The Neon Museum Grand Opening: What glowed in Vegas, stays in Vegas

Las Vegas’ New Neon Nirvana

 

The rehabilitated La Concha Motel Lobby is the new Visitor Center at the Neon Museum Boneyard.

Located in downtown Las Vegas, the Neon Museum is home to the largest collection of neon signage in the world.  Officially opened on Tuesday, October 23, 2012, the new Neon Boneyard and its Visitor Center, a Mid-Century Modern masterpiece with a distinctive seashell shape, celebrates Las Vegas’ rich history through its most iconic art form - the neon sign.  As consulting preservation architect for the project, Chattel is proud to play a role in preserving Las Vegas’ colorful history.

The Neon Boneyard is home to over 150 neon signs.

Chattel managed implementation of National Scenic Byways Program grant funding and worked closely with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office, Federal Highway Administration, and Nevada Department of Transportation to successfully complete Section 106 environmental review for this project encompassing rehabilitation of the La Concha Motel lobby, which now houses the Visitor Center.  An architectural masterpiece designed by famed African-American architect Paul Revere Williams, the lobby was constructed in 1961 on Las Vegas Boulevard South next to the Riviera Hotel.  It was saved from demolition in 2005, carefully cut into eight pieces and moved in 2006, and reassembled at the Neon Boneyard in 2007.  

La Concha Motel on the Las Vegas Strip in 1963 (Source of photo: Nevada State Museum).

La Concha Motel Lobby disassembled at donor site before relocation in 2006.

The new Visitor Center now features new furnishings inspired by 1960s designs and new landscaping that closely resembles the original scheme at the donor site.  Exemplifying the Googie design concept of “building as sign,” the lobby maintains its relationship with Las Vegas Boulevard.  Chattel also collaborated on the design of an addition for offices and museum support spaces with Westar Architectural Group/Nevada, Inc.  

The new Visitor Center inside the rehabilitated La Concha Motel lobby.

Chattel consulted on design of the new addition housing offices and support spaces.

More than 150 neon signs, dating from the 1930s through 1990s are displayed within the Neon Boneyard, a two-acre outdoor exhibition space.  The collection includes un-restored vintage signs from some of the city’s most famous properties, including the Moulin Rouge, Desert Inn, Flamingo and Stardust Hotels, alongside those from various other bygone restaurants, hotels and businesses.  

The restored La Concha Motel neon sign.

As visitors increasingly seek to rediscover “old” Las Vegas, Chattel is pleased to participate in Downtown Las Vegas’ renaissance.  By preserving the beauty and craftsmanship of a distinctly modern art form, the Neon Museum aims to provide a significant cultural and economic impact to the downtown community and become a catalyst for ongoing revitalization.  As Robert Chattel stated in an article in the Los Angeles Times, "This neon helps people understand the history of Las Vegas, that is was not necessarily the Strip we know today." 

"C" is for Chattel!

Golden Gate Theater: East Los Angeles Icon Reborn

Lights, Camera, Adaptive Re-Use!

On August 19, 2012, Golden Gate Theater reopened as a CVS Pharmacy, bringing new life to the historic building through adaptive reuse.  As the County of Los Angeles’ historic preservation consultant, Chattel worked with the developer (Charles Company), the tenant (CVS), and the Los Angeles Conservancy to ensure historic fabric remains in place to the maximum extent feasible, and that alterations are reversible so the building can be returned to theater use in the future.

Built in 1927 at the corner of Whittier and Atlantic Boulevards, the Churrigueresque-style building is one of few remaining examples of a combined neighborhood movie palace-live stage theater in Southern California.  It is the only building in unincorporated East Los Angeles listed in the National Register of Historic Places.  Significant for its architecture, the theater was designed by the “Balch Brothers”, Clifford and William Balch.  It was originally wrapped by the two-story Vega Building, demolished in 1992 following damage caused by a 1987 earthquake.  The theater closed in the mid-1980s and remained vacant for many years; during which time a damaged roof exposed the interior to the elements and the building was vandalized by intruders.  The property was purchased by M & A Gabaee, a California Limited Partnership, in 2003.  On February 17, 2010, the Regional Planning Commission of the County of Los Angeles certified the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed rehabilitation and reuse project, which involved restoration of historic features and tenant improvements to accommodate a new use as a CVS/Pharmacy.

