HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD TO CONSIDER RENOVATIONS AT GRAND LEADER BUILDING

  

The Brenham Historic Preservation Board will meet tomorrow (Thursday) to take up continued renovations at the historic Grand Leader building at 100 East Alamo Street.

Board members will consider a Certificate of Appropriateness (CoA) for a second phase of approval for the renovation project.  The building is being renovated to serve as the new home of Mescalito Coffee in the front and Ballad of the Bird Dog in the back.

In a letter to the board, property owner Alix Fox said several areas of concern were discovered with the building upon performing a due diligence study, forcing a change to the initial renovation plans.  According to Fox, the original transom windows were shattered and encased in rotten wood, and only a portion of the storefront windows were able to be preserved.  She also said water infiltration has created safety concerns for portions of the façade and led to the removal of the hanging transom frame.

The new proposal includes a repositioned storefront and addition of covered seating in the department store display areas, along with the construction of windows and a canopy on the Park Street-side of the building.

Also at tomorrow’s meeting, the board will consider a CoA for the former Marsh’s building at 219 East Main Street.  Significant exterior alterations are planned for the building, the planned location of the Glamfetti party decoration business owned by Tiffany Howard.

Proposed work includes restoring the facades on Main and Vulcan Streets, replacing the aluminum storefront with wood, adding an awning and lighting, replacing and removing loose plaster, and adding a landing and ramps at the sidewalk on Vulcan Street for accessible entry.  Work is expected to be completed in June.

In other business, the board will hear a report on a project to replace the roof at the historic Beaumier Iron Works at 321 South Baylor Street.

The board will meet tomorrow at 5:15 p.m. at Brenham City Hall.