Attachment B - Staff Report - Z-11-21-8.pdf

City of Phoenix — Formal (2021-06-02)

Extracted text (via pymupdf) 11201 characters

Staff Report: Z-11-21-8
April 1, 2021
INTRODUCTION
Z-11-21-8 is a request to establish Historic Preservation (HP) overlay zoning for the
property located at the southwest corner of 19th Street and McDowell Road [1845 East
McDowell Road] known historically as Valley National Bank Branch #10 (now McDowell
Place Senior Center). Maps and photos of the subject property are attached.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that rezoning request Z-11-21-8 be approved.
BACKGROUND
In 2019, a historical resource survey was commissioned for Miracle Mile, a mid-century
commercial strip between 14th Street and 20th Street and McDowell Road. The survey
was completed by Motley Design Group, LLC. During the survey, Valley National Bank
Branch #10 was determined eligible for listing in the Phoenix Historic Property Register
and the National Register of Historic Places. Michelle Dodds, Historic Preservation
Officer, contacted Marchelle Franklin, Director of the Human Services Department, to
discuss designation. Ms. Franklin agreed, and the Historic Preservation Commission
initiated HP zoning on December 21, 2020.
PROPERTY HISTORY
Valley National Bank (VNB) Branch #10 was one of several branches constructed
during VNB’s expansion program in 1956. The branch is located on Lot 1, Block 1 of
Bostrom Place subdivision, originally residential. After the lot’s purchase, the dwelling
on the site was demolished. Valley National Bank, the largest bank in the state, was
discerning in its bank locations, selecting the southwest corner of 19th Street and
McDowell Road for its relationship to the burgeoning residential subdivisions to the
north and east, and its location along the new commercial strip known as “Miracle Mile.”
The branch was designed by the local architecture firm of Weaver & Drover. The
company had completed at least four other branches in Phoenix for VNB. It was built by
Mardian Construction, a company run by four brothers since 1940. Over the years, the
firm built the Arizona State Capitol House and Senate Wings, Sky Harbor Airport
Terminal 3, and numerous other Valley National Bank branches.
Attachment B

Staff Report: Z-11-21-8
April 1, 2021
Page 2 of 4

The building is a late example of the International Style with exterior walls of brick and
stone veneer. The brick portion is beneath an overhanging flat roof with wide fascia
faced in corrugated metal; the stone segment is subordinate to the brick and has a flat
roof with short parapets. Aluminum-frame windows occur only in the brick portion.
Perforated clay tile screens protect the east-facing windows. The main entrance faces
McDowell Road, and a second entrance is located at the rear of the lobby on 19th
Street. A double drive-through at the southwest corner added a level of convenience for
the midcentury motorist. At 10,000 square feet, it was a much larger footprint than
VNB’s previous branches. The larger size may have been due to projected growth in the
area, which Valley National Bank closely monitored. With strong competition for banking
customers, it was important that the branch stand out from neighboring buildings and
look “modern.”

The building has been artfully repurposed as a Senior Center operated by the City of
Phoenix, with some minor interior alterations. The banking hall, the most important
public interior space, remains intact except for the teller desks, light fixtures and
updated floor coverings.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

The eligibility criteria for HP overlay zoning and listing on the PHPR are set forth in
Section 807.D of the City of Phoenix Zoning Ordinance. To qualify, a property must
demonstrate significance in local, regional, state, or national history, architecture,
archaeology, engineering, or culture, according to one or more of the following criteria:

A. The property is associated with the events that have made a significant
contribution to the broad pattern of our history;
B. The property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past;
C. The property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method
of construction, represents the work of a master, possesses high artistic values,
or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may
lack individual distinction; or
D. The property has yielded or may likely yield information integral to the
understanding of our prehistory or history.

In addition to the significance requirement, the property must also be at least 50 years
old or have achieved significance within the past 50 years if it is of exceptional
importance. The property must also possess sufficient integrity of location, design,
setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association to convey its significance.

EVALUATION

The Valley National Bank Branch #10 is significant under Criterion A as it represents the
postwar expansion of the banking industry in the Salt River Valley. At the beginning of

Staff Report: Z-11-21-8
April 1, 2021
Page 3 of 4

the 1950s, there were just three banking corporations in Phoenix—the Bank of Douglas,
Valley National Bank and First National Bank of Arizona. Each company had a main
office in downtown Phoenix and a small number of branches throughout the valley—the
Bank of Douglas had one branch, Valley National had 3 branches and First National
had 5 branches. By the end of the decade, the Bank of Douglas had 8 branches, Valley
National had 13 branches, First National had 16 branches, and three new banking
corporations had been formed. By 1959, Valley National ranked among the fifty largest
banks in the United States when measured by deposits. The bank played a major role in
the development of both the city and state during the postwar years.