Certain historic features have been carefully stored on site, and others have been restored and are visible from the CVS sales floor, including interior decorative trim and light fixtures.  The historic sequence of spaces from the lobby into the auditorium is intact, and a large percentage of the high-volume auditorium ceiling and decorative proscenium arch are also visible.

The project has been controversial amongst some who remember attending showings at the theater and would like to see the building reused for film screenings or live performances.  Despite the change in use, great care has been taken to retain the building’s significant historic features and protect the theater from deterioration and vandalism.  The completed project represents a substantial investment in the East Los Angeles community and reflects the hard work and willingness of all members of the project team to celebrate the architecture of the theater while also accommodating CVS.

Additional photos of this project can be viewed on CurbedLA.  

Golden Gate Theater adaptively reused as CVS Pharmacy.

Robert Chattel and CHS Honor Congresswoman Pelosi

On August 7, 2012, Board President Robert Chattel and the California Historical Society (CHS) honored current House Democratic Leader and first female Speaker of the House, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi with CHS’s “Legends of California” Award for her 25 years of service and for helping to elevate the role of women in California, the nation’s Capitol and around the world.  Congratulations Leader Pelosi!

Congresswoman Pelosi, CHS Executive Director Anthea Hartig, and Robert Chattel

Robert Chattel Named CHS Board President

We're pleased to announce that as of July 1, 2012 Robert Chattel is now President of the Board of Trustees for California Historical Society (CHS).  Founded in 1871, CHS was designated the official California State Historical Society in 1979.  CHS is a membership-based, non-profit organization that inspires and empowers Californians to make the past a meaningful part of their contemporary lives.  Headquartered in San Francisco with a library, gallery and offices at 678 Mission Street, CHS has one of most significant collections of California history.  In Los Angeles, CHS maintains an incomparable photograph collection at the University of Southern California and a remarkable fine art and costume collection at the Autry National Center.

Kathy Kloves, Robert Chattel and Stacey Mickell at Breed Street Shul on June 24th

Robert has been actively involved in management of the non-profit organization for several years, serving on the Board of Trustees and as chair of the Facilities Committee.  More recently he participated in improvements to the Mission Street facility that heralded the opening of the stunning exhibition, A Wild Flight of the Imagination: The Story of the Golden Gate Bridge honoring the 75th anniversary of the bridge and is open through October 14, 2012.  The exterior of the building was repainted the exact International Orange hue of the bridge with paint supplied by Sherwin Williams. As part of the exhibit, CHS published its first eBook sponsored by UnitedHealthcare Northern California as a companion piece to the exhibit, available for free download on iTunes.

Click here to visit the CHS web page and get the free ebook!

Dreams Becoming Reality for the Breed Street Shul Project, Inc.

We want to thank everyone who attended and contributed to the Tardeada afternoon event at the Breed Street Shul on Sunday, June 24, 2012. Celebrating recent rehabilitation of the Shul’s original 1915 rear building, this annual fundraiser honored Robert Chattel for his nearly 30 years of active involvement in rehabilitation efforts, including his role as long time board member and volunteer preservation architect. The Breed Street Shul Project, Inc., established in 1999, is rehabilitating the Shul in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of east Los Angeles to meet needs of its current neighbors. Funds raised from Tardeada allow for diverse community programming, special events, and performances. Many of you answered the call for donations. We wholeheartedly appreciate your support and look forward to continuing our involvement in this worthwhile project.

Completed rear building rehabilitation and mural restoration

William Andrews Clark Memorial Library Tour

As a well-known English scholar once said, “A preservation field trip is good; a preservation field trip to the William Andrews Clark Memorial Library is better.” In accordance with this maxim, we embarked on a field trip to learn more about the famed property. Our tour was lead by Fran Anderson, who provided a wealth of fascinating details and anecdotes about the former building occupants, collections, and the buildings themselves.

It turns out there is more to the Clark Library than meets the eye.

A little known fact, the serene landscape, complete with expansive lawns and shaded nooks, is regularly open to the public. Have you been looking for a quiet place to eat a sandwich and leaf through the literary works of Oscar Wilde? Do you dislike Oscar Wilde but feel smarter when you lounge in close proximity to books?

