic views are offered at various plat- forms. It is expected that an enthusiastic response to the public fund drive will help to establish the Madison Street Steps as a major focal point,in the Dubuque area. "LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE" r.1AGAZIUE TE:~T MADISON STREET STEPS Originally designed and built as a pedestrian link between downtown Dubuque and the residential areas atop the limestone bluff, the Madison Street Steps offers a unique amenity to the surrounding area. The existing structure is located north of l'1ain Street and provides a variety of panoramic views of the downtown area and ad- jacent bluffs. The steps were originally constructed of wood early in the 1900's. Requiring almost constant repair, these were replaced with ornate and intricate precast and cast-in-place concrete in 1918. Total cost of the project in 1918 was $2,980.97. Since 1943, the upper two-thirds of the steps have been closed to pedestrian traffic due to their deteriorated condition. Late in October, 1975, a task force of interested city officials and consul tants met to discuss thefeasi~:>ility of reconstructing the steps. The staff concluded L~at although no portion of the existing structure could be salvaged, the steps possessed a high functional, historic, and sculptural value. The current plans evolved from ex- tensive research into the physical and historical components of the steps. Efforts were made to retain the shapes, textures, dimensions, and visual amenities of the present steps, and at the same time, provide a serviceable yet pleasing structure. Organization has be- gun for a community-wide fund raising drive which will solicit 50% of the project cost of $244,000. It is hoped that restoring the steps will stimulate public interest and provide a major focal point within the Dubuqueland area. BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPH IllY 1. LI~ffiSTONE BLUFF ADJACENT TO MADISON STREET STEPS [-~ 2. FOm-fER WOOD STEPS CIRCA 1900 3. ORIGINAL CONCRETE STEP CONSTRUCTIOi.~. VIEW FROl-1 HADISON STREET 1918 4. ORIGINAL CONCRETE STEP CONSTRUCTION. VIEW FROM 17th STREET 1918 5. ORIGINAL CONCRETE STEP CONSTRUCTIOL~. VIEW FROH 17th STREET SU~~R 1919-1920 6. ORIGINAL COnCRETE STEP CONSTRUCTION. VIEW FROM UPPER PLATFORl1 SUl-~R 1919-1920 7. VIEW OF STEPS FROM TO~~J CLOCK PLAZA 1977 8. VIEW OF EXISTING CONDITIONS FROn 1.1AIN STREET 1977 9. VIEW OF E}~ISTING CONDITIONS FROH INTERSECTION OF MAIN A..l\ID 17th STREETS 1977 10. VIEW OF EXISTING CONDITION OF SPIRAL STEPS 1977 11. VInv OF UAIN STREET, Tmm CLOCK PLAZA, AND DOWNTOWN DUBUQUE [~. FROn TIlE TOP PLATFORM OF THE SPIRAL STEPS \.. ~ ~i~>>1 ~l~ ~ '- r: 'J . '/ THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 750 OLD MEADOW ROAD, McLEAN, VIRGINIA 22101 . TELEPHONE (703) 893-3140 I April 5, 1977 Mr. David L. Dahlquist 411 Fischer Building Dubuque, Iowa 52001 Dear Mr. Dahlquist: It is with great pleasure that I inform you that your entry IIMadison Street Stepsll has been selected for a Special Award in the 1977 Professional Awards Program. You are to be congratulated for an outstanding submission. The Jury selected 13 Merit Award winners and two Special Recognition winners and two Honor Award winners of 116 entries, all of which were of particularly high quality. I had the distinct honor to serve on this outstanding Jury with Mr. Nash Castro, General Manager, Palisades Interstate Park Commission, New Jersey; Mr. John McNair, Engineer, John McNair & Associates, Virginia; Dean J. Norwood Bosserman, School of Architecture, University of Virginia; Mr. Joseph K. Schofield, Principal Site Planner, Dept. of General Services, Baltimore, Md.; Ms. Darwina Neal, Landscape Architect, National Capital Parks and Planning Commission. The Washington office of ASLA is already beginning to prepare the winning entries for the 1977 awards exhibit which will be displayed during the Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, September 25-29, 1977, and then made a part of the ASLA Traveling Exhibit. The Award Ceremony will take place at the Annual Meeting at the Radisson Hotel, and I am sure that.you will wish to attend that ceremony or have a representative there to accept the award on your behalf. Sincerely, ~1Il.1fk MEADE M. PALMER, FASLA National Chairman for the 1977 Professional Awards Program RECt,\'J cO M'~ ,".....1 % \~: MM P : s d PRESIDENT PRESIDENT-ELECT VICE PRESIDENT BENJAMIN W. GARY, JR. LANE L MARSHALL JOT D. CARPENTER 25 Mount Auburn Street 1800 Siesta Dr. 1801 Elmwood Ave. Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Sarasota, Florida 33570 Columbus, Ohio 43212 VICE PRESIDENT THEODORE J. WIRTH 1739 Grand Ave. Billings, Montana 59102 TREASURER SPENCER P. ELLIS Tawes State Office Bidg. Annapolis, Maryland 21401 IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT EDWARD H. STONE II 12504 Canfield Lane Bowie, Maryland 20715 VICE PRESIDENT RICHARD K. DEE Brownstone Court Avon, Connecticut 06001 THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS l50 OLD MEADOW ROAD, McLEAN, VIRGINIA 22101 . TELEPHONE (703) 893-3140 CLAIRE B. SHANKS Director of Administration April 21, 1977 David - Here are most of the Jury comments concerning your entry in this year1s Professional Awards Program: lilt is the basis of preservation." { ---- liThe community deserves recognition - the assumption is that the decision to retain the old steps was made by the commu- nity. If so, the community deserves credit as do the design- ers for a very exciting and interesting solution." "Tasteful treatment." "Admired the designer for his faithful reproduction of the historically great design." "Admire the designer for maintaining the integrity of the original design." Again, David, congratulations - would love to have you re-submit this pro- ject when it is completed. Call on us if we can be of assistance to you in any way - Sincerely, /(3~ l Claire Shanks .....1\ -="' , ~~~ 7- ~ ~E.CE.\\jE.D . \~ . . 1 I .