The Valley National Bank Branch #10 is significant under Criterion C as a high-quality,
late example of an International-style bank building. It possesses excellent integrity for a
midcentury bank, especially its original exterior materials. While some interior finishes
have been lost, the basic fabric of the building remains. It clearly conveys its original
function as a branch bank down to the intact, attached drive-through at the southwest
corner of the building. The door to the original bank vault is still present, as is a built-in
clock in the former banking hall.

BOUNDARY JUSTIFICATION

Section 807.E states that, when applying the evaluation criteria in Section 807.D, the
boundaries of a historic district should be drawn as carefully as possible to ensure that:

1. The district contains documented historic, architectural, archaeological or natural
resources;
2. The district boundaries coincide with documented historic boundaries such as
early roadways, canals, subdivision plats or property lines;
3. Other district boundaries coincide with logical physical or manmade features and
reflect recognized neighborhood or area boundaries; and
4. Other non-historic resources or vacant land is included where necessary to
create appropriate boundaries to assist in meeting the criteria in Section 807.D.

The proposed HP zoning boundary encompasses 1.34 gross acres and includes two
parcels, as well as the adjacent right of way, which is customary for rezoning cases. It
coincides with documented historic boundaries as much as possible and follows parcel
lines and street monument lines.

CONCLUSION

The rezoning request Z-11-21-8 to establish Historic Preservation (HP) overlay zoning
for the subject property should be approved for the following reasons:

1. The property meets the significance, age, and integrity requirements for HP
overlay zoning set forth in Section 807.D of the Zoning Ordinance; and

Staff Report: Z-11-21-8
April 1, 2021
Page 4 of 4

2. The proposed boundaries meet the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 807.E.

Writers
K. Weight
J. Elsner
4/1/21

Team Leader
M. Dodds

Attachments:
Sketch Map (1 page)
Aerials (2 pages)
Photos (4 pages)

Z-44-01
Z-6-00
Z-44-01
Z-6-00
Z-122-85
Z-157-02
Z-157-02
*
*
*
*
R-4 RI
P-1
R1-6
R1-6
P-1
R1-6 HP
R-4
RI
R1-6
R-4 RI
P-1
C-2
R-3
RI
P-1
P-1
C-2
R1-6
P-1
C-2
R-4 RI HP
MCDOWELL RD
19TH ST
18TH ST
18TH PL
19TH PL
20TH ST
ALMERIA RD
SR51 RMP
WILLETTA ST
BRILL ST
Squaw
Peak Parkway
Specific Plan
VAN BUREN ST
MC DOWELL RD
JEFFERSON ST
BUCKEYE RD
LOWER BUCKEYE RD
19TH AVE
7TH AVE
CENTRAL AVE
7TH ST
16TH ST
24TH ST
32ND ST
40TH ST
I - 10
I - 17
CENTRAL CITY VILLAGE
CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT: 8
I
APPLICANT'S NAME:
APPLICATION NO.
Z-11-21
GROSS AREA INCLUDING 1/2 STREET
AND ALLEY DEDICATION IS APPROX.
1.34 Acres
MULTIPLES PERMITTED
* Maximum Units Allowed with P.R.D. Bonus
C-2, P-1
C-2 HP, P-1 HP
CONVENTIONAL OPTION
8, N/A
8, N/A
* UNITS P.R.D. OPTION
9, N/A
9, N/A
City of Phoenix Hist Pres Comm
DATE:
3/1/2021
REVISION DATES:
AERIAL PHOTO &
QUARTER SEC. NO.
QS 12-31
ZONING MAP
G-9
REQUESTED CHANGE:
FROM: C-2 ( 0.56 a.c.)
P-1 ( 0.78 a.c.)
TO:
C-2 HP ( 0.56 a.c.)
P-1 HP ( 0.78 a.c.)
Document Path: S:\Department Share\Information Systems\PL GIS\IS_Team\Core_Functions\Zoning\sketch_maps\2021\Z-11-21.mxd
Z-11-21
0.045
0
0.045
0.0225
Miles

Valley National Bank Branch #10
1845 East McDowell Road / 1838 East Brill Street

Proposed Historic Preservation (HP) Zoning Overlay shown in purple

Z-11-21-8
1845 East McDowell Road
Valley National Bank Branch #10

View looking southeast at north façade, December 2020

View looking southeast from across McDowell Road, December 2020

Z-11-21-8
1845 East McDowell Road
Valley National Bank Branch #10

View looking southwest from across McDowell Road, December 2020

Architect’s rendering, Paul Markow Collection, 1956

Z-11-21-8
1845 East McDowell Road
Valley National Bank Branch #10

Advertisement from the Arizona Republic newspaper, March 1, 1956

Built-in clock, main banking hall, December 2020

Z-11-21-8
1845 East McDowell Road
Valley National Bank Branch #10

Vault door, December 2020