The Clark Library might be for you.

Located in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles, the remarkable buildings of the Clark Library were constructed in the mid-1920s by prominent local book collector and philanthropist William Andrews Clark, Jr. When Clark passed away in 1934 he donated the property and its collections to UCLA. The Clark Library currently houses rare books and manuscripts, with a concentration of resources related to seventeenth-nineteenth century English literature and history. To accommodate the growing collection, an expansive underground facility was added to the property.  

And that’s not all.

We discovered that the Clark Library contains a fascinating array of artists’ books. Also called “uniques,” artists’ books are one-of-a-kind artworks realized in the form of a book. Examples are miniature or oversized editions, books with special calligraphy and leather-bound covers, parchment scrolls, and fold out pamphlets. There are also more avant-garde interpretations. The collection at the Clark Library includes an inflated plastic “pillow” with text scrawled across the front, as well as a deflated balloon featuring script and positioned inside a plastic cube. Thus, the variations on the art form are many.

Clearly, the Clark Library is not lacking in the charm of its buildings and setting, or in the wealth of the resources its collections have to offer. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to wade through these treasures and can’t wait to return!

The Chattel team poses near a fountain on the grounds of the Clark Library

View of Clark Library facade and main entrance

View of rear elevation of Clark Library and rear lawn

Carriage House on the Clark Library property

Our tour of the Clark Library interior

One of the reading rooms at the Clark Library

Chattel Seeks Executive Assistant



Chattel Los Angeles Office

We are seeking a part-time Executive Assistant who will be responsible for a wide range of administrative and executive support tasks in the main Los Angeles office. Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office is required; the ideal candidate also possesses excellent administrative experience, advanced written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment. Qualified candidates will be committed to working as an Executive Assistant for one year or
more; this position is not appropriate for individuals interested in advancing in the historic preservation consulting field. 

Responsibilities:

• Manage executive’s correspondence, including sorting and prioritizing incoming mail and e-mail;
• Manage and maintain executive’s schedule, including travel reservations as needed;
• Assist with bookkeeping tasks, including monthly invoicing, follow-up on non-payment and execution of semi-monthly payroll;
• Package reports, proposals, and presentations, including assembly of marketing materials, photo editing, and document layouts;
• Perform general office maintenance, including filing, scanning, and maintaining company insurance certificates and programs;
• Greet visitors, answer phones, and direct incoming calls to appropriate party;
• Maintain and regularly update mailing lists; and
• Maintain and regularly update website content, including blog.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office required;
• Familiarity with Photoshop and document publishing and graphic design software preferred;
• Familiarity with QuickBooks a plus;
• Minimum 3 years experience in office administration with previous experience as an Executive Assistant preferred. If you have not worked specifically as an Executive Assistant but believe your previous experience qualifies you for the position, please explain in your cover letter;
• Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or higher degree preferred; and
• Strong organizational and communication skills and ability to multi-task.

Available immediately, this is a part-time position of 24-32 hours a week with flexible hours. Compensation will depend on experience. We offer a competitive salary, as well as a casual and friendly work environment. For consideration, email cover letter and resume to Marissa Moshier at marissa@chattel.us by July 20, 2012. We invite you to explore our website: www.chattel.us.

Las Vegas Mob Museum Grand Opening

The National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement in Las Vegas, known as the Mob Museum, opened to the public on Tuesday, February 14. The nationally recognized museum is housed in a former Federal courthouse and U.S. Post Office. An artifact in itself, the building was carefully and meticulously rehabilitated to tell the story of organized crime and law enforcement in America. Chattel Architecture Planning and Preservation, Inc. served as consulting preservation architect, advising on the building’s rehabilitation and historic tax credits.

The Neoclassical style building was constructed in 1933 and is listed on the Nevada State Register and National Register of Historic Places. It is also one of 14 sites in the nation where the 1950-51 U.S. Senate Special Committees to investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce, also known as the Kefauver committee, were held to expose organized crime. 

Chattel was involved at all stages of the project. The firm completed initial studies to determine how best to accommodate building reuse, preparing a reuse feasibility study for the property. This involved mapping of historically significant spaces, evaluation of reuse opportunities and constraints, and collaboration with the project team to prepare conceptual interior layouts for a world-class museum facility. Chattel continued its involvement with design collaboration on the rehabilitation of the building, including a detailed restoration of the courtroom (the site of the Kefauver committee hearings), post office lobby, and loggia on the south elevation. The firm prepared scopes of work for building materials conservation, preliminary structural and code analysis and photo documentation. Chattel has also regularly monitored construction to ensure work is executed in conformance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (Secretary’s Standards). 

In addition to grant writing, Chattel wrote an amendment to the property’s National Register of Historic Places nomination to include its significance for association with the Kefauver committee. This documentation has been accepted by the Keeper of the National Register, making the project eligible for a Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grant, which it received in 2006. This grant was the largest SAT grant awarded that year.

Chattel has also worked in consultation with Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and National Park Service (NPS) and on completion of Section 106 compliance and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for compliance with grant requirements and other covenants, and historic investment tax credits. According to SHPO, the $42 million museum project is “thought to be the largest project to receive historic tax credits in Nevada” (Las Vegas Sun, September 7, 2011).

Chattel Team attended the grand opening ceremony and explored the museum’s engaging exhibits and interactive, themed environments, including a recreation of the Kefauver committee hearing in the courtroom and police line-up. Staff members had a chance to chat with Oscar B. Goodman, former Las Vegas Mayor and the Mob’s go-to defense attorney, who was one of the Mob Museum’s original visionaries.

Chattel in a line-up

Chattel Team also visited the Neon Museum Boneyard, which holds over 100 donated and rescued signs dating from the late 1930s through the early 90s that represent motels, local businesses, and celebrated casino resorts from throughout the Las Vegas Valley. Chattel has been involved in design collaboration and Section 106 review of the relocated former La Concha Motel Lobby, which will be rehabilitated as a Visitor Center for the Neon Museum.

Chattel on a tour of the Neon Museum

Chattel Opens San Francisco Office

On January 1, 2012, Chattel Architecture, Planning & Preservation opened its second California office in downtown San Francisco at Stevenson Place. The 23 story office building features an ornate marble façade with peaked cornice. The building is conveniently situated near public transportation and freeways, giving staff and clients access to all regions of the Bay Area.

Chattel is located on the fourth floor of the building in a newly remodeled office space shared by other professionals. The office is staffed by Shannon Ferguson, Senior Associate, who has over five years of experience in historic preservation and specializes in Investment Tax Credit Applications and Historic Resource Evaluation reports. Shannon holds office hours on Tuesdays from 8:30am to 5:00pm. If you’re in the neighborhood on that day, please feel free to stop by and she’ll be happy to give you a tour!

 
New Chattel office building in San Francisco


Interior of new Chattel office in San Francisco

Please note our address and phone number:
71 Stevenson Street, Suite 400
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 655-6762
(415) 665-6601 fax

Illuminating Mission Santa Barbara: Solstice Window Restoration

The sun is a powerful force. It allows plants to grow and fish to spawn. Indiana Jones harnessed its energy to unlock the key to our humanly existence in Raiders of the Lost Ark. And at Santa Barbara Mission, something even greater has been accomplished: restoration of the church Solstice Window.

New Solstice Window shortly after installation (January 2012, Bryan Burd, Old Mission Santa Barbara, Inc.)

View of the broken window that was removed and replaced (2011, Chattel)

Designed by Native Americans to channel sunlight through the building in a path that illuminates the alter tabernacle on the winter solstice, the solstice window was broken and covered in plywood. Further, its original c. 1820 rosette design was lost, replaced in 1952 with a cruciform sash. Working closely with Mission staff and California Missions Foundation, Chattel coordinated restoration of the early design, the only known records of which are c. 1870 photographs taken by Carleton Watkins and held in the Mission Archive-Library. Because the church was constructed 1815-1820, it is presumed the rosette window seen in the 1870 photographs was in place when the church was first constructed. 

Solstice Window c. 1870 (Carleton Watkins, courtesy of Santa Barbara Mission Archive-Library)

A replacement window fabricated by Judson Studios and United Environment Architects was installed December 22, 2011. A circular walnut frame was carefully crafted with true divided lights to replicate the c. 1820 rosette. Restoration glass undulating with deep striations achieves an obscured appearance appropriate for an early nineteenth century window, which would have contained handmade glass.

Drawing of new sash for Solstice Window (2011, United Environment Architecture)

Detail view of new Solstice Window before installation (December 22, 2011, Chattel)

Press coverage of the installation provides additional perspectives:

KCOY:http://www.kcoy.com/story/16382136/santa-barbara-mission-gets-new-solstice-window-and-restorations

Santa Barbara Independent:http://www.independent.com/news/2012/jan/05/let-sun-shine/

Santa Barbara Mission church the day of installation (December 22, 2011, Chattel)

Restoration of the Solstice Window is just the first step in the Mission’s longer-term goal to restore the historic light path through the church. That will involve moving a wall in the choir loft and reconfiguring and digitizing the church organ, which currently blocks the view of the window from the building interior. This will be a costly enterprise and as such is reserved for a later phase of work.

Solstice Window installation is the first of several projects to be completed under a $650,000 federal Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grant. Administered by National Park Service, the SAT grant has been awarded to the Mission for a variety of important preservation projects. Funds totaling $650,000 must be raised to match the funds provided by NPS, for a grant total of $1.3 million. Retrofit of the church crypt, resurfacing of the convento wing pillars and walls, and rehabilitation of the lavanderia, one of the oldest pieces of in-situ art in California, are other projects likely to be completed with the grant funds in the coming years.

Felice Anno Nuovo Hollywood: TMZ Bus Tour!

Guided by the Hollywood lore and celebrity gossip experts from TMZ, the Chattel team and guest Kip Rudd played tourist on Hollywood Boulevard to celebrate another phenomenal year together. In the crisp December air we toured historic Hollywood and saw legendary music venues, monuments to the film industry, and relics of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Hollywood has long been known as the entertainment capital of the world, producing thousands of movies since its first movie studio, the New Jersey Nestor Film Company, opened on Sunset Boulevard at Gower Street in 1911. The town, which occupied the former Ranchos La Brea and Los Feliz, was founded in 1887 by Horace H. and Daeida Wilcox. Hollywood reached its heyday in the 1920s, when a great number of movie studios, movie theaters and shopping centers filled Hollywood and Sunset boulevards between Vine Street and Highland Avenue. Upscale commuters reveled in glamorous lives “among the stars” as retail outlets specializing in high-end clothing and accessories developed along Hollywood Boulevard. Originally a dirt road leading from downtown to the west, Sunset Boulevard is first recorded in city documents in 1888 and grew in importance as Los Angeles grew and expanded towards the ocean. In addition to the Nestor Film Company, Fox Studios (corner of Sunset and Western avenues), Warner Brothers (5800 Sunset Boulevard), and Columbia Pictures (1438 Gower Street) were located in close proximity. Chattel has worked on numerous projects in Hollywood, ranging from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel to the ambitious CRA Hollywood Survey.

On our tour we drove down historic streets like the Sunset Strip; past places that once were or are now the center of the entertainment world. Music venues like the Viper Room and Palladium, where Elton John and Jay Z have performed, the Laugh Factory which has played host to the likes of Tim Allen, Jon Stewart, and Whoopi Goldberg, and the alma mater of countless celebrities, Hollywood High School, were highlights of the tour. We hoped to catch a glimpse of a celebrity shopping on Rodeo Drive and having lunch at the Ivy but were unlucky that day.

We lunched at Miceli’s, a local legend known for its Italian cuisine. Founded in 1949, Miceli’s is still family owned and known for its genuine Sicilian pizza Hundreds of carafes hang from the ceiling and historic stained glass windows from the USC campus are on the wall. Spaghetti and Chianti was had by all as we toasted the great year gone by and the excellent year to come.

Chattel gets ready for the TMZ bus!

"TMZ" stands for "thirty mile zone," a reference to the area radiating out from the intersection of West Beverly and North La Cienega Boulevards, an entertainment industry hub.

Chianti bottles at Miceli's are adorned with personal messages written by patrons.

Lunchtime!  Chattel enjoys an authentic Italian feast!

Mob Museum Feature

Chattel's work on The Mob Museum, opening in February 2012 in the former U.S. Post Office and Courthouse in Las Vegas, NV, was recently featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Click here to read more.